Focus Canopy Painting

[s.vannostrand at kodak.com]

Right on, Earl.  If people are going to paint the canopy anyways, then 
there's no advantage to the heavy acetate.
--Lance





EHaury at aol.com
Sent by: discussion-request at nsrca.org
03/20/2003 03:50 PM
Please respond to discussion

 
        To:     discussion at nsrca.org
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        Subject:        Re: Focus Canopy Painting


Plastic canopy forming involves heat to soften the material sufficiently 
to draw it over a plug for shaping. A black canopy can easily reach the 
same temps in the sun. A large canopy may sag when softened, smaller ones 
may distort due to mounting stresses.

Anyway, a sure fix is to use the stock canopy as a plug. Simply glue the 
flange to a backer board, wax, apply PVA and lay up a fiberglass mold. Use 
the mold to fabricate a glass canopy. I use 2 layers of 3/4 oz, 3 layers 3 
oz S-glass and a few CF "ribbons" vacuum bagged into the mold. (Bleeder 
cloth and absorbent backing in the bag to minimize resin.) West 205 
laminating epoxy works well. The glass canopy weighs about one-fourth to 
one-third that of the plastic version and is much less heat sensitive. An 
easy way to reduce weight and not at all as hard as it may seem to do.

Earl

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