Padding coming loose

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TAILspin38
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Padding coming loose

Post by TAILspin38 »

The padding around the passenger seats is coming loose. Any suggestions for an adhesive to make a repair? Thanks
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Boatguy
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Re: Padding coming loose

Post by Boatguy »

My favorite is clear 3M Marine Silicone sealant.
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TAILspin38
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Re: Padding coming loose

Post by TAILspin38 »

Thanks Russ, sounds like with most adhesives or sealants we are best to stick along the Marine products.
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Rich
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Re: Padding coming loose

Post by Rich »

I don't know if we're talking about the same thing but I have a nagging problem with the rear-seat side panels. These are held in place with Velcro but the "fixed" side of the Velcro is glued against the sidewalls with some kind of yellowish glue. This glue really bonds to the fuselage structure but does not hold the Velcro strip over the long haul. So the two halves of the Velcro happily cling to each other but they peel away from the sidewall. So I need to fully remove that ugly, hard yellow stuff and replace it with something that will reliably hold that outer strip.
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Boatguy
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Re: Padding coming loose

Post by Boatguy »

Rich wrote: Wed Feb 02, 2022 4:19 pm I don't know if we're talking about the same thing but I have a nagging problem with the rear-seat side panels. These are held in place with Velcro but the "fixed" side of the Velcro is glued against the sidewalls with some kind of yellowish glue. This glue really bonds to the fuselage structure but does not hold the Velcro strip over the long haul. So the two halves of the Velcro happily cling to each other but they peel away from the sidewall. So I need to fully remove that ugly, hard yellow stuff and replace it with something that will reliably hold that outer strip.
This is a very common problem with Velcro. The Velcro sticks to itself better than to the materials on either side. The adhesives they use are especially prone to failure due to heat. I've had this problem with everything from the very strong duo-lock which was used to hold up the overhead panels in my last boat, but came unattached in the tropics, to the Fastrak transponder for bridges and tollways that is attached to the windshield of my car. The adhesive fails and must be replaced with something that will hold the Velcro to the material.
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Re: Padding coming loose

Post by Rich »

Boatguy wrote: Wed Feb 02, 2022 4:40 pm
Rich wrote: Wed Feb 02, 2022 4:19 pm I don't know if we're talking about the same thing but I have a nagging problem with the rear-seat side panels. These are held in place with Velcro but the "fixed" side of the Velcro is glued against the sidewalls with some kind of yellowish glue. This glue really bonds to the fuselage structure but does not hold the Velcro strip over the long haul. So the two halves of the Velcro happily cling to each other but they peel away from the sidewall. So I need to fully remove that ugly, hard yellow stuff and replace it with something that will reliably hold that outer strip.
This is a very common problem with Velcro. The Velcro sticks to itself better than to the materials on either side. The adhesives they use are especially prone to failure due to heat. I've had this problem with everything from the very strong duo-lock which was used to hold up the overhead panels in my last boat, but came unattached in the tropics, to the Fastrak transponder for bridges and tollways that is attached to the windshield of my car. The adhesive fails and must be replaced with something that will hold the Velcro to the material.
It's not the Velcro adhesive in this case, though you have a point. There's this poorly applied lumpy yellow glue that is really strongly bonded to the structure but doesn't give a good surface for the Velcro to stick to. I have changed the Velcro and it holds for a few months but eventually lets go. The next step, regardless, is to try to remove the mystery goop, guessing at the appropriate solvent. I've got acetone, naphtha, and MEK handy.
2002 DA40-180: MT, PowerFlow, 530W/430W, KAP140, ext. baggage, 1090 ES out, 2646 MTOW, 40gal., Surefly, Flightstream 210, Orion 600 LED, XeVision, Aspen E5
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Re: Padding coming loose

Post by Boatguy »

Rich wrote: Wed Feb 02, 2022 4:47 pm The next step, regardless, is to try to remove the mystery goop, guessing at the appropriate solvent. I've got acetone, naphtha, and MEK handy.
I've found citrus cleaner to be the best solvent and far less toxic to me and everything else.
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Re: Padding coming loose

Post by Steve »

The yellow goop is contact cement. For attaching two non-porous surfaces together, it is great. For gluing Velcro to fiberglas, not so much. I have had to re-glue various areas of Velcro in my airplane, and simply reapply the contact cement - I don't clean the residue off of the fiberglas, since as Rich notes, it is on there really well. I just replace the Velcro with new. It is important to allow the contact cement to dry on the Velcro for at least 20 minutes before bonding it.

As far as removing it, heat helps. Effective solvents are acetone or lacquer thinner.
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Re: Padding coming loose

Post by TAILspin38 »

Ya'll are describing exactly what I was asking about. I see remnants of the yellow contact cement even above some of the other panels. I don't know if the panels have shrunk or if it was just a sloppy repair. I bought a tube of the marine clear silicone that Russ recommended today. The old yellow glue that shows looks ugly and I would sure like to clean it off but apprehensive of what to try. I can tell it is tuff just looking at it.
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