Thinking Outside, er, Inside The Box

[MOOSE]

Our camper canvas has been attached by means of snaps attached to a 3/4" thick piece of high-density polyethylene screwed to the cabin roof. But the stress of the curvature and exposure to the elements had caused it to crack in several places. So I found a place that would sell me a similarly-sized piece of Starboard and fabricated it to match the original. Then I took an old board and cut it to the curve of the cabin roof and put the Starboard in the sauna as I was heating it up today. I checked it at 140F and it was already approaching wet noodle stage. So I quickly clamped it to my board and now have a perfect, stress-relieved replacement. And I get a nice steam-bath to boot!
Al

[snal]

That'll work!
I got lucky...happened to have a piece of 1x1 aluminum "T" bar left over from a job. I curved it by hand, rivited the snaps on the upright, drilled the base and mounted it with countersunk SS bolts. Just barely had enough room to drill outside the cabin in the rear roof overhang.
We have yet to use our boat since the canvas was finished, but hopefully time will allow a day or 2 on the water after Thanksgiving.
New canvas and 2 new striper rods just have me itch'n to go fish'n!

[thataway]

Great idea for fabrication and a very nice looking camper canvas in your album. But I wonder why they used plastic and snaps, instead of awning rail (plastic or aluminum) and awning rail bolt rope (vinly covered, sewn to the Sunbrella and zippered to the rest of the roof)?