OK ,
Sill working on this canopy , but , here's where it's at currently :
The above isn't the interesting part .
I started painting the frame weeks ago .
First , I masked off the 3 long lengths that run perpendicular across the top , using Tamiya's vinyl tape .
After that cured I masked and painted each remaining framing member individually , using the regular Tamiya tape ( 6 mm )
One night , weeks ago now , I had a couple pieces of tape on the right side and was painting a couple of pieces of the frame when I noticed a super tiny white spec inside the canopy -- at the rear right up high .
So I of course couldn't resist attempting to remove it .
Oy Vey .
And so began the long insanity leading to the now times .
This tiny spec I could only see thru the desk magnifier .
While working thru the nose opening , using swabs and plastic rod attempting to reach it , I completely forgot about the control stick since I couldn't see it due to the tape .
Ended up knocking it over but fortunately I did not knock it completely loose .
I wanted to just leave it slumped over to the left side of the cockpit until I could remove the contaminate ( at this point I had spotted another white spec in there -- where these originated from I have zero idea ) BUT , it was too risky since it might come completely detached and then my only option would be to shake it down into the nose and hopefully out , or entomb it in the engine bay with PVA .
I tilted the fuselage around and used a plastic rod to stand the control stick up in it's nominal position and then using a modified syringe I injected ZAP's canopy glue around the base of it .
Let that cure 24 hours then repeated .
All fixed .
Then when I went back to work on the canopy exterior days later I discovered that somehow that PVA had splattered up onto the inside of the canopy -- all the way up to the upper portion , to the left rear side , front triangular left window ( ???!!! ) ... kinda friggin everywhere it never should have been able to get to .
I was super careful - I was trying to avoid any glue going up onto the seat or the control panels , much less the upper reaches of the atmosphere .
Reality had a different opinion .
So I've been working in there
Ship in a Bottle style ever since .
Using 14 gauge copper wire with the ends filed round and sanded smooth , various swabs , plastic rod and lots of cigarettes to finally remove what was in there .
While trying to remove the one white speck I noticed early on before the glue disaster , speck #2 , I got the speck but somehow created a smear which I was only able remove maybe 75 % of -- but I'm pushing my luck at this point so that contaminate will probably be staying in there .
It was difficult to get past that armored headrest since the gap between the headrest and the canopy is so small ,, and of course I have to go in and up --- and still have to deal with the control stick being in the way .
Here's the best part of all :
While trying repeatedly to mitigate that smear at the back left side ,
I rubbed the paint off the side of the headrest and the top corner of the seat .
Somehow I was successful using a swab and plastic rod to repaint both ( ! )
And ,
This is after I sliced one of those swabs in half lengthwise so I could squeeze it thru the gap between the headrest and canopy .
and
it
got
stuck
back there --- ended up ripping apart and leaving itself trapped on that rear dash .
LOL . so enjoyable .
I cut barbs into the end of a 1 mm plastic rod and was able to extract it though .
But ( so many buts )
It left super tiny white particles inside the cockpit , most up on that back dash .
Which of course magically distributed themselves around for my enjoyment .
I made a tiny vacuum wand from 3 mm aluminum tube ( that's the max size of anything that will fit under the control panel and still maneuver around the control stick .
I've been pushing that control stick out of my way continuously but it slowly returns to upright thanks to being now heavily embedded in that canopy glue .
I've been able to deal with pretty much all the issues --- there are still some tiny specs in there that I've tried repeatedly to remove but I'm really pushing my luck at this point . It seems every time I fix one issue I create another ( anothers ? )
Yesterday I was considering cutting loose the canopy section that would slide open on the real-deal , using the ultrasonic knife , BUT ( so many buts ) since it's sculpted in there due to such a shit fit ,,, Uh , NO .
I modified the hub of this syringe to accept that 1.5 mm aluminum tube .
That pill bottle for the suction wand fits nice and snug into the 1.25 inch vac hose at the bench . It has a 3/8" hole in it's base .
I'm probably forgetting something about this weeks long saga ,
I'll add to this If I remember something .
Oh , I did enlarge the opening at the front of the fuselage for all this .
I like a challenge but I'm not That much of a masochist