PSA: That new 'quick-cure' sealant for composite panels gave me a false set in under an hour.

I applied it on a small fairing repair in our 70-degree hangar and it seemed rock solid, but it peeled right off when I did the tap test after lunch. Has anyone found a reliable alternative for fast turnaround jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

jenniferc712mo ago

My old shop banned that brand after a whole panel delaminated.

thea7042mo ago

Maybe the cure time is fine but the prep work is way more picky now. That stuff might need a different cleaner or primer to stick right. So much for a quick fix if the prep takes twice as long.

gray_roberts3d ago

That 70 degree hangar is the key thing here honestly. Was the surface temp actually 70 or was it cooler from sitting in a draft? I had one batch that said it cured at 60 plus but we found out the hard way it really needed like 80 degrees to crosslink properly. Did you hit it with a heat gun after application or just let it sit? Also what did you use for surface prep - did you scuff it with anything or just wipe it down? I'm asking because I've seen guys skip the abrasion step on composite repairs and that stuff literally just sits on top like paint on wax.