Has anybody Sikaflex'd a RV-6 Slider?

[Pittsartist]

I'm beginning to consider how to tackle my canopy fit and I quite like the idea of using Sikaflex as opposed to riveting.

I've done a bit of a search on old threads and I can find loads of stuff for other models - but nothing on the "Slider" '6

Has this been done before ?. Good Idea ? (or not ?) can anyone point me at more info for the '6 ?.

[RV7AJeremy]

I glued my 7 slider. I can't see how they would be significantly different. I would glue again too, no drilling for me.

[WingsOnWheels]

I plan to glue mine also. The canopy parts are the same as the -7, so there is no reason you can't do it on the -6.

[ChiefPilot]

Originally Posted by Pittsartist

I'm beginning to consider how to tackle my canopy fit and I quite like the idea of using Sikaflex as opposed to riveting.

I've done a bit of a search on old threads and I can find loads of stuff for other models - but nothing on the "Slider" '6

Has this been done before ?. Good Idea ? (or not ?) can anyone point me at more info for the '6 ?.

I did it on -6A slider, and I'm extremely pleased with it. The only hole I drilled was for the canopy latch - everything else got Sika'd. I even Sika'd the composite rear skirts to the canopy. Very happy with how it all turned out.

Virtual Hanger post

[Scott_F]

For those of you that removed the powdercoating before glueing, how did you get the powdercoat off? I would like to leave it on the lower side rails where the fairings attach, but remove it from the bows where the plexi is attached.

Thanks,

[turbosaaber]

I just used coarse sand paper to rough it up then applied sika. So far so good....

[RV7AJeremy]

I just roughed it up also for the sika, but I did remove a lot of the powder from other parts. I found the best method for me was to rough up the powder coat, then apply a chemical paint stripper, then use a wire brush on a bench grinder or angle grinder. Worked better than blasting for me.

[ChiefPilot]

Originally Posted by Scott_F

For those of you that removed the powdercoating before glueing, how did you get the powdercoat off? I would like to leave it on the lower side rails where the fairings attach, but remove it from the bows where the plexi is attached.

Thanks,

I used a chemical stripper + wire brush to take all the powder coating off the canopy bow and roll bar, then primed & painted it flat black. I left a strip of bare metal for the sika metal primer.

[rstisser]

A few days ago I had a nasty surprise when a 20inch crack suddenly appeared right over my head in my slider after a cold weather flight. I am going to try to repair the crack with adhesive, but if that fix fails a replacement canopy will need to be fabricated. How does one remove the plexi when glued onto the frame?

[whittfic]

Heat gun and thin scraper. It's a two person job, hold the frame down reasonably firmly and don't be in too much of a hurry. Probably easier if you break away the bulk of the acrylic before starting with the heat.

Clive Whittfield
Auckland
New Zealand