3M VHb Tape and Exterior Wax

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

This I didn't know- do you mean to say that parts of jets' structural exteriors are actually held on solely with over-the-counter glue like the one under discussion here?

Yes. 3M's VHB products are not just consumer-grade material; they are industrial products which happen to be available to the consumer.

Aluminum airliners are now routinely assembled with both rivets and adhesives, with the adhesives providing all of the required strength for panel attachment and the rivets as essentially assembly aids and backup. The exterior of a modern aircraft is also a major part of the structure. Much of the fleet in the air today, on the other hand, was designed decades ago and depends entirely on rivets to fasten panels.

I suggest caution in applying this reasoning to become "everything can be stuck together with this stuff because it holds airplanes together". There are many adhesive products and many design configurations, and the right adhesive - installed properly - is needed for the situation.

[honda03842]

Tom,
I did not use industrial strength but rather 3m scotch exterior tape, a member of the family. It has been more than adequate but just as tough to remove.

I believe it was $15 for a 50 feet or so....

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by honda03842

Tom,
I did not use industrial strength but rather 3m scotch exterior tape, a member of the family. It has been more than adequate but just as tough to remove.

I believe it was $15 for a 50 feet or so....

I'm kidding ya. I'm sure that it is more that adequate.