Today I attached the canopy to the frame with Sika Flex. This was terrifying. I used copious amounts of tape for protection, two layers in critical areas, and did as much preparation and research as possible.

In the end, the Sika was easier to work with than I expected. Cleanup, working time, all aspects were a little more forgiving than I anticipated–perhaps I was expecting a repeat of tank sealant.

What I didn’t expect, was how much harder it was to keep everything clamped now that there was a slippery layer of Sika Flex basically lubricating all mating spots.

In addition to that, many clamps started sliding on the tape, creating an additional issue with maintaining positioning.

In the end, it worked and nearly everything was as clean as I could have hoped. A few places wound up with slight “stiff peaks” in the fillet, which I trimmed with a hobby knife.