On Jun 6, 9:09*pm, lanebush wrote:
On Jun 6, 8:18*pm, brian whatcott wrote:



Tim Taylor wrote:
On Jun 6, 4:57 pm, lanebush wrote:
After an unfortunate confrontation between me, my canopy, and the
buffer, I now have a two inch crack at the back canopy hinge point. *I
have stop drilled the crack and am contemplating my options. *The
crack is near my right shoulder so it is out of the field of vision.
However, I dread looking at it for the next umpteen years. *I am going
to try to repair it and if that does not work I am going to stick some
smart sticker over it to hide it.

My question is, how likely is it that someone of above average
craftsmanship abilities and a great set of tools could camouflage this
crack enough that the casual observer would not see it? *Please
describe your techniques and the kind of cement you used. *I am in the
US and some of the popular cements are not available on this
continent.

Sincerely,
XF

http://www.eglider.org/index.php?_a=...d&productId=24

This seems to be a loaded acrylic solvent of the kind that can easily be
prepared on most continents - even N America.
* But you would pay a premium price for a filler that can be expected to
perform - that might come with instructions too.

Some other alternatives: buy a few scraps of acrylic and prepare a
loaded acrylic solvent (the plastic store would likely have the stuff
i.e a solvent in which pieces of acrylic have been dissolved)
then try it on a piece you've cracked.
My concern would be the solvent attack on the surrounding surface.

I was particularly impressed with the autoparts recipe for mending
chipped glass windshields: it seems to be a UV setting instant glue with
a lockable syringe, an adhesive flange etc around $10
The mode of application has you cleaning the area, scratching out loose
fragments, applying an airtight gasket, injecting some goo, applying
suction to remove air bubbles in the cracks, then applying pressure to
squeeze in the goo and leaving to cure in sunlight, then razoring off
the surface flash. * Getting the most out of the least, as I thought of
it...

Brian W

It looks like there is about an even split between people using "weld
on 16" and people using "acrifix". *I can purchase an appropriate size
tube of weld on 16 for half the price of acrifix. *Are there any
opinions on if the extra $25 gets a better repair with the acrifix?
Also, has anyone tried a touch of blue dye in the cement to make it
match a blue tinted canopy? *A few years back I repaired a brand new
motorcycle lens with cement and red food coloring. *It turned out very
nice.

Don't think you need the dye, except maybe where you drilled holes.
After cementing, I would wet sand with contoured balsa blocks. Start
around 1000 grit. Go slowly, carefully. I'd practice on some scrap
material first. Finish with at least 2000, or use micromesh.
Polish.

-Evan Ludeman / T8