A big step accomplished today – we attached the canopy skirt to the canopy/frame assembly. As this is a two person job to mate the skirt to the canopy without getting sika everywhere, Teresa came out and helped me. We discussed the different sika products and then we did a dry run to determine the best way to move the canopy skirt into the mating position with the canopy. It was good that we did this as my initial idea was flawed. Once we had a good method practiced, we were ready for chemicals.
We started by making sure the skirt and canopy bond surfaces were cleaned with alcohol and also a compressed air blast, then we made sure the tape was re-pressed and holding along the bond line. The 205-Aktivator was then applied – Teresa took care of the skirt while I worked the canopy. We waited the proscribed time of 10 minutes while the Aktivator dried – then brushed on the 209-Black Primer. The wait after the primer application is 30 minutes.
Coming back to the shop, I spread the sika on both bonding surfaces and then smoothed it with my gloved finger across the entire bond surface – probably an 1/8” thick coat on both (guessing). Teresa came in and gloved up and we executed our previously choreographed “dance” and the skirt went on perfectly. One thing I did not do before, that I went back and did right after the skirt went on, was to tape off the outside of the skirt so that when the fillet step happens the skirt doesn’t get all dirty with sika. No worries, plenty of time to do that as the sika dries.
I pushed the canopy skirt on and started working the fillet with the water-dipped-gloved finger…then went to a family Texas Ranger game while it cured.
