Back for more suggestions on the canopy frame... This is fun. </sarc>
Okay, so I've managed to bend in the front and aft bows to their proper measurements, accounting for how much the canopy itself will pull back out the frame, and my sika fillets. I've refit the frame to the fuselage. That was fun in itself, since pulling everything in narrow also means the canopy tracks have to be unclamped and let float. I don't have clamps strong enough to hold the tracks in place while tolerating the pull-back at the rollers.
Anyway... Here's the clincher I'm looking for suggestions on. The act of narrowing the front bow has raised the top of the front bow, where the fore-aft tube mates and the handle hole is, up to just under 1" above the roll bar. The rest of the bow is still at the original 3/16".
Anyone have any bright ideas for flattening out the top of the front bow? Earlier tonight, I ratchet-strapped the front side tubes to maintain the narrower width, put some plywood "padding" on top of the joint where the latch handle frame hole is (ouch), and just started bounce-sitting on the frame, seeing if I could force it down. The technique was okay for a few bounces, until I lost my grip on everything, slid off the frame, and landed on my rear. That was enough for tonight.
I think that gained me maybe 3/16 - 1/4". Still 1/2" to go, at least.
Any better ideas?
Okay, so I've managed to bend in the front and aft bows to their proper measurements, accounting for how much the canopy itself will pull back out the frame, and my sika fillets. I've refit the frame to the fuselage. That was fun in itself, since pulling everything in narrow also means the canopy tracks have to be unclamped and let float. I don't have clamps strong enough to hold the tracks in place while tolerating the pull-back at the rollers.
Anyway... Here's the clincher I'm looking for suggestions on. The act of narrowing the front bow has raised the top of the front bow, where the fore-aft tube mates and the handle hole is, up to just under 1" above the roll bar. The rest of the bow is still at the original 3/16".
Anyone have any bright ideas for flattening out the top of the front bow? Earlier tonight, I ratchet-strapped the front side tubes to maintain the narrower width, put some plywood "padding" on top of the joint where the latch handle frame hole is (ouch), and just started bounce-sitting on the frame, seeing if I could force it down. The technique was okay for a few bounces, until I lost my grip on everything, slid off the frame, and landed on my rear. That was enough for tonight.
I think that gained me maybe 3/16 - 1/4". Still 1/2" to go, at least.
Any better ideas?