[Harvard 387]

I recently acquired an IMP P-51 Mustang. The fuselage is polyester resin fiberglass and the instructions tell me to use PFM adhesive to glue the formers into the fuse. Innovative is not making planes anymore and I am asking if anyone is familiar enough with this product to tell me what PFM is.
Can I get an equivalent glue from a local hardware store?

[Mike Sebastien]

Google it. Crap load of info out there.

[stegl]

Don, rule of thumb when using glues and you are not a 100% sure of what glue to use . it is ok to use epoxies on polyester resin but Do Not use polyester on epoxy as you will end up with a mess of goo that will not set and will stay very soft forever . Learned that many many years ago. Also, for polyester resin to flash off it has wax mixed into the resin that floats to the surface to keep air off the resin so it can cure. Make sure the points that you are glueing onto are well sanded ( course sanding for a good bite) and then wipe with a solvent with paper towels ,is fine to make sure the parting wax is removed.
Same with the exterior prior to painting.
Back to PFM glue almost sounds like the newer LePages 100% glue that dries glass clear with anything to anything and does not harden totally and works on styrofoam also, from what I have tried. Available al most
Larger hardware stores like Home Depot .

[cassat]

Hi Don,

I believe it was basically the same as "Goop" from the hardware store. Dries clear and
hardens overnite but still has quite a grip. If you need a scrap of polyester from a fuse
to try, let me know

Dave

[Harvard 387]

Thanks everyone. I followed Mike's advise and did some Googling. It seems that Horizon still sells PFM. I also took a chance on the phone number on the IMP website. It still works! Talked to Greg Namey, the owner of IMP. He is not producing kits but is still selling PFM. People keep thinking PFM is just GOOP but he insists his product is much stronger, sort of a Super GOOP.
I had a bad experience back in the day with polyester resin fuselages and epoxy glue. I had a servo tray come undone because the glue wouldn't bond with the sides. Made for a very "white knuckle" flight. I didn't clean and sand the surface so I can assume it was my fault that the bond let go but I haven't trusted epoxy on polyester since.

[stegl]

As I said Don. Gotta sand and clean glue area with solvent because of the wax. When they build large polyester glass boats they don't add wax until that last layer is put on so the the subsequent layers can laminate better. Exactly what happened with your unfortunate experience. Enough surface wax that no glue joint would hold. The layer is so thin you would never see it but does affect the glue joint.

[Mike Sebastien]

I have had great success with this method. Sand and clean as usual, then postion your former in the fuse and tack glue with CA. I then use Goop and create fillets around the former on both sides. Goop can run so I place the Fuse on it's nose and apply Goop, when that has cured, I flip the Fuse on it's tail and apply Goop. This locks the former in place. I have used slow Cure epoxy and Micro Ballons or Rovings with great success also.