amyvega2005(at)earthlink.
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 Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 4:37 pm Post subject: canopy notes on install |
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-----Forwarded Message-----
| Quote: | From: Juan Vega <amyvega2005(at)earthlink.net>
Sent: Apr 2, 2007 9:06 PM
To: zenith-list-request <zenith-list-request(at)matronics.com>
Subject: canopy notes on install
Y'all:
well as they say in this fun hobby of ours, I am at the point where I am 95% complete, and I feel like I have 95% to go! Wings are off to the painter since that will take 2 weeks to get done. I am now complete on the Jabiru Pacific FWF install for the exception of the oil cooler and the muffler. I have to send the muffler out to get bent or, cut due to the fact that the muffle on the two pipe exhuast hit the cowl. Easy fix, just throw money at it.
The big time drain has been the canopy. I urge everyone to get the "get'r done" itch out of your system before tackling this part of the project , since you want to TAKE YOUR TIME. PAtience I learned on workinng the canopy is key to a really nice job or a job that the paint hides lots of mistakes. The recommendation I make to you friends out there, is to pull the DOs and Don'ts sheet from the LP plexyglass manufacturer. It basically says, take your time when drilling the hole, let the drill bit do the work. I invested in having the 1/8 and 5/16 bits filed to a 0 degree angle so that you are not "carving the drill hole but scraping the drill hole. I high speed drill with good control is key. Start with a 1/16 pilot drill bit ( prepped by 0 angling the tooth) then startt on the 5/16th. When you drill the glass, the shards should look like powder, remember you are scraping the hole open. Think of a hand held flat open and stroking water. the same effect. Toward the end of the hole being drilled, easy way up on any pressure.. A good suggestion is to put a 2x4 block on the back side . When complete with a clean drilled hole, do your self a favor and take a 6/16th dremmel grinder stone and smooth out the hole, this cleans the burrs and removes the cut marks that can catch and start a crack. the cone file on the dremmel actually melts the glass somewhat smooth. smells bad but look good. Look at your timerman washers at this point. notice they are bigger that the 5/16 hole. Take advantage and make the hole bigger that the 5/16 so there is play for the washer to move around. where cracks occur is not mostly in the drilling but when pressure is applied with the dimple of the washer pressing on the corner of the drilled hole. I know, because I got a one inch crack at this point where my left shoulder would be if I was sitting in the pilot seat.
I quick fix is to take you 3/16 (approx) drill bit and drill at the top of the crack. again smooth out the hole so the crack truly stops at the edge of the hole. A dab of Clear ATP seals the hole.
When applying the metal trim, take your time and round all corners, it will look nicer when done with no sharp edges.
IN summary Keys to a clean canopy job:
1- let the drill bit do the work
2- prepare the drill bit by filing a used bit to 0 degrees(you can take it to a tool shop and they can do it for you)
3- sand the holes smooth
4- make the holes 1-2mm bigger than they need to be. especially where you dimple the side metal plates on the canopy. plenty of room to sand the glass bigger than it needs to be.
5- don't freek out, just take your time
Juan Vega
601xl/3300 jabiru
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