1/48 canopy removal

[EXO]

So I broke my canopy from my VF-1S. I have a VF-1A Hikaru with a broken heat shield (both my fault, not a Yamato defect) that I could swap the canopy with... but it seems nearly impossible to swap just the canopy without tearing it out. Has anyone done it? I don't want to swap the whole fuselage just the canopies.

Thanks ahead if anyone has any answers.

[Draykov]

So I broke my canopy from my VF-1S. I have a VF-1A Hikaru with a broken heat shield (both my fault, not a Yamato defect) that I could swap the canopy with... but it seems nearly impossible to swap just the canopy without tearing it out. Has anyone done it? I don't want to swap the whole fuselage just the canopies.

Thanks ahead if anyone has any answers.

You can find an exploded view of a Yammie 1/48 after an "unfortunate incident" in this thread.

[EXO]

Thanks Draykov, I did look for that, if you take a close look the canopy is still attached to the top of the upper fuselge... I'll tkae pics when I get home tonight.. I'm convinced there is no way to do it, I was just wondering if anyone just had the luck of finding an easy way to go about it... if not it's ok... I already hacked apart the head...

[Draykov]

Hmmmm...I did notice that the canopy was still attached, but I just figured with the forward fuselage all taken apart like that, there must be some way to pry it out of there without breakin' it...and what do you mean you hacked apart the head?

Edited November 24, 2003 by Draykov

[mslz22]

The only way to do it is to hack off the top part that covers the canopy from the fuselage, if you do it with a back of a dull exacto knife you will get less material loss than a razor saw but it is still a bit risky.

[Hurin]

Which all begs the question: How the heck do they put the canopy on in the first place?!?

[EXO]

If you look at the canopy, there's a horzontal seam. It looks like the canopy was inserted then that piece was glued shut, almost melted on. Like MLZ pointed out...

methinks there will be another 1/48 parts sale on ebay soon... LOL...

[Skull-1]

The canopy hinge is placed into a notch. A cover plate is glued over the notch so that it covers the hinge. Basically half of the hinge rests inside the fuselage, half inside the fuselage hinge cover.

[O] <--- Side view of hinge O ....... Top of Valk is <---- ............. Nose of Valk is ^

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Edited November 24, 2003 by Skull-1

[Draykov]

The canopy hinge is placed into a notch. A cover plate is glued over the notch so that it covers the hinge. Basically half of the hinge rests inside the fuselage, half inside the fuselage hinge cover.

[O] <--- Side view of hinge O ....... Top of Valk is <---- ............. Nose of Valk is ^

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ASCII instructions?

[Hurin]

[O] <--- Side view of hinge O ....... Top of Valk is <---- ............. Nose of Valk is ^

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LOL!

[Macrossmerrell]

All you have to do to remove the 1/48 canopy is to pull it sideways when you are sliding it down into position. It will pop right out. I have done it on accident on my VF-1A Hikaru about 20 times... damnit

They snap in and out quite nicely.

Merrell

[Coedes]

All you have to do to remove the 1/48 canopy is to pull it sideways when you are sliding it down into position. It will pop right out. I have done it on accident on my VF-1A Hikaru about 20 times... damnit

They snap in and out quite nicely.

Merrell

um i think that's the heat shield u talking about...

ya, it's a common problem that it can just pop out easily..

but the canopy is a different story sia.. i also dread the day i end up breaking it or damaging it.. but then again...ain;t that all our fears for our preciousss valks?

[Draykov]

I think Japanese toy manufacturers have this unwritten rule:

"The more detailed, beautiful and expensive a toy is, the more fragile it must be."

[Skull-1]

If you try pulling the canopy out sideways you'll snap the hinge off! Don't even think about it!

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

By accident I found that Goo Gone can negate the effects of super glue over time. I used the stuff to clean up a low-vis, but some of it pooled around a wing panel that was super glued back on. A few days later, that same panel just popped out again as if it had never been glued. I don't know if it'll work with that canopy assembly though, the seam looks real tight with little room for any Goo Gone to settle into. You just might have to slice the sucker off, EXO.