Panel Lower - Part 1

This blog covers the fabrication and installation of the lower panel

Mounting

Trial fit

With clecos securing the panel to the bulkhead #2 with the factory punched holes, the panel attachment's for the face of tunnel were marked with a felt tip pen, then all holes then drilled #30 for pop rivets.

Note: Factory calls out M4 screws and rivet nuts but pop rivets were selected for the installation as it creates a bulkhead tie and suited my equipment arrangement. 

Marking Out
The panel layout drawing was drawn, plotted full size and then fixed to the blank panel using masking tape. 

Panel design created with Draft Site
This has undergone many revisions from the original proposal

Using a centre punch all holes were marked including the corners of the vertical and horizontal cuts, finally the hole's were dimpled with a 1/8'' drill.

Drawn with Draft Site 2D

Marking hole centres
All marks dimpled with a 1/8'' drill, checked
and then drilled through

All corners to be drilled 1/4''
Face primed with Wattyl black etch

After pin drilling waste was cut-out with Dremel motor tool

Next the panel was pin drilled for the rectangular openings using the center marks as the corner's centers, then the remaining holes were drilled to suit the UMA fuel gauges.

The hole centers for the 1 1/4 gauges is critical and I had to slightly slot a few using a 1/8'' round needle file.

Painting

The panel was rubbed back with a Scotch-Brite then aluminium open-cut 400 grit and etched primed.  Once dry a single coat of satin acrylic was applied and allowed to dry. It was rubbed back with 400 grit paper then another coat was applied. 

When dry it was rubbed back again with used 600 grit wet & gry, detergent and water then set aside to fully dry. 

Note: The panel was wiped with a tack cloth for last paint application.

Once dry the panel was installed using pre-painted pop rivets into the pre-drilled holes.

Isolation Mounts
The existing holes were drilled and fitted with M6 riv-nuts previously, rubber isolation mounts were fitted into the riv-nuts with Loctite 222.

Panel installed with air vents - fuel gauges and fuel selector
Pilots air vents will be covered in later blog
Need's a vacuum to clean the swaf

Comments
Would leave the installation of rubber isolators until final installation as the Loctite makes them impossible to remove.

Move the fuel gauges in by about 5 mm to obtain a better balance in the appearance. The vents would be move across a bit to open up the area in the horizontal panel. 

Fuel selector is easy to use in this location and its full installation will be covered in a separate blog but generally it appear's to meet the design criteria set at the start.

Air vents are a bus / RV item from Ebay - 3.15" x 2.13" (80 mm x 54 mm) Rectangular Adjustable Vent with 2.00" (50 mm) Adapter. The adapter is important to connect the CAT hose to the inlets.