Sealing static ports

[N916K]

I ran into a problem the other day while having my plane's static system signed off for IFR. I had riveted the static ports to the fuselage skins but did not seal the ports to the skin. These are the aluminum ports not the Vans rivet static ports. Well when the guy attached the test equiptment to the fuselage to test the static lines it leaked between the port and the skin. We ended up having to check the altimeter from the back of the instrument. While the altimeter tested OK I have no way of knowing if the static lines in my plane leak or not. Next time I'm prosealing the static ports on.