(Author: ikom Monday July 4, 2005,
Jul,04,2005Jul,04,2005
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Monday July 4, 2005
I get up bright and early and I am out of the house by 7:30AM. I want to purchase some 5052 H32 0.050" Aluminum for the storage box from the local "Metal Supermarket" which is just 5minutes away from my house. $20CDN and I have a 20"x32" panel ready for fabrication.
I return home, transfer the measurements from the template onto the metal panel and use the bandsaw to cut out the fairly complex shape. I intend to take the completed cut piece to a local shop with a decent bend brake so that I can form the box.
I am done fabrication by 10:30AM and am struggling with the bend brake by around 11:00AM. Bend brakes do not take kindly to acute angles. I eventually end up getting most of the bending done to a 40 degree angle and resolve to complete the bending with the good old panel beating hammer and metal dollies at home.
When I return home, my son is ready to help with undercoating the masked cockpit body panel. We take the piece out to the deck and rest it on some fresh cardboard.
I leave him to do the undercoating while I persevere and get the panel formed into a storage box - not the best quality of workmanship but the outside of the container will never be visible once it is captive in the side pod.
A lot of fine tuning and grinding later - together with multiple test fittings of the side pod and I finally appear to have a completed storage box.
It is already 5:30PM and I am tired, so I go out back to see the undercoated cockpit.
