wrote:
Yikes.

I once had to do extensive re-repairs to a glider whe
- a previous repairer had spliced in new wing skins
- during the repair he liberally "cleaned" with MEK
- the MEK went through the joint, and disolved the foam.
This glider flew for a while, and when it was involved in
another accident the skins all cracked in the areas
where they were no longer supported by the foam core.
All the replaced skin areas had to be re-spliced !

For heavens sake, if you aren't expert, don't go
messing about with solvents you heard recommended
on RAS. Someone could get hurt, maybe you.

Be safe out there !
Best Regards, Dave

Bruce Greef wrote:

Not being a composites specialist I can't comment. Just try to use something a
little less aggressive - like MEK.

Any experts out there?


Hi Dave

That was meant to be humour...

But then I forget much of the world does not appreciate satire.

With a little effort you can remove things like adhesive residue with anything
from simple friction, to light vegetable oil, (peanut oil works well on most
adhesives believe it or not) without applying some corrosive health risk the
effects of which are unknown on your glider's structure. A gentle detergent will
clean just about any dirt or residue you may want to remove, without risk.

My point was that using aggressive chemicals on your glider is unwise, even in
small quantities.

So back to the original point. If you do want to use a solvent, check with the
manufacturer. Some elbow grease will probably do the job, and your fitness
levels the world of good, and not risk damage to the composites.

Cheers
Bruce