What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Gluing canopy

m20e

I'm New Here
I am planning on gluing my canopy with sikaflex. Have been reading everything I can find, the one thing I can't find is with the 1/8" spacers attached to the frame do you glue between the spacers then glue those places when you do the cosmetic coat.
Thanks
 
I used 1/8" nylon washers from Home Depot Aviation Supply. I put Sika everywhere--inside AND outside the washers throughout the entire space between the plexi and aluminum. BTW, I centered the washers over the drilled #40 holes, which is where I applied silver klekoes to hold everything together until cured (about a day).

Here's my build log post. I didn't get a shot of the spacers, but I expand on the discussion.
http://www.mykitlog.com/users/display_log.php?user=ScrollF4&project=879&category=7509&log=150326&row=30


I hope this answers your question.
 
washers

I used AN960 washers the .063 ones, stacked two together and held them in place with prc-1422.
 
Last edited:
I did exactly as you stated in the OP. I used 1/8" thick rubber hose slices to set the spacing and glued between them with the canopy clamped to the frame. Then, when the Sikaflex set up I removed the spacers and applied the "cosmetic" coat, including filling in the spaces left by the spacers. It worked very well in my case.
 
All great approaches. In my case, with the little nylon washers, I just left them in there permanently.
 
I used a hole punch to punch out 1/4" rounds of rubber hose. I glued them to the frame and left them in place when I glued the canopy. The only hole in my entire canopy is for the latch.
 
2 glued canopies - no spacers.

When you read the Sikaflex manual

http://www.bluemoment.com/downloads/sikaflexmarinehandbook.pdf

They talk about spacers when gluing on the perspex, however if you can get a good bead, consistently around the frame, they are not really needed.

I glued our 7 tip up and the in build 8 and just used the triangular bead, sat down and clamped in place.

On both installations, the fact that the canopy may actually touch structure is not a real problem - after all consider the alternative of drilling and screwing on.

The main bond occurs on either side of the point contact area and is fine.

Leaving out the spacers makes the install a lot easier and in my view a better fit.
 
Back
Top