What working time is favored?
 

What working time is favored? I?m thinking the one hour is good, but would like to hear what?s been everybodiy?s experience.

Hi all, being in my location things can get difficult to find so I'm doing an order through SkyGeek and will add tank sealant to spread the large shipping cost over many items. What products have people used and recommend? I plan to use a couple tubes and also quart kits. PR1422 is a great product but it also gets quite expensive.
Thanks!

Check with Hank Cheng?
 

Chris,
Have you reached out to Hank Cheng (Lots about him on VAF)who built the RV-8 in Hong Kong a few years back? His build was sponsored in part by the HAECO group MRO in Hong Kong,( I work for HAECO Americas in the US), and they use a LOT of Proseal. There may be some local connection or supplier that could assist.

Hi Bill, thanks. Yes I'm in contact with Hank, we both work for Cathay. Unfortunately local suppliers don't have anything like that around here but I spoke with Van's and they can ship me the tank sealant at a reasonable cost so that problem is solved.

Clecko dwell time
 

I don’t know what else to call it, dwell time being the time sealant is applied via the Fay method, the assembly secured with cleckos, and the final riveting with additional rivet sealing and encapsulation. Within this thread, it says overnight is fine, days are fine. As with all great plans, my next tank session was derailed (which would have been two day dwell) and now it looks like the time between doing the fay sealing with cleckos and riveting is going to be ten days. There’s not much I can do except an all nighter tonight, which may not be possible either. Have I gone too far?

** went with a three hour riveting session until about 11pm. Keeping unused mixed portions in the fridge- I’m work8ng from tubes- from curing too fast. Still, today, I’m sore. Anybody else notice the two hour cure stuff sets closer to 90 minutes?

Variables
 

I'm no chemist but there are some variables. Temp of the storage area, mix rate.
Mine sat inside at least 2 days at about 68 degrees. I used 4-40 nuts on 100% clekos. Maybe one of the fay sealing experts can provide better advise but I think they will be fine. If you decide to wait, buy a box of 4-40 nuts and slide one on each cleko on the inside. Provides a little extra grip and tension. Put some clamps accross the baffle end to keep it from spreading open past the last cleko. Not super tight. Just enough to hold dimension.

Freezer
 

If you have a big freezer, put it in there..that will stop the cure. Get it out and let it thaw when you are ready to start again. Put it in a bag and get as much air out as possible to prevent moisture...otherwise coffee up and keep shooting!

If the assembly is properly clecoed, it's okay to let the sealant cure before riveting. I did, intentionally.

Caveat - my tanks aren't flying yet.

Dave

Having read through all these excellent posts, one thing I am hoping is someone has copies of rick?s original images? They all don?t seem to work anymore.