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Vinyl Wrap on Canopy

Karetaker

Well Known Member
Howdy Everyone. I know there are certain chemicals that should not be used on our canopies. Anyone know if the self adhesive vinyl wraps used on cars would create problems if attached to the canopy?
 
I have not put large vinyl panels on the canopy acrylic, but have put small vinyl labels on. I found no reactions from the adhesive but found that vinyl will shrink and curl at the edges in some cases.
Material I used was 3M 1080 cut in shapes like arrows to indicate unlatch direction. I removed them after a couple years…
 
I think I would rather rebuild my tanks than my canopy. Are you talking wrapping whole parts of it or a design? If letters or design, maybe a water based paint on the inside? It would help to know what you are trying to achieve.
 
With Alcohol ???

There are literally dozens of different alcohols (and blends thereof)....and nearly all of them will exacerbate cracking in a perfectly good acrylic canopy in short time. You can use isopropyl alcohol if it is guaranteed 100% pure....or you can use kerosene. Not much else is really safe. The problem is that the products that are truly safe to use on acrylic don't tend to be very effective at removing adhesive residue. So I wouldn't go there.
 
There are literally dozens of different alcohols (and blends thereof)....and nearly all of them will exacerbate cracking in a perfectly good acrylic canopy in short time. You can use isopropyl alcohol if it is guaranteed 100% pure....or you can use kerosene. Not much else is really safe. The problem is that the products that are truly safe to use on acrylic don't tend to be very effective at removing adhesive residue. So I wouldn't go there.
Scotches, Gins, Vodkas, Tequilas,... ;) yes, there's a lot of different alcohol choices around...:eek:
I was obviously talking about rubbing/isopropyl alcohol.
Best then, the 99.9% version.
I did not know that kerosene is ok???...!!!
 
3M 1080 I removed from canopy left no residue

The 3M vinyl is a good product (and priced accordingly). However whether it leaves a residue will depend on a number of factors including how long it is left on for, how much heat and sun exposure it gets, and what the colour is.
 
To better explain:

I have a tip up canopy under construction, just about complete. I did not paint the roll bar. I am adding a "targa" strip to the canopy so when the canopy is closed, the targa will over lap the un-painted roll bar and the seam between the canopy and rear window. I wanted to add a 1" strip of black vinyl directly to the rear window, hiding some of the roll bar, right where the targa lays over it.

Obviously the integrity of the canopy is most important and adding this vinyl is not a requirement.
 
Static cling wind tint.

I have used static cling window tint on the inside without any issues. I used the 95% block overhead to cut down on the UV and sun intensity to keep the cabin cooler. It is about twenty dollars.

If you are covering a large area, I found it is best to install in strips as flexing in a compound curve creates a wrinkle challenge.

In your application, a one inch strip should be very easy and it would obscure the view.
 
Scotches, Gins, Vodkas, Tequilas,... ;) yes, there's a lot of different alcohol choices around...:eek:
I was obviously talking about rubbing/isopropyl alcohol.
Best then, the 99.9% version.
I did not know that kerosene is ok???...!!!

Eric, virtually all alcoholic drinks contain ethanol (ethyl alcohol) which in its pure form is a Class D reactant on acrylic and almost certain to precipitate microscopic cracking. A Budweiser is unlikely to do any damage because of its very low ethanol percentage which will be a relief for those RV builders who like to enjoy an occasional beer while they’re building. However a high proof Russian Vodka might very well screw your canopy.

But jokes aside my point is this....there’s denatured alcohol, amyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, butyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, hexyl alcohol, isobutyl alcohol, methyl alcohol, and nonyl alcohol (to name just a few) and all of them are guaranteed to damage acrylic.

So when we advise other builders to use “alcohol” on their canopies it is of crucial importance that we stipulate specifically that we are only referring to isopropyl alcohol and that virtually every other “alcohol” will be a disaster.

You also referred to using “rubbing alcohol” but that’s a dangerous trap too. Rubbing alcohol often contains isopropyl alcohol which is safe but sometimes it contains ethyl alcohol which is very dangerous. The problem is there’s no international standard for rubbing alcohol.

For decades RV builders have been getting cracks in their canopies because they have been inadvertently putting hostile solvents on them. And the amazing thing about this is that new builders keep doing it. :eek:
 
For those who may not be aware, this link is to the Vans Website and their acrylic/Lexan hints.

https://www.vansaircraft.com/faq/acrylic-canopy-and-lexan-window-hints/

I was going to use simple black electrical tape, until I re-read the above paper.

So, this is why I was asking if anyone had any experience using vinyl wrap on the canopy. (rear window)

Or is there some other black covering I can use on the rear window, under the targa; again, about 1" wide? (vinyl, tape, paint, etc.)
 
vinyl on acrylic

Funny how the question of what to do with canopies just rolls on, year after year.
Smart to ask, of course!

about 95% of the illuminated signs that you see are adhesive vinyl on acrylic or lexan faces.
There.
Only about a zillion square feet of this, used for the last 30+ years or so.
I did exactly the same thing on my canopy, laid a strip of beige vinyl over the rivet line on the canopy bow...partly to seal the rivets, which allowed moisture in.... and could rust the bow!

Removal can be a hassle if baked in the sun. If you are hangared, I really don't think you'll have major issues.
Find the vinyl manufacturers specs, but the general guide is 'hot sunny day' or carefully warm to the equivalent, and most vinyl will peel off pretty readily. It often leaves some or all of the adhesive behind, so use the MILDEST solvent possible ( I like mineral spirits...paint thinner ....NOT lacquer or anything 'hot') to soften, and gently scrape off the adhesive...then do a final wipe with something like mineral spirits or dilute iso alcohol, NOT 90%, it's just too agressive.
Van's tips are bang on here.
I'd avoid adding large areas of black.... or even heavy tint, as it has to absorb, rather than transmit the light energy, and can heat and expand in ways that are not desirable.
 
Just don't do this:

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What about applying the Sika Primer to the inside of the canopy (if I understand your need correctly)? Makes a nice Targa look. Obscures view of the roll bar.
 

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Paint roll bar?

Is there a reason that the roll bar couldn't just be painted? Then there'd be no need to worry about any side effects to the canopy.
 
I wanted to add some 3M 1080 to ,y canopy but couldn’t get a colour to match.
I see Vans don’t recommend Lemon Pledge, furniture polish, well I’ve been using it on my own Vans as well as many many many years worth of Cessna’s Pipers etc, neVer seen an issue!
 
What about applying the Sika Primer to the inside of the canopy (if I understand your need correctly)? Makes a nice Targa look. Obscures view of the roll bar.

Sika 209 primer is not without risk also. The 209 primer is 20% Ethyl Acetate, 25% MEK, and 0.5% Isocyanate Monomer. All of these solvents are "N" class which means that on acrylic sheet "immediate damage may occur such as severe crazing, cracking, or permeation losses". In particular, without very fastidious preparation of cut edges the primer can exacerbate microscopic cracking in that location....plenty of examples reported on VansAirforce.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the truth is that acrylic is extremely susceptible to chemical attack. You can’t be too careful about what you put on it as many builders with cracked canopies have discovered.
 
Thanks all for the on going replies. The roll bar is riveted in place and the rear window is sealed/screwed in place. If I would have added enough sealant to completely cover the roll bar, I would be done. But I went easy on the sealant and now want to cover up the ugly half sealant, half showing roll bar under the window.

Received a reply from Vans:

"We have painted plexiglass on numerous aircraft before and on the RV-14 done just as you are proposing to hide the roll bar. We however do not have any long term data regarding vinyl application."

I am trying to get clarification on paint types to use.
 
My -7 is wrapped with 3M 1080, (4 yrs.). Also ran a 3" wide strip down the slider to cover the canopy frame. Saw this post and was curious, so I peeled back a small section, plexi looked like the day it was applied. No issues, and I was able to stick it right back down. My bird has always been hangared, so I don't know how prolonged sun would effect the vinyl/plexi.
 
Electrical Tape and the Canopy

Vans recommends against the use of electrical tape on the Canopy as it can cause crazing. The Koger Sunshade install recommends putting electrical tape on the Canopy to help line up the installation of the shade. A lot of those shades are being installed. I wonder if anyone is having problems.

https://www.vansaircraft.com/faq/acr...-window-hints/
 
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