converting to quarter canopies
#12
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From: Ottawa Ontario
At these prices, I'm almost embarassed to say that I was at Home Depot bending $15 sheets of Plexiglass and figuring how they might be inset into a custom piece of fiberglass, where the fiberglass piece would make up most of the desired shape of the canopy.
#13
Originally Posted by bouncedcheque
At these prices, I'm almost embarassed to say that I was at Home Depot bending $15 sheets of Plexiglass and figuring how they might be inset into a custom piece of fiberglass, where the fiberglass piece would make up most of the desired shape of the canopy.
at least buy polycarbonate (lexan) it is nearly shatter proof compared to plexiglass.....
#14
We make the quarter canopies out of acrylic and it's not easy because we make them to the exact dimensions of the F-16 so we can replace them. Fitting them on the boat is a real bear. F-16's mike out to .625" thick and they're full of compound curves. I've seen a couple of the ones on the market and they have less bulges so they get excellent optics. The genuine F-16's are laminated polycarbonate with a hard coating because the problem with poly is that it's soft, scratches easily and it's almost impossible to take the scratch out- if it's coated and scratched it's over but with the hardcoat it don't scratch easily. Acrylic on the other hand is easily repairable.
That's an excellent price for the canopy, by the way.
Making them yourself? it would be really hard because you need a good thickness for impact resistance, a mold and an oven to heat it. This is assuming that you do it with a single curve rather than a compound curve. There's a reason they're so expensive.
If anybody is interested I have a blurb that I wrote about canopies that goes into excruciating detail...
That's an excellent price for the canopy, by the way.
Making them yourself? it would be really hard because you need a good thickness for impact resistance, a mold and an oven to heat it. This is assuming that you do it with a single curve rather than a compound curve. There's a reason they're so expensive.
If anybody is interested I have a blurb that I wrote about canopies that goes into excruciating detail...
#16
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Joined: Dec 2002
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From: chesapeake bay md
Acrylico ok I would like to read your blurb. Can you post a link?
The F16 canopies I have measure much closer to 3/4'' between .730-.750
The F16 canopies I have measure much closer to 3/4'' between .730-.750
Last edited by mmwalters; 04-28-2005 at 09:30 PM.
#17
I've got a set of Skater full canopies for sale in the classifieds if you're interested.
Fionn
[email protected]
510.541.8124
Fionn
[email protected]
510.541.8124





