Who has the equipment to vacuum form a couple of canopies for me ? I can make the plug. I just do not have the inclination to make a vacuum table. My Twist 150 needs a new canopy and the model is discontinued. The Saito 180 I have on the Twist vibrates that poor plane half to death each time I fly it. The canopy is cracking badly at the mounting screws. I suppose I should pull it off and make a plug now while I still have the original shape.

Bob

Bob,

Horizon Hobbies still sells the canopy for the Twist 150. Here's a link:

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=HAN4530

It looks a little pricey, but it would be a exact fit. How long is the canopy? My vac-forming table has a 12" capacity. I've done plenty of parts using white polystyrene plastic, but haven't tried my hand at clear stuff, because the plug has to be pretty much perfect, or the blemishes will transfer over to the part. Let me know...

Jesse

Thanks for that link. Ihad looked before and did not see a canopy for sale. ~$15 is not really all that bad of a price. Ijust ordered some stuff from Horizon a few days ago too. Now I will have to eat another shipping charge. At least the canopy is available.

The canopy is about 15" long. Ireally should just make a vacuum box and be done with it. A sheet of the PET clear or tintedplastic is not that much money. A 4' X 8' sheet isabout $40 and I have a supplier less than 20 miles from the house. Thing is I do not have much storage space for a use it once in a blue moon tool.

How much work was involved in makingyour vacuum box ?

Bob

It's a commercially made unit, but I can't remember who the company that made it is. I got it a few years back when I was still into plastic modelling and I had to bash the kits to make them more scale. 1/32 scale was the largest models I built, so I didn't need a vacuum former much larger than 12 x 12".

If you need some clear plastic for forming, but don't want to get a full 4 x 8' sheet, look at what SIG sells on their website. I've used it for making basic flat windshields and side windows, as well as lenses for instrument panels. It comes in smaller sheets, so you don't have to buy more than what you will need:

http://sigmfg.com/cgi-bin/dpsmart.ex...FV4.html?E+Sig

Look under building equipment, plastic sheets.

Jesse