huge c**k up

[RichardVaughanDavies]

Hi, huge mistake on the horizontal stab on the Spacewalker I'm building. Epoxied it on last night, checked it this morning and it is way off, as in way off. Muppet!

Is there a way of dissolving the epoxy so I can do it right? I've read softening with a heat gun may help, or acetone. Anyone had experience with either? Would the CA remover, as supplied by the LiquidWeld guy, do anything?

Don't particularly want to destroy the stab, but if that's what it takes.....

Your help would be very much appreciated.

Richard

[Steve Perry]

Try ~ https://www.tedpella.com/technote_html/Reworking_Cured_Epoxy.pdf

[Bob Thompson1894]

Interesting, but a bit violent! I think I would use a heat gun and a large kitchen knife to ease it free. Some of the chemicals in that article are a bit iffy......

[Arthur Fielding]

Hi.
hope this helps
I use a soldering iron working the tip into the epoxy, you can work it along the glue line, to soften the glue. It will work. This way you can localise the heat, not so with a hot air gun.
Also to remove any screws /bolts that have been epoxied in place ,just hold the soldering iron tip on the screw head to heat it up, it will then easily undo.
You may wont to check for any health and safety issues arising ,I have had no problems.
good luck.
Arthur

[RichardVaughanDavies]

Thanks for the hints guys. The heat gun idea has worked! Managed to lever the stab away from the fuselage with a fair amount of heat, destroyed the koverall though. Burnt it through in places.

Removing all the covering proved the structure of the stab is still good, so just needs recovering. I call that a good outcome from "la catastophe"

Thanks again for the suggestions.

Richard

[Ken Bones]

Who's going to tell him then?

[Steve Perry]

C**k up over More pins needed in future

[Bob Thompson1894]

Who's going to tell him then?

?

[Ken Bones]

Removing all the covering proved the structure of the stab is still good, so just needs recovering. I call that a good outcome from "la catastophe

Was the covering cut away from the gluing area in the first place ?

[Bob Thompson1894]

[RichardVaughanDavies]

Yes it was

It was clamped with the spring loaded type of clamp, but when I glue it back on, I shall indeed, stick a few pins in. Like 20 maybe Porcupines spring to mind.

Talk about measure twice cut once, I shall measure three times, check alignment twice and then stick once.

Richard