On Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:49:21 +0000, Ian Malcolm
wrote:

Richard J Kinch wrote:
Ian Malcolm writes:


By the time I got it done the stray 5200 was allready starting to set.


Hard to understand that, given it takes 5 to 7 DAYS to cure.

To cure through yes, but it seemed to skin enough to be annoying and as
I said, what was on my hands didn't clean up very well. I should
probably explain that although I'd started this vile job in the
afternoon, it was well into the evening by the time I cleaned myself up.
I didn't have any cleanup problems with where I'd gotten it on the
hull which would probably be about 2 to 3 hours after I started applying
it and all the tools cleaned up reasonably well, and I remember we'd
had to schedule this at least a week before we launched which was almost
certainly due to the setting time you quote. Its also possible that
there were traces of something else on my hands accelerating the 5200's
cure as I'd been working with a variety of nasty substances.
My skin were almost certainly dry and very rough inspite of the barrier
cream from all the work I'd been doing.

I doubt I'm confusing it with another product because where we were, The
skipper had had to import the 3M product specially. Neither it nor any
of the Sikaflex range could be found locally, (I suspect due to
overwhelming faith on silicone sealant usually applied as a poltice
round a failing joint and faith in Allah) and what with the language
problem we couldn't find anyone who'd get some in for us.


Next time get a bottle of Mineral Spirits. Cheap and dissolve 5200 (as
long as it is not set) and doesn't evaporate quickly. Keep a wiping
rag wetted with the stuff to wipe your hands, ears, etc., while
working. Also works well to clean up extra sealant that squirts out of
the joint when tightening fasteners.

If you don;t get your hands clean before the sealant sets up, well,
sandpaper will easily remove it :-(


Bruce-in-Bangkok
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