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For my elevator counterweights I made plaster of paris castings,
wrapped them with release tape, then made plaster of paris molds. Cut
them into two pieces to get them off the castings, then glued them back
together with a Permatex gasket sealing compound. This is a copper high
heat silicone compound, red in color. I coated the inside of the mold
with this same gooey stuff and allowed it to dry before pouring the
lead. Since the compound is a pretty good insulator, I saw none of the
steam release or spattering that Jim McKibbin mentioned (25 July). The
surface of the final counterweight was rather rough, but a little filing
took care of that. Put the weights into place with Hysol before I closed
the elevators. They are well over balanced so that final balancing can
be done with a drill. This worked so well I plan to use the same
procedure for the rudder when the time comes. Charles Keller

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