ArVeeNiner
Well Known Member
Today was a good day. After many days of second guessing myself, laying down the cut line, erasing the cut line, laying down the tape, and pulling up the tape, I finally got my guts up and now I find myself on the other side of THE BIG CUT. Somebody on here said that they were told to "grow a pair" and just cut it. Well, those words also got me through this stressful time...wise words indeed.
Actually, I was MORE than ready to do the cut today. I guess I was just tired of thinking about it.
So, the temperature was right. The outside temperature was in the mid to high 80s. Check out the greenhouse effect inside the bubble:
This made for a very happy piece of Plexi.
So I marked the line with a Sharpie, backed it up with yellow tape, then placed blue tape on either side of it. I marked the line about 1/8" forward of the forward bow:
I got myself a 4X8 piece of that particle board type of stuff they use on roofs. Unfortunately, the bubble is very near or beyond 4 feet in width. That is why I installed the "goal posts" you see. I put the sheet on my low saw horses which supported my fuselage for years. It made for a very comfortable height. You can also see my tool of choice for the cut, the Harbor Freight oscillating cutter:
I notched the board so that I would have clearance for the saw:
Let the cutting begin:
And some videos of the job:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VdIMWyTNtI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZcY3BO4yus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFnbA0bfh1Q
I worked slow and made three to four passes before I plunged through. Fini:
This was pretty anti-climatic. It came out pretty well and I'm relieved that there were no cracks. I wasn't pleased at first with the consistency between the distance of the cut to the forward bow but I've found that there is a bit of adjustment in the bubble/frame relationship even with the handle hole drilled. I did manage somehow to put a couple of small stress concentrators at the cut but they were easily sanded out. I plan to Sika the canopy and I will wait to make any further adjustments to the cut via sanding until after I've glued it all up.
So get out there and grow a pair!!! WHEW, I'm glad that's over with!![Big grin :D :D](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
So, the temperature was right. The outside temperature was in the mid to high 80s. Check out the greenhouse effect inside the bubble:
![CIMG3422-1.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi688.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv245%2Fmelkel2000%2FCutting%2520the%2520Canopy%2FCIMG3422-1.jpg&hash=cb5203d1095dabd08980205a24c39e83)
This made for a very happy piece of Plexi.
So I marked the line with a Sharpie, backed it up with yellow tape, then placed blue tape on either side of it. I marked the line about 1/8" forward of the forward bow:
![CIMG3427.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi688.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv245%2Fmelkel2000%2FCutting%2520the%2520Canopy%2FCIMG3427.jpg&hash=23e20bbcd4eef988af542bcd4dc183af)
I got myself a 4X8 piece of that particle board type of stuff they use on roofs. Unfortunately, the bubble is very near or beyond 4 feet in width. That is why I installed the "goal posts" you see. I put the sheet on my low saw horses which supported my fuselage for years. It made for a very comfortable height. You can also see my tool of choice for the cut, the Harbor Freight oscillating cutter:
![CIMG3423.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi688.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv245%2Fmelkel2000%2FCutting%2520the%2520Canopy%2FCIMG3423.jpg&hash=3aa214ef6bee013c7cc78ea612ba6ddc)
I notched the board so that I would have clearance for the saw:
![CIMG3425-1.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi688.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv245%2Fmelkel2000%2FCutting%2520the%2520Canopy%2FCIMG3425-1.jpg&hash=b93bc8365bb21f255d48a7f3bbb73b7c)
Let the cutting begin:
![IMG_1404.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi688.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv245%2Fmelkel2000%2FCutting%2520the%2520Canopy%2FIMG_1404.jpg&hash=bd24732fbdd579c7bde362bb2e1e3c86)
![IMG_1419.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi688.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv245%2Fmelkel2000%2FCutting%2520the%2520Canopy%2FIMG_1419.jpg&hash=c3fabb2922f603e39738daaa1470041f)
And some videos of the job:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VdIMWyTNtI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZcY3BO4yus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFnbA0bfh1Q
I worked slow and made three to four passes before I plunged through. Fini:
![IMG_1422.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi688.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv245%2Fmelkel2000%2FCutting%2520the%2520Canopy%2FIMG_1422.jpg&hash=6959bc8caa65b6a4391f97e5bdf389be)
This was pretty anti-climatic. It came out pretty well and I'm relieved that there were no cracks. I wasn't pleased at first with the consistency between the distance of the cut to the forward bow but I've found that there is a bit of adjustment in the bubble/frame relationship even with the handle hole drilled. I did manage somehow to put a couple of small stress concentrators at the cut but they were easily sanded out. I plan to Sika the canopy and I will wait to make any further adjustments to the cut via sanding until after I've glued it all up.
So get out there and grow a pair!!! WHEW, I'm glad that's over with!
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