Looking for a solution..warped fin

Hello All-

I came to own a very old rocket made by a guy who has passed away. It came out of a storage unit. It is truly in great shape and was constructed very well. Also, the paint job is something to behold. I could NEVER paint like that! It is a 4" Iris.

The only problem is that one fin is warped. It is bad enough that I would not want to fly it. It would spin like crazy....I think.

I tried to flatten it out by clamping two very flat portions of plywood and flattening the fin....( I put cloth on the fin so I didn't scratch the paint. I then let it sit for over a week. No luck...I took off the clamps and it sprang rite back. My problem is that I don't want to mess with the paint job or else I would steam and clam the wood.

Any "magical" solutions to this? or is this destined to be a display only model? I would really like to let this thing see some speed again...what a shame...it is a beautiful rocket.

Thanks!

I hate to say it, but unless you are willing to replace the fin you are likely stuck.

Anything you do to fix the fin at a minimum means removing the fin finish, and possibly more.

You might try gently heating it before clamping it, then allow it to rest (while clamped) for a period of time, and then repeat as necessary.

Got a picture? Unless it is really bad, it should fly fine. Meanwhile keep it clamped straight. If it is going to straighten at all it will take longer than a week.

Clamping it should work but you'll need to give it a lot of time , One other thing, you'll need to over bend it in the opposite direction just a little. That way it should spring back near straight. The danger in this is with old wood being brittle, so a little goes a long way. You can inspect it after 10 days or so. if the warp is coming out--just keep it up !! ANYTHING you do runs the risk of cracking the paint if it's really old. Just depends on how bad the warp is. I agree a picture is worth a thousand words here.

Thanks for all the input guys.
I was thinking that I may have to somehow remove the fin and put another one on it. At least the colors of the rocket are black and white. so it would be kind of a simple match for the colors. I am going to try and heat the fin up a little and clamp it all up and wait a lot longer before I cut off the fin. I have all rest of winter to see if it flattens out. If not...then surgery.

The cameras on I-phones are better than the camera I own (I dont have an I-phone) so a photo may be tough but I will give it a try when I get a chance today.

Thanks for the input folks.