S

STHorstman

I'm New Here
Is there any difference between using Blue RTV and proseal on the trailing edge? Some guy at work told me that RTV will work just as well as proseal, it's easy to find locally, and easier to use.

Is it just as strong?

Thanks,

Steve H.
RV-10, empennage
 
Naaah!

Don't do it!...It might work but you want something that sets up fairly rigid.

What i used came from Home Depot...Its called Vulkem 116...and its used by ductwork contractors and costs a couple of bucks per tube.

Its almost like proseal but a lot less messy and available locally.

Worked great

Frank
 
3.5 oz pro seal cartridges enough

I used the 3.5 oz size of proseal, avail fm Van's, for elevators and trim tabs, did'em at the same time. This size also would be large enough to do rudder also. Shoot with std caulk gun, cartridge fits therein. Also avail fm Spruce, but Van's stock number is MC-236-B1/2. Less mess, shelf life limited BTW. RTV does not dry hard enougn, etc., for this application.
 
Proseal Shelf Life

I used the proseal tubes for all of my proseal messes (err work). While more expensive, they are really easy to use and clean up (the rest of the mess is my fault regardless of type of delivery system. Anyone done any tests to figure out how Proseal attracts latex gloves so well? But I digress)

One thing many folks miss on here when talking about the tubes is the usable time once mixed. Vans only sells the B1/2 version (the number after the B is the use time in hours... B1/2 = 30 mins, B2 = 2 hours, etc)

Aircraft Spruce (and many other places) sell the 1 or 2 hour versions if you look. I found the B2 gave me enough time to use the majority of the tube of proseal before it started setting... Also, take a look at prices. When I bought mine, the 6 oz tube was cheaper than the 3.5 oz... Not sure why...

Just my $0.02 worth,

John
#40208 Wings
 
Another reason against RTV

Most RTV I am familiar with is silicone based. You do not want to go near your airplane with any silicone before painting because of the chance of contamination )it is nearly impossible to totally clean off. Also, even if you were careful enough not to contaminate anything else, any area on the trailing edge where the silicone would be filling a gap will not get any paint because it will flow around it. Paint flows over proseal just fine.
 
rvbuilder2002 said:
Most RTV I am familiar with is silicone based. You do not want to go near your airplane with any silicone before painting because of the chance of contamination )it is nearly impossible to totally clean off. Also, even if you were careful enough not to contaminate anything else, any area on the trailing edge where the silicone would be filling a gap will not get any paint because it will flow around it. Paint flows over proseal just fine.
Click to expand...
And finally the last reason against RTV. If it is a conventional RTV (silicone seal) the carrier is mildly corrosive to aluminum. Not terrible mind you, but enough that they make it with a non-corrosive carrier. (Spruce and many others carry the "safe" version.
Best to use something else.
Bill Jepson
 
Thanks for the input

Thank you all for the input. Tank sealant is on the way. Can't beat shooting it from a caulk gun.
 
Try a Wallpaper Roller to Apply

FWIW I read about someone using a 1" or 1 1/4" wallpaper roller to apply the tank sealant to the trailing edge wedge. I used this technique and it turned out great. I mixed the sealant up on a clean scrap of wood, then loaded up the wallpaper roller like it was an ink roller, then appplied a nice even, and thin coat of sealant along one side of the wedge. I then clecoed it into the rudder/elevator and then applied more to the other side. I also used the same technique for the foam ribs in the elevator and trim tabs and got less messy everytime. It also cuts down on the amount of sealant needed at each session. Hope this gets to you in time.

Joe Hutchison
RV-10 Tailkit
 
Proseal Over Primed Surfaces

Should I prime the mating surfaces where the proseal goes on the trailing edge of the rudder and skin or tape those areas off when I prime? Common sense tells me to tape it off or am I wrong here? Thanks.
Dave
 
Tape?

Not quite sure how to read your post but you need a direct bond between the proseal an the metal...I.e NO paint underneath. Rough up the mating surface while your at it.

You really don't need to mask off any areas but if you concerned you might get prosela on the outside then it certainly wouldn't hurt to rub tape on the outside that you can peel up afteryou bond the edges together.

As you will be clamping the edges together anyway i think you will inevitably get some squeezing out and getting on the outside anyway. Half hour with a razor blade takes it off no problem though.

Frank
 
David Clifford said:
Should I prime the mating surfaces where the proseal goes on the trailing edge of the rudder and skin or tape those areas off when I prime? Common sense tells me to tape it off or am I wrong here? Thanks.
Dave
Click to expand...

Proseal sticks to pretty much everything so it probably wouldn't matter in this case. Since it only takes a second, though: Yes...mask it off when you prime.

Here's another tip. Before you cleco the rudder down to the flat aluminum bar, give the bar a very healthy coat of BoeLube. Yes...people have glued their rudder to their aluminum bar. :)
 
FYI,

Vans provides enough excess trailing edge stock that I was able to use undrilled AEX wedge as the clap for the trailing edges. Just use it in the reverse direction.

I roughed up the surface prior to dimpling and masked when priming.
 
Ive found you don't really need proseal to get a straight edge (if you drill and cleco to the back rivet bar), BUT... does the proseal add any extra strength to the joint?

I have a friend who noticed stripped horiz stabilizer trailing edge rivets on a 9A following a "fast descend" (guessing some flutter???).
 
pro seal area prep

Believe plans say tape off, scuff with sand paper, clean with acetone, and apply proseal. Don't have my plans in front of me. Also, watch aileron trim tabs, when you get there...plans do not specifically point out foam rib to spar surface getting pro sealed, but you do want to prep and pro seal there. Don't ask me how I know......

Link Mcgarity
RV-10/N41GF/tailcone
RV-6/N42GF/flying/non builder/sale pending....
 
Here's how I did mine. I never used any proseal at all and it turned out very nice. I went and bought a piece of wood for stairways, $4.50, something very heavy and very straight. Cleco'd all the holes from underneath then layed the rudder on the board and made sure the whole edge was flush against the board for a nice clean line. (Make sure board is long enough to fit whole rudder on,) I also slid the rudder back far enough so that the cleco's almost hit the board and I had enough room for the bucking bar. Also bucked at around 40 lbs so there was less banging on the edge. Had a friend help by laying his arm along the edge and holding the surface firm against the wood. One at a time, I removed the cleco's and bucked the rivets about 3/4 every other one, continually making sure the line was straight. Once I got to the end, I started over filling in the holes I had skipped but leaving in cleco's until I had to remove them for extra strength. When they were in and bucked about 3/4, I made sure it was straight and then back riveted them on my plate but keeping the rivet I was bucking in middle of plate and even pressure on sides of rivet against plate. It turned out very nice and tight. Had a friend do his the same way but used a hand squeezer and his turned out just as nice.
airplanepicsqf5.jpg
 
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