Shimming the Frame
In my opinion this is a battle won slowly. Manipulating and clamping the frame in position prior to drilling in the 614 splice plate is just the first step. Problem as I see it, the 716 frame is provided semi complete for all airplanes yet all,airplanes vary slightly.
I was very unhappy with the alignment of the 771 and 702 skins when letting the frame guide the shape of the 702 skin. This causes highs and lows of The 702 skin when compared to the 771 fwd fuse skin and ultimately affects the gap and fit between the two.
I tried a couple metal shims (strips) these improved the fit some but the shape still followed the frame shape. Frustrating. I abandoned the aluminum strips.
My solution was to use a liquid shim (WS epoxy and flox) between the canopy frame and 702 skin. The result is near perfect with no waves and a symmetrical gap.
Use mold release or tape on the frame and skin mix up some flox and resin and spread on forward frame, top and sides. I then placed the 702 skin in position with clecos on only the sides and rear tube. Note the forward deck and 771 skin are in position and will help guide our new canopy frame shape. I then taped about an 8" wide strip of aluminum in position over the 702, 771 skins where they mate and extending down the sides of the fuse.
This created a varying thickness shim across the frame and sides and solved my frame fit issues.
I also used a flox filet in the big gap between the rear frame tube and 702 skin as many other have.
Couple other things that helped:
Make sure you install the shock struts before trimming or fitting the 702 skin fwd and bottoms edges. I actually waited until the frame was riveted.
Use/fabricate adjustable fwd canopy stops. I was trying to avoid this but the shock struts pull the frame forward affecting fit. Stops solve this.
I also made new/longer 725 side skirts. Trimming / shortening the trailing edge of the 702 skin sides, this moves the joint between the 702 and 725's forward and improves the fit to the canopy deck. I made these last after the frame was already painted, riveted and canopy glued, I Sika flexed.
The canopy and frame took way more time that I expected, on and off and on and off. When started looking at time spent by other builders on builder sites and accepted that this could take a couple hundred hours I stopped worrying about it just keep working it until it your happy.
Good luck!
http://a67.tinypic.com/30wt5hi.jpg
http://a68.tinypic.com/14allag.jpg