[Public-list] RE: Public-list Digest, Vol 114, Issue 1

[Horton, Ross G.]

Roger
PERFECT intentions. A30 #148

PS - speaking of self leveling silicone, I tried some in a seat locker
to raise the height of the bottom.  I drilled a new drainage hole about
12" aft of the forward bulkhead and plugged the old one with a paper
towel.  I lowered the trailer tongue and pumped in two large tubes of
the stuff  so it was up to the bottom of the new drain hole.  As you
might imagine, the stuff is really watery (does that mean it has low or
high viscosity?).  From the engine compartment I noticed some leakage
form the old drainage hole and I forced more paper towel in with a screw
driver and waited till I thought the leak had stopped.  Thinking this
was sufficient, I went home, had a beer and congratulated myself on how
clever I was.  I checked the locker the next day and everything looked
fine but when I tapped the flat surface of the new
silicone, it was not solid but a membrane like a drum.   You guessed it,
my
drain hole seal had failed and, although the top had cured. the interior
was still liquid and it all drained (lava like) into my newly painted
bilge (I don't suppose anyone knows how to get globs of silicone up;
man. that stuff really sticks).  When I do the other side, I will first
patch with fiberglass then test by filling with water.  If I were really
clever (which I keep learning I'm not), I would save some weight by
allowing the skin to cure then drain the uncured silicon into a can and
use it somewhere else.


Roger,

Why do you want to level the "floor" of the cockpit lockers?  And why
use silicone or any other permanent goo?  The lockers are small enough
as it is to hold all of the stuff I want to put in there and are
positively tiny when I try to cram my 6'2'' carcass in there to work on
the stuffing box.  If you merely want a level surface some lightweight
removable floorboards would do the trick.

Ross Horton
Delphi #40