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Another detail i forgot to mention, at the top rear I need to cut out a false vent and fill in smooth...
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For this I just covered the back with masking tape, layed down a sheet of fiberglass and leveled it with filler.
Great thread! Keep 'em coming!!
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Cut out false vent and smooth out. Check. When I get around to narrowing it 1 3/8" I will cut out the center divider and toss it. It is too tall, about 1/4 of an inch tall on this blackmax cowl and i'm pretty sure it is closer to 1/8 of an inch on the bridgeport cowl.
So I set my dial calipers to .6875 ( the decimal of half of 1 3/8) and dragged it along the existing center divider scratching strait line all around the cowl. This line represents where the edges of the new center divider will be after narrowing it.
As of now I'm assuming the center divider is the same width on both cowls which is 2 1/4 inch wide. Can anyone confirm this for me??
Yes, 2.20 to 2.25 depending on where I measure it.
Awesome, thank you David.Quote:
Originally Posted by David - WI
what a cool thread! love the pics of the progress! great job!
This is so cool. At first I thought it was just me having a conversation with myself and I, but now I feel the love. Thanks everyone!!!�� I have been busy block sanding all week, all 44 faces. These Mercs have more cuts than a diamond. Attachment 342542Attachment 342543Attachment 342548
I don't know why some pictures turn out right and others are grouped together in a box marked attached thumbnail.
So I used a 1/8"x1/2" aluminum flat stock and epoxied it's along the lines that were scratched in. The aluminum is now the outside edge of the new center divider.
Attachment 342554Attachment 342555And now the pics are coming out sideways,WTF!!!
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Why aluminum?
Because after it's narrow road I will fill the space in between With a sheet of fiberglass to bridge the gap and then blocks and it perfectly flat until it's even with the outside edge of the aluminum rails. That should give it a laser straight edge and make it easier to keep the height perfectly even all around.
I finally get to split this thing in half...
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cutting out the "old" center divider I left four small tabs and then cut exactly 1 3/8" out in the middle. That way when gluing back together all I had to do was set it on as flat a surface as I could find, then line up the tabs, check measurements, adjust, check measurements, adjust... Until it was just right, then epoxy the tabs.
... And then bridge the gap with fiberglass
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I gotta say, you're ability to plan out your moves makes me jealous; but for this much effort you should be making a mold to produce dozens of these to sell! :cheers:
Hmm!!!🤔 That's not a bad idea. I would have to sharpen my mold making skills first, i have molded small stuff in the past with amateur results. If this cowl turns out good i just might give it a shot.Quote:
Originally Posted by David - WI
OK time to rant. I am definitely a "newb" at posting on a thread. But every time I login with my username to scream and fly and then type out all the updates and add pictures and then post. It tells me that I need to refresh the page and login again. Usually I can scroll back to find everything I typed out and then post it. But sometimes I lose everything I wrote out and have to start all over again. This has happened a few times since I started this. Could this be something I can fix in my settings or do I just have to deal with it? Oh well I will work around it and try again tomorrow
Now that the top Cowl is mostly rough sanded into shape, i've decided to take a break from body shaping and start fabricating the pan . I already had a 1/8 inch aluminum plate rigged to the engine. I made it a two-piece so I can install and remove it without removing the powered head. Attachment 343186
I used a 3/4 inch plywood that will be screwed and Epoxied to the aluminum plate then added a 1/4 inch lip around the outside that will allow the top cowl to line up centered to fit snug.
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After I screw and Epoxy The aluminum plate to the plywood I am going to use a "bar top" epoxy to seal the entire pan. That stuff is super thick and self levels nicely so I shouldn't have to block Sand much before priming.
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When I first started following this thread I kinda thought you were nuts. I would have just bought one. Your process has been pretty well thought out and your final product is looking like the target. Still think you might be a little nuts but I admire your perseverance. Looking forward to seeing the final product painted with decals. Good job.
Rock