Epoxied the Trailing Edge -- Now I'm Worried

[Stalldog]

Finally epoxied the rudder trailing edge, a job I've been dreading since I bought the kit. Wish I felt better about it. She's good and straight cleco'd in place to the angle, but I hope I just didn't epoxy all my cleco's and the angle to the rudder! I boelubed the surface of the angle and each cleco, plus cleaned out each hole and any excess epoxy I could see, but man I've got a bad feeling about this!

Anybody else have a problem with this when everything set up? Also, how did you clean the hardened epoxy off the rudder? I assume a deburring tool will clean out the holes if needed. Never thought I'd feel more comfortable riveting than gluing, but I can drill out a bad rivet.

Guess I just don't like having to let things set 24 to 36 hours before I can see what I've got!

[scrollF4]

SD,
I haven't heard of anyone using epoxy for this. I used ProSeal, and I'm curious to know why you went with epoxy rather than ProSeal? The objective is to hold things together firmly enough to allow the actual riveting, not to act as a permanent adhesive. The proseal, while being the chemists version of baby poop, can still be cleaned out of the clecos.

[Stalldog]

Yep, Van's said I could use epoxy, and I've read others here who have used T88, so that's what I used. Opted out of using the proseal because of the low shelf life.

Checked everything this morning and the cleco's I tested came right out, so assume that is a good sign. I'll let it set some more and check it again this evening.

[LeeM_2000]

I used West Systems epoxy with flocked cotton for this job. I did not use ProSeal because I didn't have to per the plans, and because it is expensive.

[Sam Buchanan]

Originally Posted by Stalldog

Yep, Van's said I could use epoxy, and I've read others here who have used T88, so that's what I used. Opted out of using the proseal because of the low shelf life.

Checked everything this morning and the cleco's I tested came right out, so assume that is a good sign. I'll let it set some more and check it again this evening.

Find something else to worry about, the angle and clecoes will come loose just fine.

[Stalldog]

Thanks, Sam. Wings are being delivered next month, so I'm sure I'll find something else to fret about.

[flion]

Epoxy does not adhere well to aluminum unless you give it a lot of 'tooth' and are really fanatic about keeping things clean. So the clamping angles will let go readily. Clecos are usually the opposite of clean as well, and epoxy is generally brittle enough that if any oozes into the cleco it still won't hold it. I used clecos for fiberglass work such as gluing the upper cowl inlet ramps in place or the blisters for my wingtip lights, with no problem.

[Brent Colvin]

I used epoxy 7 years ago...everything looks fine. I called Van's too, said it was OK. As Van's always say's, just build it.

[instructor_bill]

it's easy to get any additional residue or gloop off. Just heat it up a bit and pop it off with a plastic scraper.

[gvouga]

Originally Posted by Stalldog

Finally epoxied the rudder trailing edge, a job I've been dreading since I bought the kit. Wish I felt better about it. She's good and straight cleco'd in place to the angle, but I hope I just didn't epoxy all my cleco's and the angle to the rudder! I boelubed the surface of the angle and each cleco, plus cleaned out each hole and any excess epoxy I could see, but man I've got a bad feeling about this!

Anybody else have a problem with this when everything set up? Also, how did you clean the hardened epoxy off the rudder? I assume a deburring tool will clean out the holes if needed. Never thought I'd feel more comfortable riveting than gluing, but I can drill out a bad rivet.

Guess I just don't like having to let things set 24 to 36 hours before I can see what I've got!

I used it... Worked fine. Build on.