I used the hacksaw to cut out the two canopy strut mounts. Paired them up so I could sand the edges together.

Just using a #40 bit as a pivot point to sand the top radius. Also, note the hastily-made groove in my scrap block of wood to clear the cleco tips.

Also made these little spacers from 1/4" thick 2024-T4 bar. The plans called for doubled-up 1/8" spacers, but I liked this approach better. I contoured them to be a (nearly) exact match with the strut mounts.

The canopy latch locking tab needs to have a spring backing it up, and that spring, in turn, needs a guide wire which extends into the F-704 center section area. So, I drilled that. Van's plan seems to show the spring guide wire below the locking tab, but that would have required a hole too close to a rivet, so I drilled to position the guide wire above the tab.

Spring and guide wire temporarily in place.

It appears teh tip of the locking tab may rub on the handle. I may consider rounding over just the tiniest bit of the locking tab to prevent that sharp edge from gouging the canopy latch handle.