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Tip up skin Trimming

L

lr172

Well Known Member
First, thanks for the assistance with my canopy frame. I'm pretty happy with out it turned out.

I am near complete in fitting the canopy top skin, but had a couple of questions. First, what do most folks find to be a good overhang length over the instrument panel. I have no experience to work off of here.

Second, I am trying to decide how to trim the skin at the transition from the side frame. Where the plexi canopy will transition from running along the frame rail to running along the top skin. I have studied several pictures from build sites and they all appeared a bit different. No guidance from the plans.

Thanks for the assistance.

Larry
 
I wrestled with what to do for a while, then began thinking about why to do it. I decided the objective was to trim the skin so as to allow a smooth transition of the plexiglas in that region. I even banged the skin a bit with a round nose picking (body) hammer. Some filing on the canopy frame was done too. Some have fractured the plexi in that area so pay attention to it when snugging the screws fastening the plexi to the side rail. A scrap strip of plexi helped with the fitting to see where the high spots were. Modeling clay helped too to identify pressure points.

I have not completed the fiberglassing yet as I am waiting until the forward skin is riveted. Currently, my overlap tab is still intact. It may be removed if it presents a problem to a smooth final shape. Jury is still out, at least for me on that. Many have just cut it off, but a good reason is needed first.

Happy building. The tip-up canopy is a challenging piece to master. Just don't give up.
 
I think most people leave the skin overhanging the panel by the stock amount.

I just put a edge gripping edging on it to prevent cuts in an accident.

The extra overhang helps shade the panel in some conditions.

As for the sides where the canopy cuts thru it, cut it as much as needed to stop it from interfering with the canopy sitting down. I cut the ears off as they don't do nothing. This whole area gets covered in glass if you are glassing the fillet.
 
JanRV6UK said:
Larry - Do you plan to Sikaflex or screw the canopy in place ?
Click to expand...

I plan to use screws. However, I will likely follow the guidance of some that have over-drilled the holes in the plexi and used silicone tubing as a bushing in the holes.

I will heed the guidance about not using the screws to bring the canopy in line and create pressure points. I am not too worried about cosmetics as I can bondo up any ugliness after the epoxy work.

I was hoping to get the skin riveted up before placing the canopy on the frame. Is that the typical approach for the tip-up's?

Larry
 
On a more serious note ..

Brantel said:
I think most people leave the skin overhanging the panel by the stock amount.

I just put a edge gripping edging on it to prevent cuts in an accident.

The extra overhang helps shade the panel in some conditions.

As for the sides where the canopy cuts thru it, cut it as much as needed to stop it from interfering with the canopy sitting down. I cut the ears off as they don't do nothing. This whole area gets covered in glass if you are glassing the fillet.
Click to expand...

I did exactly as Brantel.
 
Rupester said:
I did exactly as Brantel.
Click to expand...

So, do you guys end up using the forward end of the side skin as an edge to form/shape the epoxy or bondo to transition to the side skin? Meaning the canopy top skin is under the canopy and the side skin is over the canopy, with epoxy/bondo over the canopy forward of the side skin?

Larry
 
lr172 said:
So, do you guys end up using the forward end of the side skin as an edge to form/shape the epoxy or bondo to transition to the side skin? Meaning the canopy top skin is under the canopy and the side skin is over the canopy, with epoxy/bondo over the canopy forward of the side skin?

Larry
Click to expand...

Before glass

b8ls7d.jpg


After glass

oka9zs.jpg


After paint

2dgnzwh.jpg
 
Thanks for the pictures. That was a big help.

Any suggestions on overhang past the instrument panel. Is 2" a good number to start with?

Larry
 
If you measure from the aft edge of the canopy tube...

Mine is cut off 1 3/4 inches aft of that tube. I guess that makes it about 2 to 2 1/2 from the instrument panel.... As it gets closer to the sides, the cut off is less as it starts to slope rearward. It's all a matter of personal taste. Most of the dashboards I have seen remove about what I did. There's no rule. However there are loads of opinions.:)
 
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