Completed the six center stabilizer ribs today. Each was cut from a sheet of .016 - 6061-T6, then secured into a cutting block outlined with the shape of the blank part. I used a router with a flush-trim laminate blade to cut the parts to an identical size. That's the beauty of this method - all blanks turn out exactly identical. The downside of the method is that the router flings metal shavings everywhere. I made a small temporary containment wall to keep most of the shavings in a small area. I've made a handful of parts now, and am getting the hang of it. Everything I've made has turned out very well.
Part blanks cut out with a router using cutting blocks
