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07-11-2011, 08:02 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chico CA
Posts: 32
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Star cracks around canopy hole
I have a problem with one of my holes (1/8) in my canopy. It has very small cracks all the way around it. The longest one is about 1/2". Anyone have an idea how to repair this problem. Thanks in advance.

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Paul Whaley
Chico, CA
RV-7A
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07-11-2011, 09:11 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Milwaukee, WI area
Posts: 2,967
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My first thought was to get some Weld-on and use the dropper to wick it in to the cracks...
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Chad Jensen
Astronics AES, Vertical Power
RV-7, 5 yr build, flew it 68 hours, sold it, miss it.
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07-12-2011, 05:10 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Schaumburg, IL
Posts: 2,053
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Chad's suggestion looks like a good one. You may also want to look into and possibly try Ethylene dichloride. I am not sure where you get that stuff. Perhaps a nail salon or pet store (fish tank repair). There are lot's of cracked canopies out there. Someone must have found a fix for this.
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Tony Phillips
N524AP, RV 9 (tail wheel)
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07-12-2011, 05:14 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Lake St. Louis, MO.
Posts: 2,346
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If I determined the fractures emanating from around that hole are relatively shallow surface defects, and based upon your photo it *appears* to my eye they may be, using Micromesh or similar, I'd likely blend em away.
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Rick Galati
RV6A N307R"Darla!"
RV-8 N308R "LuLu"
EAA Technical Counselor
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07-12-2011, 06:35 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,009
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Fix the problem before putting the bandaid on
Looks like a lot of chatter marks in the hole. First, make sure the hole isn't undersize. If the screw touches anywhere in the cylinder, you need to enlarge. Next, take a chamfer bit in your fingers or in a hand brace and gently turn it to smooth out the chamfer. You might also use an intermediate drill size for one turn to break the corner between the chamfer and the hole. Look closely. You may want to fix other holes before they start to show cracks. Any sharp corner or stress riser can be A problem in acrylics.
Terry
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07-12-2011, 06:45 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Tybee Island, GA
Posts: 664
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what you have is the typical result of using a drill bit not designed for plexiglass grabing to much material as it cuts through creating micro cracks and stressed points. it appears by your picture that the cracks are coming from the results of the tapered tool and not as much from the hole itself therefore giving you the appearance of surface cracks and not all the way across.
Chapter 9 of AC43.13-1A has the approved procedures as to how to deal with repairs. you may need to use the Surface or Plug patch procedure. good luck..make sure you use a Plexiglass designed drill bit or some of the pointers given by builders in this forum
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Mitch V.
Semi-Retired in Tybee Island GA
2007 MX2 Nigel Lamb EX RBAR MX2 (Current)
2020 MX2 New Kit Position (Sold at OSH to Team RV Member)
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1999 Giles 202 "Primal Fear/Perucho" (Sold)
1965 PA32-260 "God Bless America" (Sold)
2003 RV6 "Airhawk One" (Sold)
Last edited by mv031161 : 07-12-2011 at 07:02 AM.
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07-12-2011, 12:32 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 193
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Leave it alone
Leave it alone and don't atempt to repair this problem. These are stress fractures and may or may not grow beyond what you have here. I guarantee if you add any kind of liquid, chemical or glue to these fractures you are inviting them to grow into a crack. These fractures are micro in nature and many of them are not even on the surface. With the exception of water, all thin viscosity liguids and glues will be drawn into the fractures via capillary action and in most case expand in the fracture, making the problem even worse. I pesonally would not attempt to fix this problem until you have an actual crack. At that time, I would stop drill the crack and then introduce with a sryinge, an acrylic/plexi glue such as "Rez-n-Bond" 'Hope this helps.
John Van Lieshout
Toronto, Ontario
RV6A 80%
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07-12-2011, 08:02 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chico CA
Posts: 32
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Thanks for the input
I appreciate all the input on this issue. I also consulted with Vans and this is what their reply was...
"Those look like they were maybe caused by the countersink chattering in the hole. Or possibly the pressure of the cleco was enough to cause some stress cracks - this happens if a fastener exerts too much clamping pressure on the plastic. I don't think there's any way to fix it, but it doesn't look like they go all the way through the plastic, so I doubt they will spread further."
I think I will go with RV6ehguy suggestion and leave it alone.
Thanks again.
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Paul Whaley
Chico, CA
RV-7A
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07-12-2011, 10:59 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Breda, The Netherlands
Posts: 42
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I would consider using a drop of chloroform, you can buy this in a pharmacy. Chloroform is used to glue plexiglass, and it has extremely high viscosity, so you can probably fill in the cracks and prevent further tearing.
BTW, I glued my canopy completely, but had a stress crack aroud the infamous 'ears'. Yep, cut them off!
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07-13-2011, 09:44 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Yardley, PA
Posts: 1,334
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Chloroform
I second the chloroform idea. We used to use it to "weld" plexiglass parts together. The joints were often stronger than the material itself.
I would first try and reproduce your cracks in a scrap piece and give it a try.
In my opinion, chloroform is very LOW viscosity and will wick into those cracks via capillary action and weld everything nice and tight.
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