Proseal in the winter or wait until spring

[JimWoo50]

It will be easier for you and you have other stuff to do. I have pro sealed in cooler temps (40f) and previous poster is spot on cure time slows drastically. Took about 2 weeks in my hangar in the fall. Also it can get messy and it'll just be easier without having to deal with cold too. Just my opinion. Good luck and don't scrimp on the pro seal especially in the rear baffles if the 14 is like the 6.

[RVDan]

As was previously pointed out, below 50 deg F all bets are off. Personal experience where proseal was exposed to low temps (30's as I recall) and never cured. On speaking with the then manufacturer, PRC, they stated that if the cure is inhibited by cold (temps below 50 deg F) in the first few hours after being mixed, that there is a possibility that the sealant will never fully cure. Some chemist type went into a complex explanation way over my head. In any case they explained why we had the problems with field repairs in the cold and so we learned.

It is also curious that the sealant requires moisture in the air to cure. Very low R/H's will also inhibit cure.

[Av8torTom]

I don't recall Proseal having much of a smell to it. I've also used an open flame propane heater in my garage. I wouldn't spray paint with the heater on, but using Proseal will be just fine.

Before you start, if you haven't already read this thread, read it - a VERY good discussion on sealing tanks:

http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...hlight=fay+fan.

My one recommendation is go purchase a pneumatic gun to apply the Proseal. It REALLY helps keep the mess down. Regular caulking guns can be used but they tend to keep leaking even after you stop squeezing the trigger - even if you relieve the pressure on the plunger.
I purchased one like this on ebay for $35 including the plastic inserts and tips:



The biggest challenge you'll have with Proseal is measuring out the mixture. I used plastic syringes (one for resin, another for catalyst) with the ends cut off and I would set the volume, then "shovel" each into the appropriate syringe with a tongue depressor, push each out into a cup and mix... Worked VERY well.

[JDBoston]

Tom,

I have read that thread thanks. I am going to try using Tom Martin's method that he posted a while ago with the individual cartridges.

Shown here:
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...60&postcount=1

Will try doing the stiffeners in this fashion, and if I find that doing all of this while the proseal is still wet too much mess, I will use the other partial cure method. I can see where riveting together while still uncured would tighten up the seal more than just clecos but I am coming at it a bit uninformed I do understand.

[SeanB]

I did a set of -7 tanks in cold temps. It was nice to have additional working time before the ProSeal would start to set. One thing to consider though....I found when bucking rivets, the colder temps made the Proseal's viscosity thicker and therefore increased the hydro-static pressure under the factory head. I would have to increase the psi on my gun to get the rivets to set flush. It took the "finesse" away from the process in my case.

[Wyzepilot]

Along those same lines I am working on the elevator for the 10 and I need to use proseal to adhere the foam ribs to the skin as well as the trailing edge wedge. I was planing on doing that in the basement figuring that I would only be using a small amount for a short period of time. Is that a bad assumption to make? I haven't worked with proseal before, I used double sided tape for the rudder. Would I be putting myself and my family in danger by doing that work in my basement?
Thanks!
Dave

[Av8torTom]

Originally Posted by Wyzepilot

Along those same lines I am working on the elevator for the 10 and I need to use proseal to adhere the foam ribs to the skin as well as the trailing edge wedge. I was planing on doing that in the basement figuring that I would only be using a small amount for a short period of time. Is that a bad assumption to make? I haven't worked with proseal before, I used double sided tape for the rudder. Would I be putting myself and my family in danger by doing that work in my basement?
Thanks!
Dave

No, Proseal doesn't have a lot of VOCs. I did my elevator trailing edges in the basement

[Stockmanreef]

I put a tank together in the winter in MI. Heated garage to 55 C when working. I had no issues. I kept the "proseal" in the house on a floor heater vent. This way the pro seal is easy to mix. I faye sealed, clecoed, and then brought inside. I put the fuel tank in basement in the furnace room. After curing for a few days, I brought back outside and riveted.