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tape residue on canopy

bobnoffs

Well Known Member
after removing the electrical tape from my canopy what solvent can i use to remove tape glue residue? it is very light and only in occasional spots. i thought i have read mineral spirits is safe but that might not be true.
thanks for any info
 
Tape residue

I also used electrical tape on my RV6 canopy along edges of the fairings and had some adhesive to remove. I used isopropyl alcohol sparingly to clean off the residue. At the time I made this same statement on this form and it generated some negatives comments. As a result I did take a scrap piece of Plexiglas put it under heavy stress in a vice causing the plexi to bow then put alcohol on it and it did crack. However, the canopy has been flying for 15+ years with no cracks, crazing, or anything else since. My canopy is held in place via #6 C/S screws in over sized holes with bushings which are thicker than the plexi so no pressure is applied to the canopy. Proseal was used as a water seal and as at thread locker on the screws. Check on the ingredients of the alcohol as I believe drugstore isopropyl can be different strengths. The stuff I used was low strength, very cheap bought from a drugstore. I have done two canopies this way, one on the RV6 and on an RV8 which has not yet flown.

Dick DeCramer
N500DD RV6
RV8 sold
Faribault, MN
 
thanks for the reply's. the residue is more like a smeared fingerprint. i keep mineral spirits in one of those red plastic ketchup bottles in my shop. i have found it to be very effective on old masking tape. i see it on vans list so i will use it followed by dawn. thanks again.
 
try eucalyptus oil. I used it on my motorcycle windshield to remove a brand sticker. Worked very well. Try on a inconspicuous area first.
 
Dick De - - #6 C/S screw bujshing?

. . . via #6 C/S screws in over sized holes with bushings which are thicker than the plexi so no pressure is applied to the canopy.

Got a item ID or specific source for those small bushings? Please share.
 
the electrical tape warning refers to Lexan, not acrylic. It’s ok to use a good quality electrical tape to mask the canopy for fiberglass layup, but I wouldn’t leave it on any longer than necesssry.
 
It looks like Van's used vinyl (electrical?) tape when masking the RV-14 canopy in their "Canopy Fiberglass Fairing: How-To Video Series" -

https://www.vansaircraft.com/faq/canopy-fiberglass-fairing-how-to-video-series/

Maybe Scott/rvbuilder2002 can chime in here and clarify what was being used.

Dave

the electrical tape warning refers to Lexan, not acrylic. It?s ok to use a good quality electrical tape to mask the canopy for fiberglass layup, but I wouldn?t leave it on any longer than necesssry.

Dave already provided the correct answer.
 
Tip Lens Not the same material.

Getting OFF TOPIC - the tip lenses are vinyl (or something) and WILL melt with alcohol. I was polishing one and decided to test a piece of scrap first, yep isopropyl alcohol will soften and mar the tip lens
 
I used 3M Adhesive remover. It nose not attack the plexiglass. Use it very sparingly and test a small area, of course. This stuff is designed to remove adhesive from paint without attacking the paint. I removed spots from my RV 8 canopy over 2 years ago and have never seen any marks left by the remover.

The stuff is expensive but a can will last you years. It is excellent fro removing all kinds of stuff from paint without leaving a mark.
 
Reply to Jeff W.

Bushing part Number...there is none. Bushings were cut out of neoprene gas line material used in chainsaw engines. I also did the same with left over nylon brake line material from Van's brake kit. A small tool I made out of 2 scrap pieces of plexiglas and a single edge razor blade. Two pieces of plexi were pop riveted together flat & shimmed apart at the edges to give the targeted bushing height. One piece of plexi had a hole the same diameter of the gas line material drilled in it. The shims provided the control of the length of multiple bushings. The razor blade slipped between the two pieces of plexi to cut the gas line to form a bushing which was held in the hole.
I made a few of these devices shimmed differently to provide all the bushings I needed and I cut 20 to 30 at a time. The idea was to capture the canopy between two pieces of aluminum and the grip of the fastener would grip the bushing and NOT the canopy but the bushing was only .005" to .010 Thicker than the canopy. The RV6 canopy was fairly consistent in thickness but the RV8 had a narrower canopy which is very thick at the aft end so bushings of various sizes had to be cut. All holes were countersunk as well for the dimpled aluminum strips and fasteners. This whole process costs almost nothing but there is some added labor which is manageable. I never considered Sikaflex as my first build was before I heard of the stuff (1990's) and I did not like Van's pop rivets on the bare canopy but a similar process was used in some Cessna windscreens I did.

Dick DeCramer
Faribault, MN
 
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