Pro-seal for wire tie mounts?

[MTBengel]

Thanks for all the input guys... don't know what I'd do without this site. I don't think a building day goes by without referring to one post or another for info. It's great a community! - Mark

[woodmanrog]

VHB tape from 3M works great on these type of tie wrap holders. Be sure to clean up mounting surface with MEK or something similar. We use them to hold static lines where there was no place to insert a tie wrap through a hole or mechanical attach point. I will post some photos later.

[N941WR]

I successfully used Goop Automotive Trim Adhesive, available from your local auto parts retailer.

My thinking was that if it is good enough to hold trim on a black car for years without coming off, it will work just fine inside your plane. So far, I haven?t had a problem with it.

Regardless of which adhesive you use, remove the sticky pad, as already mentioned. Then clean the surfaces to be glued. I simply used rubbing alcohol to remove any oils or grime.

Two tips for you:
1. One tip that hasn?t been mentioned, and this is one reason I like the Goop ATA. Make sure you put a zip tie in place before apply your adhesive. The reason is that some of the adhesive will push up through the zip-tie pad and can close off the holes in the pad. With the zip-tie installed, you should be able to pull it out and/or position it where you need. This may not work if you use pro-seal but works fine with the Goop ATA.

2. Place your zip-tie pads every six inches or less. Four inches is probably ideal. I didn?t when I first built my plane and during the first condition inspection I noticed that the wires were rubbing on the skins.

3 Under the panel, install a bunch of K1000-8 plate nuts on the bottom of the sub-panel and along the ribs that lead to the firewall. This will allow you to add adel clamps along those structural members to support the wires running to and from your instrument panel like this:

[az_gila]

Originally Posted by N941WR

......
3 Under the panel, install a bunch of K1000-8 plate nuts on the bottom of the sub-panel and along the ribs that lead to the firewall. This will allow you to add adel clamps along those structural members to support the wires running to and from your instrument panel like this:
<snip>

Also those same K100-8 nutplates (or the floating equivalents) can hold cross angles to mount stuff on behind the sub-panel.

This is a Skyview EMS module attached to two cross 3/4 x 1/16 angles stock on my -6A. Mounted "upwards" for later access from below.

[Experimental Chaos]

Wow, Bill and Gil, what a great idea, just install a bunch of nut plates at various places under the panel, much easier to do it now, than later. Even if you don?t use them all right away, they?ll be handy as heck at some point down the road!

[woodmanrog]

Here is a photo of where we used VHB tape to adhere those tie wrap squares. I also like the proseal approach but wanted to have instant bonding without the mess.

[N941WR]

Originally Posted by Experimental Chaos

Wow, Bill and Gil, what a great idea, just install a bunch of nut plates at various places under the panel, much easier to do it now, than later. Even if you don?t use them all right away, they?ll be handy as heck at some point down the road!

The other trick I like is to use cap screws to hold things to those plate nuts. It makes it much easier to remove and install them later than a pan-head screw, when doing maintenance while laying on your back, working under the panel.

[rswalden]

Mark,
My experience with these tie mounts is that the adhesive foam on the back will stick to the airplane surface, but over time the mount will pull away from the foam if there is any stress at all on the mount. You'll be left with a free-floating tie wrap mount, and a little white square of adhesive on the aluminum.
I prefer to pop-rivet the mounts to ribs & internal structures. For mounting to floor and side skins, I scrape away the adhesive backing and rough up both surfaces and then put a dab of ProSeal in the center and overlapping the sides of the mount. If you try to mount on a smooth surface, they will pull away over time if there is any stress on the mount even if you use ProSeal or JB Weld.
Good luck,
Waldo

[Jekyll]

Another vote for E6000. The stuff holds great and dries in minutes. Rough up both surfaces with 60 grit.

[az_gila]

Originally Posted by N941WR

The other trick I like is to use cap screws to hold things to those plate nuts. It makes it much easier to remove and install them later than a pan-head screw, when doing maintenance while laying on your back, working under the panel.

Yep... I forgot to mention that.

There are cap screws hiding in my picture...