Sealing your machines

[brandon b]

Since I started working at this shop Ive been struggling to find a product that will Last. Our machines leak coolant everywhere. I spend countless hours scrubbing and cleaning old sealant out, too shoot new caulking in.It never last more than a few weeks. Ive tried every brand our local supply house carries.

We dont have chip conveyors so the guys just pull chips back with rake we made out of sheet metal. And shovel it out into barrels. The rake and shovels just tear up the caulking type sealant.

 

Im looking for something that has the strength to hold up to the abuse.

I know it sounds out there, but has anyone sprayed a truck bed liner over all the seams? You can buy it in a can or a roll on from auto parts stores.

 

I think it would hold up pretty well.. Just as long as I take my time and prepping the metal so the liner bonds.

 

Im almost at the point of just welding all the side panels on and worry about later if Ive ever gotta take em off. haha

[Brando]

permatex "the right Stuff" it works great! just remove all the oil before applying it wont stick/seal to any oil on the surface

you can get it in caulk gun size tubes at advance auto or something like that

[The_kid]

I work for a rebuilding company. we use loctite No. 2. it is awesome! we call it aviation soon as you put it on you're good to go. it doesn't "dry" out and is made to be this specific environment. otherwise RTV black works ok as well.

[brandon b]

Ive been using the grey loctite for the last 2 years. $30 a tube..caulking gun size

[Mic6]

Aluminum gutter sealant. I have a chip can sealed with it for the past 5 years and not 1 drip

[brandon b]

ok i bought some gutter sealer toady. going to hose the machine down friday and prep the surface then come in sat. morning to shoot sealer and let it dry over the weekend

[Guyinthedesert]

Aluminum gutter sealant. I have a chip can sealed with it for the past 5 years and not 1 drip

 

But, could you install a screen door in the bottom of your chip pan and have it not leak?

[brandon b]

Screen door?? My machines( fadal vmc) leak at every joint where all the enclosures come together.

[Guyinthedesert]

Screen door?? My machines( fadal vmc) leak at every joint where all the enclosures come together.

 

Sorry, I was referring to that annoying commercial for gutter sealant where the jerk puts a screen door in the bottom of his boat.

[JTRCNC]

3M 5200 MARINE SEALANT FAST CURE. Jamestown Distributors 11.99 a cartridge

[brandon b]

Sorry, I was referring to that annoying commercial for gutter sealant where the jerk puts a screen door in the bottom of his boat.

hahaya I tried that crap too. works for a few days

[The_kid]

has to be oil resistant

[Rotary Ninja]

An epoxy sealer would probably work good.

[huskermcdoogle]

Another thought is to change your coolant. Some are much more friendly to sealants. We changed coolants in a previous shop once. Not a single leak worth mentioning to all machines leaking like a dried out wooden gutter barrel in a matter of a week. Not an easy fix, but something to consider.

 

Gutter sealant has seemed to work best. But I have found with application of any sealant that you really need to pull the joints apart and get a thin bead in the opening, then bolt tight and let rest for at least 24 hours before letting her rip. Thinner and tighter the gap, and the lesser amount of sealant you use typically it will last the longest. Being inside the joint it is not susceptible to people flexing the sealant and putting holes in it which just just oil under it and cause failures at an exponential rate.

 

Husker

[brandon b]

That's the ideal thing to do. Its tough to have a machine down for a few days if your going to do it right.

 

I cleaned,sanded,preped on Friday morning. Then shot gutter sealant that afternoon. Then went in sat. Morning and rolled a truck bed liner over all the seams. I'll see tomorrow how it turned out

[brandon b]

Rotary... Are you talking about the garage floor epoxy? I was thinking about that. Its damn near impossible to get off a garage floor. Resists oil and gas. it would probably work great.