I read and re-read the instructions and watched the Finish Kit Video to get up the courage to begin cutting the canopy.
Although it was a warm day for Tahoe at 75, I turned on the radiant heater and brought the shop up to 92 degrees. I took my time setting up the Vans supplied cutoff wheels on a die grinder. I then started to cut the flanges off the canopy. This went pretty well but consumed a lot of air. I am glad that we upgraded the compressor early - we certainly needed it. The compressor still couldn't keep up - but that helped me slow down.
The wisdom is to trim slowly - several passes to remove a strip, then fit to the frame, repeat as necessary. Each fitting required help. Patty was a good sport and helped me position the canopy and remove it. I let her disappear for 20 minutes at a time between cuts.
I removed more material than Vans had marked. They say that theirs is just a starting point. Good thing, since I will have to remove a lot more than they marked. The front is fitting to the baggage area skin very nicely, but the canopy doesn't yet sit against the roll bar. So, I have to remove even more material.
I decided to knock off early to give me time to reflect. It seems like the canopy is wider than needed, but I may be able to pull it in a bit after I split the windshield section.
While frightening, it was not a big deal after all. I need to wait for the plexiglass drill bits before fastening the canopy to the frame. They should be here this week.
