Gluing Canopy to Frame using Sika

16 Sep 2004 Gluing Canopy to Frame using Sika

From Gert on the RV-List:

Here is an exerp of an earlier email with glue info sent before I
actually glued it.

I have since glued the canopy on with good results, The one thing i
would do differently is to glue the canopy on with bare minimum of glue,
let this set, then go back and backfill and smooth out. for better
astetics. my canopy moved a tad too much and it was hard to get an even
looking result.

Hi Todd

Yes I definitely will try and glue. Matter of fact, talked with SIKA,
the folks mentioned in my previous email and the Sport Aviation article.
(Steve @ 1-888-832-7452).

Very, very nice person. First words were “Sorry, we do not support your
application”, right after that, ” now that I have said that, how can I
really help you…………”

We talked for a while, Steve mentioned that his phone has been ringing
off the hook ever since the Sport Aviation article came out. He kinda
jokingly grumbled that he has had more response to an article SIKA did
not write for, a use SIKA does not support in a magazine SIKA did not
know about than what his total advertisement budget generated last year.

Steve said I should very carefully read the info at
http://www.sikaindustry.com/ipd-marine-window-295. and recommended to use
SIKA 209 to cover the plexi to make it opaque, SIKA 226 for cleaning the
frame and SIKAFLEX 295UV BLACK for gluing the canopy on, trying to get
at least 1/8″ space between the canopy and the frame.

He recommends that all structural bonding is done in the BLACK urethane
as it has much better UV properties. if needed, one can make filets with
WHITE urethane over the black stuff, 295UV comes in black and white colors.

Most places I called would only sell a case of 12 10-ounce tubes of the
295UV, Again Steve to the rescue……Jamestown Distributors @
800-423-0030 will sell you individually, pricing: about 12 for a tube of
295UV black or white, 31 for a pint of 209 and 11 for a pint of 226. So,
that’s what I ordered, tube o’ black&white, 226 and 209. One could say I
am now committed 😉

Took me a weekend to cut the canopy. Agony, agony, agony, lots of
sweat………………
if there is one thing I would do different is to not cut the rear of the
canopy, till I have the front close. Originally, my canopy did not even
cover half the tubes on the side frames of the slider. by dropping the
front 1/8″ at the time I brought the sides of the canopy till just even
with the bottom of the frame. This however did 2 things, one it brought
the highest point of the canopy forward as it is sliding over the
roll-over bar, and two, it pulls the rear of the canopy forward. I had
cut some off the rear in an attempt to make the canopy come down as a
whole. ( I am 6’6″, I need all the headroom I can have 😉

Well, there you have it, my experience so far for posterity, to pass
along if you so wish. I will let you know what transpires when I get to
the gluing bit. Let me know if you can milk any info out of Charlie,
Sure would like to know what sticks better to plexi and canopy frames
than Kryptonite to Superman.

Gert

Also see:
http://www.rv8.ch/article.php?story=20040515213437823