Woohoo!!! Made the Big Cut!!! Started the day by laying out the lines to cut the molding flanges off of the canopy. Checked and rechecked the centerline of the canopy. I hope it's right. Used my dremel tool with the plastic cut-off wheel to make the cuts. Had some difficulty getting the hang of it but eventually did. Practiced drilling holes in the scrap pieces and looks like I can make the hole for the canopy latch with a #40 and then the step drill. Marked the hole for the latch and made the #40 hole first. Then used the step drill on my cordless drill and drilled the hole to 11/16" to give a little more fit tolerance. Drilled the final size from underneath to get a good hole. Sanded it with 220 sandpaper for now and will do 400 later. Laid the canopy frame in and lightly bolted it through the canopy latch using oversize washers padded with duct tape. Marked the lines for the big cut forward of the front bow. Used yellow electrical tape on top of the marks to make it more visible (thanks Van's Airforce!). Used 3 long pieces of duct tape from side to side to support the canopy after the big cut is made. Dragged it all outside again to warm up in the sun. Ambient temperature is 93 today. Put 3 layers of blue painters tape on either side of the intended cut to protect against slip of the dremel. After a few more miuntes of warming I got all my protective gear back on and went for it. Made the big cut in one pass. Initial cuts for the molding flanges I experimented with making 2-3 passes but I found once I had the feel of it that one pass would work fine. Brought the 2 pieces back in the garage and placed the frame in the slider portion and clamped in place. Quit for the day. A great day!
