Replacing windshield

93 posts in this topic

Posted

I got the quote back for LP. 

Bubble doors are $345

Full Kitfox Window  $600

Windshield (no top)  $600 

Install kit  $100

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Posted

Wow!  Let's see, last sheet of 4' x 8' x .060" lexan was about $50.   Guy could even play with hot forming doors at that price.  JImChuk

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Posted

I have an EAA memeber who formed a full bubble canopy by himself. He said he would help me make the mold needed to form a bubble door or my plane. I’d be willing to make a few more. 

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Posted

There you go, soon you'll be a businessman!  :) JImChuk

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Posted

I’d buy a set! I have a spare set of doors laying around even

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Posted

I got the last two Poly door panels cut out and cleaned up last night. I've learned a few things about cutting and cleaning these panels. I will for sure do the next set much faster. 

I will talk to my EAA guy and see when we can start making the molds for the bubble doors. Joey said the LP bubble doors are petty thick and heavy. My current doors are 1/16. I'm thinking that 3/32 or 1/8 my be needed for the bubble doors to give them rigidity after forming. 

 

 

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Posted

The LP Products are made from Acrylic (plexiglass). 

If you are using "Lexan" or polycarbonate this will be much trickier to thermo-form to hold a shape.

 

Yes, the LP stuff is expensive, but it is made beautifully, is extremely durable and resistant to fuel and other chemicals that Lexan isn't.

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Posted

Doug Holly A+ made a post about using halogen lamps inside and outside of WS to stress relieve - Guess it worked good with Makrolon.  EDMO

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Posted

What is the easiest way to remove the protective film from 25 year old polycarbonate?

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Posted

I finally bit the bullet and just bought new, someone suggested Goofoff which seemed to work.

 

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Posted

wypaul, Are you happy with the bubble doors? For what its going to cost to tool this up it may be more cost effective to just buy a set. I'm still going to talk to my guy about making a set just for the learning aspect.

Jared, Try taking a regular hair dryer and applying a little heat to one corner and see if that softens the film. If you can get it to lift keep applying heat to the area where it is lifting and work it off the surface. I've done this before and it works good.

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Posted

I formed it about 6 different directions with a heat gun and a steel roller when i did the fisher It worked but took hours.

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Posted

I was replying about removing the paper from the Lexan.  My doors are just Lexan but the molded ones are very nice and seem to wear better.  I have not seen the Avid ones, only the kitfox probably worth the cash if you want to spend it. 

 

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Posted

TJay that looks real good and sounds very time consuming. 

I worked on my door some tonight. I got the lift cylinder brackets welded to the door frames. They where riveted to my frames and very sloppy. Both doors are marks and I have one left to drill the new rivet holes into. Getting closer to being done. 

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Posted

Worked all weekend on the doors. Welded the lift cylinder tabs on permanently because the rivets let the tab move on the door. Cleaned and painted the door frames. Applied the two sided tape. Masked of all the lexan panels and painted one. I painted a test piece with the white fusion paint for plastics and it seems pretty durable. I will finish painting the panels and hopefully have these all back together this week. 

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Posted

The first door is assembled. So far so good. One of the panels bled something through the paint. I cleaned the painted area but I think it was permanent marker. Not enough to worry about just a bummer. 

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Posted

I got the doors finished tonight. I learned a great deal about reskinning these doors. The two sides 3M tape worked good. I painted the borders with the Fusion paint for plastics. It sticks real well. These door were a lot more work than the windscreen. I’m happy with how they turned out. 

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Posted

If you do build your own doors these colored rivets come in real handy to make thinks look clean. Amazon.com

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