REFLECTOR: seal bulkheads before baffles?

[HYTEC45 at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/2/2007 7:05:02 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
bdtopp at comcast.net writes:

TEC,
   I don't believe anybody is sealing the portion of the strake  that is 
directly under a bulkhead or baffle.  I know I didn't.  In  theory, fuel should 
never see that area if you have a really good coat of  Jeffco on everything 
including a nice bead on the top of the baffles and  bulkheads when closing out 
the strake.
 
Bruce



Bruce,
 
I also did not pre-seal below the baffles prior to installation, and have  
not had any leaks in 11 years.  However, I have always worried about it,  and 
wish I did.  A bulkhead and a baffle are two different things  (unless things 
have changes in the plans).  A bulkhead's core will never  see fuel as it is 
stopped by it's inner skin, where a baffle's inner foam core  will see 
fuel(unless things have changed and all edges including the mouse holes  are tapped and 
sealed), and can migrate through it to the surface, approximately  9/16" wide, 
area of the inner strake skin the baffle is sitting on.  While  the perimeter 
and face of a bulkhead can be sealed as it's exposed, the area of  the strake 
skin the baffle is sitting on cannot.  I worried after I closed  my strakes 
about this, and just lucked out that there were no pin holes in the  factories 
lay ups.  I like the pre-seal with peal ply before installing the  baffles.  
Wish I did.  If you have put fuel in with no leaks, we both  should go to Vegas.
TEC



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