How long cure time for 3/8" to 1/2" thick silicone?

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bradleyheathhay

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Oct 19, 2011
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I've just covered the rear two 'clear' silicone seams on my tank with a layer of black silicone to hide them better. Thickest points for the new silicone are probably 3/8" but to be on the safe side I'm gonna say there may be places that are a full 1/2" thick.

What would be the cure time for a 1/2" thick silicone layer before I can safely put water back in and begin the tank again?
 

evil wizard

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Aug 17, 2014
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this is not about it but it seems like someone has 2 fishy sites :grinyes:
 

SirMuffin

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Sep 11, 2011
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I would say until you could not longer smell it and you could touch it without deforming it, but you can always be on the safe side and wait longer.
 

rufioman

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Aug 16, 2010
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I go 72 hours and then rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse...and if you missed it....RINSE!
 

bradleyheathhay

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First I've seen the advice to rinse after it's cured. Sounds like good advice. Is this standard practice?
 

Star_Rider

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Dec 21, 2005
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yes, it's best to err on the side of caution.. so rinsing is the safe bet.

btw, silicone often 'skin' within the first couple hours.. of course all of this is dependent on other factors(humidity, temp air circulation etc)

I usually wait bare minimum 24 hrs but often, since I have so many tanks.. 72 hrs + is not a problem.
 
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