Slider Canopy Replacement - Advice Requested

[JVolkober]

Well, my slider canopy cracked, two 5 six inch cracks from the fourth rivet from the front on the center bar. I had the plane out on the ramp at Sunriver most of the summer. I guess the heat finally got to it.

That said, I am interested in hearing from anyone who has gone through the process of replacing the slider plexi. I have a copy of a procedure outlined in a posting by Danny King, which will be helpful. But I still have questions and of course concerns.

Some questions I have are:

Can I leave the skirts and side channels that retain the plexi on the frame or do they have to be removed?

I see reference to using rubber grommets I believe to reduce the stresses cause by expansion and contraction of the plexi. How are these installed?

When I originally build the canopy, I used one inch spring clamps to hold the plexi to the frame during the fitting process with unhappy result, a number of significant gouges in the plexi that need to be sanded and polished out. Is there a better method for clamping the plexi down during the fitting process?

What other tricks-tricks-in-trail and traps should I be watching for as I go through this process?

It would be great to hear from others who have gone through this process.

John