Mylar Not Sticking

[Gary Wayland]

The Mylar on the wings of my 27 or losing their adhesive. Can someone tell me what they would use to fix this, or should I just replace it all?

Thank You

[Tim Taylor]

Unless they are new it is likely time to replace them all. After about five years the sticky tape can start to fail. It is hard to patch the tape piecemeal.

There are many threads here about installing new mylar if you need to do that.

[Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot)]

From my limited experience,......
Did you remove old glue/adhesive?
Did you scuff sealing/glue surface with at least ScotchBrite?
Did you use any sort of degreaser/dewaxer?
What was the temp when new seals applied?

Contamination or cold temps can make the adhesive have a harder time to stick.

[Gary Wayland]

On Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 5:29:44 PM UTC-5, Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot) wrote:
> From my limited experience,......
> Did you remove old glue/adhesive?
> Did you scuff sealing/glue surface with at least ScotchBrite?
> Did you use any sort of degreaser/dewaxer?
> What was the temp when new seals applied?
>
> Contamination or cold temps can make the adhesive have a harder time to stick.

This is on a new resurface and paint. I had it done by others but they did a fantastic job with it so I just need to figure out how to fix. It's been in box and hangar for four years.

I have one hour flight time on it after the refinish and paint. So, I would think the mylar had a problem from the start. May had been on the shelf for years before being applied? So, do you think the best would be to just replace? If so, could you tell me who could supply this and what degree is used if different on the 27? Thanks, Gary

[[email protected]]

On Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 5:05:39 PM UTC-5, Gary Wayland wrote:
> The Mylar on the wings of my 27 or losing their adhesive. Can someone tell me what they would use to fix this, or should I just replace it all?
>
> Thank You

Determine which side the transfer tape released from an you will know which side was not prepped right. Surfaces must be clean, no wax, and best slightly roughened for best bonding.
Most likely it would be best to remove the seal and replace it. The topic of seal installation has been covered many times in this forum.
Good luck
UH

[Gary Wayland]

On Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 7:11:35 PM UTC-5, wrote:
> On Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 5:05:39 PM UTC-5, Gary Wayland wrote:
> > The Mylar on the wings of my 27 or losing their adhesive. Can someone tell me what they would use to fix this, or should I just replace it all?
> >
> > Thank You
>
> Determine which side the transfer tape released from an you will know which side was not prepped right. Surfaces must be clean, no wax, and best slightly roughened for best bonding.
> Most likely it would be best to remove the seal and replace it. The topic of seal installation has been covered many times in this forum.
> Good luck
> UH

Thank You. I will search the archives. Thanks again for the info. I just realized I searched another topic and found some of my posts from 1997. Duh!

Gary

[bumper[_4_]]

On Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 4:11:35 PM UTC-8, wrote:

>
> Determine which side the transfer tape released from an you will know which side was not prepped right.

What UH said is important. If the double sided tape failed on the Mylar side, you can improve the bond to the double sided tape by roughing the surface of the Mylar. Use masking tape to protect the half that is not to be bonded and then give the surface some tooth with abrasive paper.

It's important to press the Mylar down firmly onto the adhesive. A ball bearing mounted in a notched wood handle makes a good roller. After rolling down, position control surface so it's not trying to lift Mylar. Full strength is gained over about a day with most tapes.

bumper

[Gary Wayland]

On Sunday, January 13, 2019 at 12:56:48 AM UTC-5, bumper wrote:
> On Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 4:11:35 PM UTC-8, wrote:
>
> >
> > Determine which side the transfer tape released from an you will know which side was not prepped right.
>
> What UH said is important. If the double sided tape failed on the Mylar side, you can improve the bond to the double sided tape by roughing the surface of the Mylar. Use masking tape to protect the half that is not to be bonded and then give the surface some tooth with abrasive paper.
>
> It's important to press the Mylar down firmly onto the adhesive. A ball bearing mounted in a notched wood handle makes a good roller. After rolling down, position control surface so it's not trying to lift Mylar. Full strength is gained over about a day with most tapes.
>
> bumper

Thanks, bumper, I'm heading to the hangar today and pull the glider from the box. I will take a better look at what the issue is. So a ball bearing works as a good tool for this? It sounds like your getting pressure in a very small area to help seal it.

When I first flew it after the resurface, I heard some chattering outside. Ok what's coming loose! And you can't blame high-speed pass since I hadn't done one yet! The new air duct that was put in made the sound more intimidating. The 27 sounds completely different from the air scoop behind your head. Ok, I'm ranting... See ya... Thanks again... Gary


Gary

[Tim Taylor]

A bearing designed with a handle works well. You can also purchase a hand seam roller that is designed to do the same thing at most stores that sell flooring and flooring tools or wallpaper supplies. You can find them with wood, metal or hard rubber rollers. The objective is to be able to imbed the double-sided tape into the surface of the glider and the mylar.

[[email protected]]

On Sunday, January 13, 2019 at 2:24:10 AM UTC-5, Gary Wayland wrote:
> On Sunday, January 13, 2019 at 12:56:48 AM UTC-5, bumper wrote:
> > On Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 4:11:35 PM UTC-8, wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > Determine which side the transfer tape released from an you will know which side was not prepped right.
> >
> > What UH said is important. If the double sided tape failed on the Mylar side, you can improve the bond to the double sided tape by roughing the surface of the Mylar. Use masking tape to protect the half that is not to be bonded and then give the surface some tooth with abrasive paper.
> >
> > It's important to press the Mylar down firmly onto the adhesive. A ball bearing mounted in a notched wood handle makes a good roller. After rolling down, position control surface so it's not trying to lift Mylar. Full strength is gained over about a day with most tapes.
> >
> > bumper
>
> Thanks, bumper, I'm heading to the hangar today and pull the glider from the box. I will take a better look at what the issue is. So a ball bearing works as a good tool for this? It sounds like your getting pressure in a very small area to help seal it.
>
> When I first flew it after the resurface, I heard some chattering outside.. Ok what's coming loose! And you can't blame high-speed pass since I hadn't done one yet! The new air duct that was put in made the sound more intimidating. The 27 sounds completely different from the air scoop behind your head. Ok, I'm ranting... See ya... Thanks again... Gary
>
>
> Gary

I rub down seal as follows:
1) After seating seal in correct position, rub down with finger(thumb)pressure so it will stay put.
2) My rub down tool is made from a piece of wood 5/8 thick, 1-1/4 wide, and 9 inches long. It has a 1/4 inch radius sanded on the corner so contact angle is not critical. The length is so 2 hands can hold the tool. One controls the alignment, and one applies the pressure. It's hard to do this well one handed from my experience.
Good contact is visible through the seal as the color changes from cloudy to clear.
UH

[OHM Ω http://aviation.derosaweb.net]

A wall paper seam wooden roller (1" wide) might work. Inexpensive. Found at paint and DIY stores.

- John OHM Ω

[john firth]

On Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 5:05:39 PM UTC-5, Gary Wayland wrote:
> The Mylar on the wings of my 27 or losing their adhesive. Can someone tell me what they would use to fix this, or should I just replace it all?
>
> Thank You

A drywall tape roller is a good tool for applying pressure.

JMF

[[email protected]]

Temperature when applying the tape is also a factor. If it is winter when you attempt to replace the tape, try to at least get the surfaces warm so the adhesive has a better chance to "flow" and stick.

[[email protected]]

This thread seems an appropriate time to note that properly applied and cared for Mylar seals can last a LONG time. When UH helped me refinish my then-26-year-old ASW 24 wings last winter, it was REALLY difficult to remove the original seals. The toughest part was getting the adhesive out of the channel in the wings. There was no tendency to "just pull on the end of the seal and it will lift right off". I had replaced the safety tape once before and that was easier to remove (and the previous adhesive had, in fact, deteriorated into a chalky powder).

The seals seemed to have retained their curvature, too, with no apparent tendency to lift off the control surfaces when deflected. I'm speaking just of the ailerons. If you have flaps that deflect further, this might not apply.

I always install the control locks on the ailerons in the neutral position when the glider goes in the trailer so I think that helps.

Your situation may be different so check the seals carefully from time to time. A loose seal can cause serious problems. But don't assume you need to rip them off and replace them if they're working fine and still secure.

Chip Bearden