Quote:
Originally Posted by Stockmanreef
I have been reading up on the process to build the fuel tanks.
Are any people following the "fay sealing" process versus the plans? I assume that the plans are not the same. Essentially put all the proseal in place with cleacos, allow the glue to setup for a while up to a several days, the wet set the rivets.
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...roseal+channel
Ken
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I just finished both my tanks using the fay sealing, wet rivet method and they both passed air test with no leaks. I went even one step farther than some others and fay-sealed the rear baffle. I'd read about too many rear baffle leaks and decided to go overboard. I "buttered" the contact areas of both the baffle and the skins with a thin brushed-on coat of sealant, and then also added the "bead just forward of the rivet holes" called for in the plans.
The plans warn about "pillowing" if you get too much sealant between the baffle and the skin, so I used my seaming pliers to squeeze out the excess while still in clecos.
As final insurance that my generous use of sealant didn't present any fit-up problems later, I temporarily installed each tank after riveting while still wet.
I'm very happy with the results. No leaks, tanks that bolt-up with no interference. Probably added a few OZ of weight that I didn't need to, but it seemed like a good trade-off.
I'll paste in a couple of pictures since I don't have a builder's web site.
