glider canopy

[Morris Carter]

best way to trim a new canopy and best glue to use to attach to fiberglass
frame

[Dan Marotta]

Fidel, of course! :-D

On 2/10/2020 10:36 AM, Morris Carter wrote:
> best way to trim a new canopy and best glue to use to attach to fiberglass
> frame
>

--
Dan, 5J

[Bob Kuykendall]

On Monday, February 10, 2020 at 9:45:05 AM UTC-8, Morris Carter wrote:
> best way to trim a new canopy and best glue to use to attach to fiberglass
> frame

I don't think that there is any universal "best" way, it depends on the materials, tools, and processes available to you at the time you need them.

In my shop we have a heated tent we can warm up to 80F for working acrylics.. We never cut, drill, or sand acrylic unless it is stabilized at at least 70F.

For cutting, we usually use a Harbor Freight 1" diamond rotary cutting disk in a Dremel-type moto tool.

https://www.harborfreight.com/diamond-rotary-cutting-discs-5-pk-69657.html

For bonding, we use an old-school epoxy mix, Epon 828 2:1 with Epikure 3140 hardener, filled with flox and a bit of cabocil. George Applebay once told me that diluents such as BGE (butyl glycidyl ether) in laminating epoxies can attack the acrylic, but I have no direct experience with that. I know several shops that use laminating resins for this so results clearly vary.

We mask off the bondline, sand it with 80 grit for tooth and degrease with isopropyl alcohol.

[Bob Kuykendall]

And, no, not sawzall.

[[email protected]]

Depends on how much material needs to be removed? If 1/4” or less needs to be removed, I use a 6” rotary hand sander with 60 grit disc.. If more material needs to be removed, I use a 3” carbide disk and then trim to final fit with disc sander. I sand the inside of the canopy that will be glued down, with 40 grit sandpaper to give the bond tooth! I use epoxy with chopped cotton to thicken the mix. I mask off both sides of the canopy and hold it in place with 3 or 4 bungee cords + small wooden blocks at areas that don’t want to lay down flat. Mask off the fuselage side, also..........a few minutes spent in preparation will save hours of re-do! Fill and sand until you get desired fit, then re-mask the canopy out about 1/8” for final painting. Recommend canopy be glued on with shop temperature about 65 degrees Fahrenheit, so that canopy will close on the ramp when it’s 100 + degrees and still won’t leak too much when the temperature drops below zero degrees, in that wave you stumbled upon!
Hope this helps,
JJ

[[email protected]]

Oops, forgot somethings........ slip 1/16” shims between canopy rail and fuselage, front and rear, then close and lock frame to fuselage! This gives the needed thermal range 0 to 100+F. I like to use a small guide post at the rear, so that I don't end up moving the gooped-up canopy. I paint on resin to the inside of the canopy and trawl- on cotton flox’ed goo on the frame. Schleicher uses a thin strip of foam tape to keep the goo from oozing out onto the inside of the canopy! This is definitely a TWO MAN JOB!
🥴 JJ

[[email protected]]

On Monday, February 10, 2020 at 12:45:05 PM UTC-5, Morris Carter wrote:
> best way to trim a new canopy and best glue to use to attach to fiberglass
> frame

The best way is to get some help from someone that has done this before.
What kind of glider and where are you located?
UH

[Morris Carter]

At 00:48 12 February 2020, wrote:
>On Monday, February 10, 2020 at 12:45:05 PM UTC-5, Morris Carter wrote:
>> best way to trim a new canopy and best glue to use to attach to
>fiberglass
>> frame
>
>The best way is to get some help from someone that has done this before.
>What kind of glider and where are you located?
>UH
>Schweizer 135 located near Austin, tx.