POP bottles for canopy?

[Paul Taylor]

I remember someone posting about making a canopy out of a plastic pop bottle. I did a search and came up dry. (Pun intended)

Can someone tell me how it's done? Or point me to a link with pictures... that would be dandy.

[dave siegler]

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=725299

[chuck snyder]

Paul, I have had some success shrinking pop bottle plastic (PETG) over a form with a heat gun. I have not had any success vacuum forming it. All it will do is shrink. Has something to do with the stretching of the plastic when the bottle was blow molded. Need virgin PETG to vacuum form-this I have done successfully. You may have to attach some wood "handles" to the plastic to hold it while heating. Try to take advantage of the natural curvature of the bottle.
Chuck

[Randy Powell]

John Miller just talked about this in his Torino thread in the Classic section.

[Wynn Robins]

I posted it a while back - I think I sent you all the pictures too - I will try to find them again and send them to you on e-mail.

it is pretty easy to do - just make the "buck" the shape you want - put the bottle of it, wedge it in HARD and heat it with a heat gun.

[Dick Byron]

I used the system and had good luck making the canopy for the KI 83. I had a hard time finding paint that will stick however.

[Matt Colan]

It was in FM a few years back using soda bottles to make canopies.

Dick, did you sand down the canopy, that might help the paint sticking problem.

[tom hampshire]

Did a canopy for an Ares a while back, used a frame to support the bottle plastic and forced the buck into it while heating with a monocote gun.  Formed and installed OK.  BUT the canopy was thin, and ultimately caved in (creased) when I hit it with a paper towel while cleaning up after flying.  No way to fix it, wound up tearing it off and replacing the formed canopy with a painted on faux canopy.  Forewarned is forearmed....   Tom H.

[John Harold]

Cowlings can also be made from PET soft drink bottles, also made some Nobler wheel pants using a symmetrical mold to get both halves moulded from one plug......John

[Robert Zambelli]

They work very well. Here are two shots of my Musciano Bullet. Canopy made from a one-liter Coke bottle.

Bob Z.

[Brian Thwaites]

Keith demonstrates how to easily create canopies from
readily available plastic pop bottles.  The impressive looking
gun he is using, is actually a $40.00 paint stripper available
at Canadian Tire or Home Depot.  The medium weight wood mold is
what takes most of the work to create but does not have to
be as smooth as silk or even require any special release agents.

 

 



Here is the result of 5 minutes worth of heating and a quick cut
with the scissors.

 

 



Chris tried it himself and was also successful.  Even
a monkey could do it...!  Yes, a trained one with full scale glider piloting
instructors papers, but still a valid statement!

[john e. holliday]

Glad you didn't bring the cave man into it.  You make it look easy tho.  DOC Holliday