[Pbr47906]

I'm at that stage where I must drill the roll bar brace and the several tubes on the canopy frame and it appears that I will have to use a hand drill. Does anyone have a technique to insure a nice straight hole in the center of the tube?

Thanks
Paul
N277PM
Canopy Slider
RV7A
LAF
youTube: Pbr47906

 

[aerhed]

One way is to measure in/exit holes for height/circumference, center punch and pilot drill them.

 

[David Paule]

A vee block might be helpful. Something like this, perhaps:

http://www.amazon.com/VB-2-Capacity...ref=sr_1_6?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1336529896&sr=1-6

You can cut them lengthwise to make them shorter if you need to.

Dave

 

[LifeofReiley]

Easy trick... put white masking tape on the tube and lightly press down on the plexi till it touches the tape. A line will show up thru the plexi and you're dead on.

 

[Kyle Boatright]

On the canopy frame, find the line along each tube which is tangential to the canopy. Center punch the frame along that line, then drill all the way through the frame tube (through both sides) and backdrill the canopy. Use JB weld to fill the holes on the inside of the frame before you paint it. Works beautifully.

On the canopy bow, the key is to find the line where the canopy is tangential to the bow. What you do (and by this time you've separated the windscreen and the canopy) is lightly place the blue painter's tape across the windscreen bow. Then you positition the windscreen and press it to the bow.

That'll tightly adhere a narrow line of the blue tape to the canopy bow. Once you remove the windscreen you'll be able to see that line in the blue tape. Center punch and drill along that line, then drill matching holes in your canopy.

Lotsa fun!

 

[DickDe]

The masking tape trick mentioned earlier was in all the RV Manuals before square tubing was used in making the canopy frames for the RV6. It did not have be white since the biege color gets darker where it touches the plexiglass. Just cover the round tube with masking tape, place the canopy over the frame, using slight hand pressure push the plexi against the tube and a darker line will appear right where the plexi touches the tube. Then carefully drill through the plexi into the tube right on the line keeping the drill at a right angle. Caution...drilling off center will place a twisting pressure on the plexiglas which could cause a crack when a fastener is installed.

Dick DeCramer
RV6 Slider N500DD
Northfield, MN