I Have a Fein Multimaster that I know works well for cutting and triming fiberglass. I have tried it on a scrap piece of plexiglass and it seemed to work okay as long as I took it slowly. I do not want to wreck the canopy on my RV12. Anyone else used a Fein Multimaster on a plexiglass canopy?
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Fein Multimaster
- Thread starter 2johns
- Start date
MartySantic
Well Known Member
I only had to remove about 1/8" to 3/16" off the forward edge of the canopy. Used 60 grit and a wood block. Only takes 2-3 hours. No worry about cracking it or damaging it. Put a strip of tape down and sand to the tape line. Then polish all edges with 120, 240, 400 grit.
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rv9aviator
Well Known Member
I bought one and tried to use it but went a different way as it was too slow. A Harbor Freight 90 deg. high speed air drill and the Van's abrasive discs worked great and was a lot cheaper.
Too funny you ask...
My good flyin' bud, Jim Bustard ( a Cozy maven) loaned me his Fein Multimaster and yesterday I made the Big Cut! I cannot imagine a better tool for making any of the canopy cuts. If I were starting my build all over again, I'd buy a Multimaster up front.
I used the Vans-supplied abrasive disc on the canopy front snout and rear ducktail. They worked just OK ... lots o' dust and stink and not very fast. The die grinder didn't have enough torque and would stall, and an air drill has enough torque it will sometimes catch and do ugly things. OTOH, the Multimaster is totally controllable, has about half the kerf of the abrasive disc (like, less than 1/16"), and is delightfully speedy. The real advantage,however, is the controllability. No grabbing or catching ... just smooth operation with much less dust and no stink at all. I'd recommend that anyone about to cut a canopy go beg, borrow, or steal a Multimaster before they start.
My good flyin' bud, Jim Bustard ( a Cozy maven) loaned me his Fein Multimaster and yesterday I made the Big Cut! I cannot imagine a better tool for making any of the canopy cuts. If I were starting my build all over again, I'd buy a Multimaster up front.
I used the Vans-supplied abrasive disc on the canopy front snout and rear ducktail. They worked just OK ... lots o' dust and stink and not very fast. The die grinder didn't have enough torque and would stall, and an air drill has enough torque it will sometimes catch and do ugly things. OTOH, the Multimaster is totally controllable, has about half the kerf of the abrasive disc (like, less than 1/16"), and is delightfully speedy. The real advantage,however, is the controllability. No grabbing or catching ... just smooth operation with much less dust and no stink at all. I'd recommend that anyone about to cut a canopy go beg, borrow, or steal a Multimaster before they start.
Cutting the canopy
I found the best and fastest way to cut the canopy is to use a small Dremmel cutting disc in a die grinder. The reinforced discs are about 1 1/4 inch in diameter. The discs are very thin as well. They cut the canopy like a hot knife through butter and the die grinder never stalls. To finish the edge after the cut, use a medium grit Scotchbrite pad on a die grinder. It will smooth the edge very fast and very smooth. It will also take off a little bit at a time if you just need to trim a tiny bit. I have cut many canopys this way and have not seen any better way.
I found the best and fastest way to cut the canopy is to use a small Dremmel cutting disc in a die grinder. The reinforced discs are about 1 1/4 inch in diameter. The discs are very thin as well. They cut the canopy like a hot knife through butter and the die grinder never stalls. To finish the edge after the cut, use a medium grit Scotchbrite pad on a die grinder. It will smooth the edge very fast and very smooth. It will also take off a little bit at a time if you just need to trim a tiny bit. I have cut many canopys this way and have not seen any better way.
