Trimmin' canopys

Hello guy's, got a question about fitting a canopy to the top of a built up fuse. How and what are you usin' to trim your canopy, then what method do you use to fine tune the fit to the fuse ??
Sure do appreciate the help....

Hi Gil,
I use a pair of scissors to get the initial trimmimg. Mine are curved surgical scissors, and a pair of the same that are straight. I use an overhead projector pen (non-permanent) to trace the general out line from the plans onto the canopy, leaving it a touch oversize.
then trim to as close as possible. If it is a bubble canopy, I hold, or tape, some rough sandpaper to the fuse top and "sand" the canopy on that. Trace around the bottom of the canopy in place when you're done and cut a shallow trench for the canopy to set in. A little filler of your choice to blend it after the glue dries. I use epoxy to glue it in and aero poxy to blend.
Bill <><

What Bill said! Exactly.

Here's an additional opinion about canopies, you can take it for what it is worth. IMO, they are frequently not trimmed enough. They end up looking like they are simply sitting on top of the fuselage - very unrealistic. I call it the "RC look" (it goes along with rectangular fuselage cross sections).

By contrast, take a close look at a ship whose canopy you really admire. Notice how closely it fits, and how well it fairs into its interface joint on the fuselage. (This is where cutting the notch and using Epoxolite or Aeropoxy to make a fine fillet really helps.)

More creative builders often do wonderful things with canopies, including cutting them down greatly and putting them on backwards, etc. When it works, you end up with something like this:

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Bill Melton's gorgeous 17-year old Uncle Sam

SHOW me a more beautiful canopy line! That one's not just sitting there! (And it was cut out of an oversized SIG canopy, installed backwards..) Simply, it drips Zen. (for Randy..)

(Speaking of Randy Powell, take a look at the canopy on some of his latest efforts. Lovely.)

The canopy is one of those detail focus points on a model, and is well worth the effort to do well. By the same token, a half-assed canopy job will greatly degrade the appearance of an otherwise fine ship.

One more "tip" - when you purchase canopies, get an assortment, with multiple copies of each size. This lets you sacrifice one or more to cut up and get the fit correct. Be willing to do that - they're only scraps of plastic. (Bill Melton told me he had to cut at least 3 of them to get the one on Uncle Sam CORRECT..)

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MAKE THE PIE HIGHER
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Rarely is the question asked
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How many hands have I shacked?
They misunderestimate me.
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I know that the human being and the fish can coexist.
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Put food on your family!
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