bent rods for softboxes?

First time playing with my softboxes, I got them together easily, however taking them apart I accidently bent one of them while trying to pull it out.. I haven't tried to put it back together yet. I wanted to see if I had to staighten it out some how first.

Does this happen normally?
What do you guys use to straight it?

yeah it should bend some specially with age...in fact i think softboxes become easier to assemble when you get a lil curve going. i hope when you say bend you dont actually mean bending it 90 degrees.

that being said higher quality softboxes have way better rods that can actually stand abuse i had a cheap ass big octo before and i swear the rods bent just taking them out of the packaging box.

seems inevitable to me
once you start assembling and disassembling the boxes the rods will bend

makes it easier to use anywyas