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  #1  
Old 08-20-2006, 06:29 PM
szicree szicree is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SoCal
Posts: 2,061
Question Canopy friendly sealants

I've got a bit of a gap between the aft canopy skirt joint and the bubble. Ideally, I'd like to just put a little caulk type goop there, but want to be absolutely CERTAIN that it's not gonna hurt my precious plexiglass. What's the secret product?
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Steve Zicree
Fullerton, Ca. w/beautiful 2.5 year old son
RV-4 99% built and sold
Rag and tube project well under way

paid =VAF= dues through June 2013

Last edited by szicree : 08-20-2006 at 07:01 PM.
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  #2  
Old 08-20-2006, 07:26 PM
lorne green lorne green is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Oliver, B.C. Canada (Okanagan valley)
Posts: 786
Default canopy sealant

Hi Steve:
It's my understanding that "Lexel" brand of caulking is one product that will bond painted aluminum to plexiglass and be inert to the plexigass. It's available in white and (crystal) clear. It is paintable. Expansion/contraction is
somewhere around 300% of thickness.
Happy building
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Lorne
RV 7a tip-up
Pre-cover MD-RA Inspected.
Canopy completed. Bonded with Sika-Flex.
Up on her mains, Firewall Fwd and wiring on going.
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  #3  
Old 08-20-2006, 08:22 PM
fodrv7's Avatar
fodrv7 fodrv7 is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Torquay, Victoria, Australia
Posts: 826
Default fullers ultra clear

I believe Lexel is readily available in the States.
However, if you cannot obtain it Fuller's Ultra Clear is a good alternative.
Pete.
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Australia Down Under.
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  #4  
Old 08-20-2006, 08:36 PM
painless painless is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Peshtigo, Wisconsin
Posts: 767
Default

Steve:

As others have said, Lexel, which is available at ACE hardware stores, is one option.

Be advised that it does set up fairly fast....well at least to the stage where it forms "buggers"

If you need more working time, which often times you do, use our good old friend Proseal. Mask off with black electrician's tape where you don't what the stuff. I filled up a corner of a ziplock sandwich bag with the stuff and then cut the corner to the diameter that allowed the proper sized "fillet" of goop that I needed. Squeeze the bag and the stuff oozes out. Then I took a squeege and scraped off the excess and created the fillet between the glass and the skirt.

Either material is kind to plexi and equally important, will accept paint.

Regards,
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Jeff Orear
RV6A N782P
Peshtigo, WI
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  #5  
Old 08-21-2006, 10:59 AM
N79PT N79PT is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 81
Default

The paint shop applied proseal to all my plexi edges using a tube like the bakery uses when icing a cake. The proseal color appears to be a darker gray and looks great. My airplane is yellow. I recommend that whatever product you do end up using that you consider a dark color (vs white) as it sets off the joint without attracting too much focus on the joint's imperfections.
Aloha. Greg
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Yellow Peril / RV-6A SOLD
Albuquerque, New Mexico
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