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kevinh-unfiltered(at)snea
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 Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2006 11:47 am Post subject: Gluing canopies - a few more notes |
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Hi,
Various other posters have already covered most points, but since I've
done the adhesive canopy thing I'd like to add a few notes:
* Thanks to Chalkie for getting this great idea started with his Sport
Aviation article
* Sika is a bit of a pain to work with, but no where nearly as nasty as
proseal. If I had it to do over again, there's no way I'd even
consider using pop rivets.
* I really like that with Sika your canopy mates right up with your
windscreen - no need to make the fiberglass lip
* Before applying the black primer to the plexi, be very careful about
masking (duh)
* Rough up the rollbar powdercoat pretty good before applying the sika
prep clear fluid to it.
* Also apply masking tape to the rollbar where you don't want any sika
to stick.
* The clear sika prep fluid will slightly roughen any plexi that it is
allowed to sit on for an extended time. Either use masking to protect
against this (particularly when doing the canopy frame with the plexy
upside down over the table) or when you screw up wipe up excess with a
paper towel. It is a very slight effect but noticeable if you look at
the right angle.
* Although Sika says it is dry within a day(?), it really takes a few
weeks before it is as strong as it is ever going to be. When I did
some test pieces I was initially a bit concerned with the strength of
the bond but two weeks later it reached the point where I was breaking
plexy before sika would come off. (Not a very scientific test though).
* Use this 'slow dry' property to your advantage - if you need to
mechanically remove any sika that squeezes past masking tape, it is
much easier to do this the day after the lay-up than a week later.
* I had one helper for the actual bonding day of the windscreen to the
rollbar, I'd recommend two helpers. 
* If you are doing sika, you probably want to make your aft skirt out
of fiberglass rather than aluminum. The fiberglass skirt only takes a
day to make and you can bond it with sika as well - no pop rivets
through the plexi and the frame.
* Like anything - doing it the first time takes _much_ longer. If you
can find someone local who's done it, buy em with beer to come help on
windscreen bonding day (canopy bonding is way easier). I'm happy to
help any SF Bay Area builder who decides to go this way...
(I think the current GLO custom photos on the VAF homepage show my
crummy masking job - fortunately Sika is paintable (and Grady friggen
rocks), so I've now decided that my rollbar should be black to match
the top of my plane)
Kevin
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SSampson.SLN21(at)london.
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| Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2006 2:43 pm Post subject: Gluing canopies - a few more notes |
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Kevin - thanks for posting that. Some useful additional points.
A question. If the Sika does go in the wrong place what is the solvent that
will move it or is it only removable mechanically?
No one has mentioned that....or perhaps I havnt noticed. Thanks, Steve.
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highflight1(at)gmail.com
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| Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 10:15 am Post subject: Gluing canopies - a few more notes |
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Kevin,
You mention doing the canopy upside down... I was under the impression that
the canopy had to/should be glued on the aircraft with the frame and canopy
in the closed position in order to insure that no twist or movement will
screw up the final fit (and yes, I thought that might be a bit problematic).
So if you glue the canopy to the frame off the aircraft, how do you make
sure it stays aligned as it should?
Vern
On 1/22/06, Kevin Hester <kevinh-unfiltered(at)sneakyfrog.com> wrote:
| Quote: |
kevinh-unfiltered(at)sneakyfrog.com
* The clear sika prep fluid will slightly roughen any plexi that it is
allowed to sit on for an extended time. Either use masking to protect
against this (particularly when doing the canopy frame with the plexy
upside down over the table) or when you screw up wipe up excess with a
paper towel. It is a very slight effect but noticeable if you look at
the right angle.
|
Kevin
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rv8ch
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 250
Location: Switzerland
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| Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:14 am Post subject: Gluing canopies - a few more notes |
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I used some of the scrap canopy track to make a mount
on my workbench. You can see what I did in some of
these pictures:
http://www.rv8.ch/article.php?story=20050617213651709
If I could do it again, I'd use some dabs of Sikaflex
to "tack" the canopy to the frame, and then turn the
whole thing upside down to finish it off.
Mickey
Vern W. wrote:
| Quote: |
Kevin,
You mention doing the canopy upside down... I was under the impression that
the canopy had to/should be glued on the aircraft with the frame and canopy
in the closed position in order to insure that no twist or movement will
screw up the final fit (and yes, I thought that might be a bit problematic).
So if you glue the canopy to the frame off the aircraft, how do you make
sure it stays aligned as it should?
Vern
On 1/22/06, Kevin Hester <kevinh-unfiltered(at)sneakyfrog.com> wrote:
>
>kevinh-unfiltered(at)sneakyfrog.com
>
>* The clear sika prep fluid will slightly roughen any plexi that it is
>allowed to sit on for an extended time. Either use masking to protect
>against this (particularly when doing the canopy frame with the plexy
>upside down over the table) or when you screw up wipe up excess with a
>paper towel. It is a very slight effect but noticeable if you look at
>the right angle.
|
--
Mickey Coggins
http://www.rv8.ch/
#82007 finishing
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_________________
Mickey Coggins
http://www.rv8.ch/ |
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gert.v(at)sbcglobal.net
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| Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 5:25 pm Post subject: Gluing canopies - a few more notes |
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tacking is the way to go, it lets u make a much nicer finish on the glue
beads, is what the Sika guys recommended when i called them.
Mickey Coggins wrote:
| Quote: |
I used some of the scrap canopy track to make a mount
on my workbench. You can see what I did in some of
these pictures:
http://www.rv8.ch/article.php?story=20050617213651709
If I could do it again, I'd use some dabs of Sikaflex
to "tack" the canopy to the frame, and then turn the
whole thing upside down to finish it off.
Mickey
Vern W. wrote:
>
>
>Kevin,
>You mention doing the canopy upside down... I was under the impression that
>the canopy had to/should be glued on the aircraft with the frame and canopy
>in the closed position in order to insure that no twist or movement will
>screw up the final fit (and yes, I thought that might be a bit problematic).
>
>So if you glue the canopy to the frame off the aircraft, how do you make
>sure it stays aligned as it should?
>
>Vern
>On 1/22/06, Kevin Hester <kevinh-unfiltered(at)sneakyfrog.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>>
>>kevinh-unfiltered(at)sneakyfrog.com
>>
>>* The clear sika prep fluid will slightly roughen any plexi that it is
>>allowed to sit on for an extended time. Either use masking to protect
>>against this (particularly when doing the canopy frame with the plexy
>>upside down over the table) or when you screw up wipe up excess with a
>>paper towel. It is a very slight effect but noticeable if you look at
>>the right angle.
>>
>>
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shempdowling2(at)earthlin
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| Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 5:27 pm Post subject: Gluing canopies - a few more notes |
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Hey Kevin, timing is everything.
Im planning on removing my poorly fit aluminum canopy fairing and replacing
with fiberglass. Any tips? i.e. How many layups of what oz cloth,
pitfalls...
tia
Shemp/Jeff Dowling
RV-6A, N915JD
235 hours
Chicago/Louisville
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