I have a hangar 9 p51 mustang that the prev owner had the canopy screwed on.. I'm not to fond of this and would like ti glue it on. I've been told elmers white glue would work. Any suggestions?
Its a plastic clear canopy going on monokote.
Thanks

I have seen where you use a pinstripe tape to hold it down all along the bottom edge.

clear silicone works good, i use that some times, and keep the canopy down with rubber bands while curing, ive also used e6000, ive also used colored adhesive automotive striping striping to match the plane,... lately ive perfered using silicone and some nice allen(socket head) wood screws for double protection"

Formula 560 canopy glue made by pacer

Ditto

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...XCX70&P=ML

I use regular 30 minute epoxy and then trim it out with pinstripe tape like jeffie suggested. But no matter what method you use, wash the canopy with dish soap to remove the mold release compound and scuff up the edges where whatever adhesive you use with something like some Scotchbrite or steel wool. When it comes to adhering to the Monokote, scuffing that up is a good idea too but if the Monokote isn't sticking to the wood very well, you may have to get creative. My first thought would be to punch holes through the Monokote into the wood so whatever adhesive you use penetrates into the wood itself.

here's the bummer of gluing the canopy down if ya want to clean it or if you decide to add something like a volt watch to the cockpit area, your stuck and end up ripping the covering to get it loose.

here's what I did on my H-9 Mustang I used the button head cap screws there clean looking and hardly noticeable against the silver boarder of the canopy

BigTim,
 I like that mounting you have there. Looks nice and clean.

Ken</p>

There are a couple of plusses you get from canopy glue. It dries clear, so clear it's basically invisible. Any excess on the inside simply won't be noticed. When you're gluing the canopy on, any excess that shows on the outside is easily wiped away with a damp paper towel. The installation looks great and is no risk to do.

I've only chosen to remove one canopy in the past 5 years and used an extra thin blade. The glue holds solidly but parted with just a bit of effort. The canopy was in good shape and so was the fuselage. It dawned on me after I had the canopy off that I could have more easily cut the cockpit floor out to put the reflector sight in. Live and learn.

My current project has some glue-on fixtures on the bottom of the wing. The heavy one got epoxied on while the others got canopy glue. The epoxied one didn't fit very well and there were some gaps where the epoxy wasn't thick enough (I use as little epoxy for this kind of job as possible.) so after the epoxy had cured I ran a bead of canopy glue along the gaps to seal. Worked great.

560 canopy glue but I too like what BT did, very clean looking.

Formula 560 isn't bad, but on my last project I accidentally grabbed some WeldBond, thinking it was 560, as the containers are similar. I liked it even better, because it's less runny.

Another option is epoxy mixed with microballoons (for less runniness) and paint (for color).

What ever you do, don't use any form of "Goop" to glue down the canopy. There's a real good chance it'll crack and check everywhere. Canopy glue or silicone or nothing but screws.

thanks Guys,for the new to canopy's and screws, for me the key for doing a clean canopy mount is to pre-drill the holes large enough so the screws don't flex the plastic, a snug fit in the hole is good but don't try to screw through the plastic without a pilot hole.

when placing the canopy in position go slow the first time through so the fit is nice and tight to the fuse,and there is the smallest gap, a poorly sealed canopy can flex and weaken the holes.

then harden the holes with thin CA after taking the canopy off,so the screws don't pull out or damage the fuse skin, if the screws land in a area that is just thin wood then add some small balsa or thin ply blocks so there is some strength to the screw hole.

the little cap head screws are pretty nice looking, here is another example using the button head screws

Here is another glue that has worked well. (I have a feeling it's similar to the Formula 560). Great advise above about preparation before gluing. After sitting on the shelf between uses, this glue needs to be stirred/mixed real well or your first bead will be like milk and just as useless for adhesion!
It applies white and dries clear. The first time I used it and saw the white mess I made, I figured if it did NOT dry clear as stated...I was in deep "do-do"!

Very clean looking Tim. I have a big sack of the screws in 2s and 4s, I use them for cowls. I'm not a war bird person so I pretty much just frame in the canopy then glue the conopy down. I have 560 glue now but in the past Tower sold a different canopy glue that was thicker and I did like it better. One bottle of canopy glue will last most people years and years and it doesn't seem to harden or thicken in the bottle over time.

Most white glues are a poor choice.

They do not bond well with coverings and plastic, causing you to loose the canopy in short order.

Been there, tried that, failed....


As stated the Silicon Canopy Glues do a great job and hold well.

The canopy can be later removed and the remaining glue can be rubbed off.

The only minor caveats are:

- Long drying times ( at least 18+ hours )
- The glue is thin and beads up, not giving you great coverage, so you must be careful.

Both of these points can be easily dealt with... by roughening up the bonding surfaces a bit, applying a thin coat to both, and then taping the canopy in place for a good 24+ hours.

I've used both brands and found that when you apply it, it beads just as described. If you go over it then with a Q-tip, the cotton ball spreads it and gives a more uniform distribution. It is surprising to see it spread out and stay, after beading like it did, but it does. It appears to get some tooth from being "brushed" over the covering. In fact, it acts tackier then when the canopy is positioned.

Do the same to the canopy before positioning it. Run a thin bead around it, then come along with another Q-tip and spread it. There seems to be a timing deal going on. Or it might be breaking through release agent. Although I always wash and dry the inside of any canopy before it goes on.

Good thing with the stuff is how easy the excess that's squeezed out is to wipe away.

First time I tried the stuff, I was hoping it was easier to deal with than epoxy. Turns out it's night and day easier.

A friend put me on to Pacer Zap-A-Dap-A-Goo It really works good and when it has cured, residual can be removed with the edge of a credit card or something similar and it is clear as well..........probably similar to clear silicone. I've used it for canopies, wheel well cavities and windscreens and other stuff and had very good luck.

Clear Silicon. Use it all the time and allows parts to be easily removed without damage!

Its my canopy glue of choice so another ditto here!

I have used Goop for Home Depot with good sucsess.

It's also a good idea to trim the canopy with 1/4" tape. It comes in many colors but I found the black will dress up most birds. It will keep the wind from working on the LE of the canopy.

David

Screw it on

RC56.

I would like to know how to use canopy glue. I guess my first canopy didn't have a proper fit. I have some Formula 560 but it seemed too runny to apply properly which I wasn't expecting. Anyone had good experience with this glue?

Any good techniques to attaching a canopy to model with glue?

Jim