11/03/05

Web Site Contact: Webmaster

Tips and Tricks

From the Members of

114th RC AeroSquadron

Many of you know that recently I had a vertical pipe crack loose on a Slimline Pitts Muffler for an OS 1.60.  This particular plane has a smoke system and to purchase a replacement muffler that will work with the smoke system cost approximately $100.

Before I decided to spend the money I tried to use JB Weld to reattach the vertical pipe to the muffler but unfortunately the JB Weld cannot take the heat and this time I lost the vertical pipe.  Again, before I spend the $100, I thought that there has to be a way to fix the muffler.  Alas, I found the product that works.

I purchased the correct diameter aluminum tube from the LHS and then used a product called “Faststeel”.  You can buy the Faststeel epoxy putty at Home Depot and it is made for small engine repairs.  It sounded perfect. Faststeel has a working time of about 15 minutes and fully cures in 60 minutes. 

The results have been excellent.  I have flown the plane about 10 times since the repair and the pipe is holding tight. The total cost of the repairs was about $9.00 ($5.00 for the aluminum tube + $2.97 for the Faststeel + Tax).  I highly recommend this product for those seemingly un-repairable situations.

Today, I used another product from the same company that makes Faststeel called “Aquamend”.  It’s also an epoxy putty that can be used in swimming pools.  As I read the package it stated that this is a very good product to mend fiberglass.  Like Faststeel, Aquamend can be drilled, painted, or sanded. I guarantee that I will try this on any fiberglass repairs that I have in the future.

Len