teamgrumman(at)yahoo.com
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 Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 9:59 am Post subject: Contact cement |
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I tried the 3M 1300 contact cement something like 16 or 20 years ago. I didn't like it. It dried too fast. It gummed into little balls if you tried to brush it out even. And it didn't stick worth a damn. So, what the hell, I'm game for trying it again.
Why?
Customer came in with a canopy seal that needed replacing. The dreaded glued on canopy seal. He also brought in some 3M 1300.
Side note: I used the 1 1/4 inch foam tape on a guys plane 5 years ago. Other than the edge getting frayed, it has held up well.
So, I followed the instructions on the can. 4 minute working time is a bit short . . . by, hey, let's give it a go. Lot's of people swear by (at) this stuff.
I got the seal, laid it out on masking paper taped to the wing, and proceeded to clean the seal's mating surface. Then I wiped the canopy with MEK and surface cleaner. Then wiped down the seal with the MEK one last time.
I used a short bristled brush to apply the 1300 to the canopy bow. As long as I just brushed once, no problem. Then to the seal. By now, the canopy was dry. By the time I lifted the seal from the masking paper, it was dry too.
I then climbed into the cabin and proceeded to install. At first, the 1300 worked pretty well. It seamed to stick fine. When finished, I thought, "This just might work." Using a homemade roller, I pressed the seal against the canopy as hard as I could. I worked the entire mounting surface back and forth about 6 times.
I cleaned up the making tape I used for a guide, cleaned up all the excess glue, and thought, "That was too easy."
20 minutes later, I noticed the corners were pulling down. I'd seen this on other installs so I taped the corners in place. I closed the canopy to hold it against the bow. 24 hours later, I opened the canopy and removed the tape. The glue seamed to be holding at the edge which had been pressed against the bow. "Good enough." Some 30 minutes later and the entire seal was coming off.
After spending the next hour removing the 1300 with MEK, I wiped off the surface of the bow using the same previous techniques, cleaned the seal using the same previous techniques, and applied my favorite contact cement.
I started using DAP Weldwood Original contact cement about 15 years ago. I gives about 20 minutes of working time and sticks very well.
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