ProSeal Not Drying

Michael Brown · #1 01-08-2009, 04:09 PM

Guys.. I have a proseal problem. I prosealed and riveted on my tank stiffners last week. During this process and 2 days after I had the garage 80 Deg. eversince then it has been in the 50s. So now it is about 7 days later and if I touch the proseal I can leave a fingerprint.

Do I need to move the tank into the house and give it more time or did I mix it wrong and need to drill out the rivets and start over?

Or should I clean off what is exposed and recoat?

Thanks

N941WR · #2 01-08-2009, 04:15 PM

Michael,

Can you bring them inside to dry? If not, just leave them for a month or so and it will dry.

Don't try to clean them up, just let them be and work on something else.

I had the same issue and had to wait two weeks for one tank to set up.

scard · #3 01-08-2009, 04:15 PM

If you mixed anywhere near correct, just leave it. It will be fine. I wouldn't be too worried, and you may still be able to leave a fingerprint in it for a few weeks.

NYTOM · #4 01-08-2009, 04:21 PM

I completed my last tank about two weeks ago and the same thing happened to me Mike. My shop is in the basement and being in the Great Northeast it stays kind of chilly down there unless I keep a heater going. After a few days my ProSeal could still pick up a finger print pretty easily so I constructed a little oven for the tank out of a big cardboard box and pointed a little electric heater through a hole in the box. I left the heater going all weekend while I was down there working on the wings and on Monday night when I checked the ProSeal it was nice and stiff. I think the cold really slows down the curing process.

Michael Brown · #5 01-08-2009, 04:29 PM

Thanks Guys! I will continue on..... Also my proseal expired 2 months ago. Order New or continue with it?

TOAD · #6 01-08-2009, 04:48 PM

I had the same problem. I left it for a month and went on to something else. You do have some other work to do right? Anyway I took the tanks into the house and they did cure and harden up over the next month or so. I purchased a second batch of Proseal later for other things I can't remember what for, and the second batch did go off like it was supposed to. I believe that the first batch was bad?? No idea what was up there. It was hard to get the measurements weights correct, but I suspect the first batch purchase was bad. I did not give it a second chance. I sweat it out for quite a while. No leaks and all is well.

Oh yes, now I recall... the second batch a 2 years later was where I had to open up a tank where a bolt shorted to ground and made the capacitance resistance fail. Dang. Why didn't I check that before I finished sealing the tanks!!! I think that was the only dumb mistake I made

right... Let's see how I explain that collection of aluminum scrap in the back corner

__________________

Michael Brown · #7 01-08-2009, 05:00 PM

It has been refrigerated since day one.

Bugsy · #8 01-08-2009, 09:04 PM

agree with all others.

Just move on to something else and in a week or so give it another look. If you mixed it right it will set up. I keep my proseal and epoxy in the fridge and so does Boeing.

Good luck

GAHco · #9 01-08-2009, 10:49 PM

For pro seal, heat is time ( try to keep the structure under 100f but as close to that as possible.)

When doing tank repairs on Moony's and other planes with integral tanks, I would duct tape a lamp in a dish type reflector right on the repair and it would help the new sealant cure within a day always. If it has not cured in 2, 3 days at the most days at 80f then I would be suspicious of your batch.

Put it where you cant smell it all the time the stuff is not good for you.

Best wishes