Brief Description: Cutting gauge and instrument holes
Two of the 3-1/4" gauges on my panel have adjustment fitting at the bottom left corner necessitating addition cutouts to allow the gauge to nest into the panel. While I cut the round hole with the die set, I had to hand cut this additional area. I started by making a template from card stock (see photo #1. I then scribed the panel. I have coated the face of the panel with "Dychem". That is the blue coating you see. Dychem is easily scribed leaving an easy to see line.
I next cut and ground out the cutouts with a hand-held die-grinder. While not perfect, the results are acceptable.
I next cut the square openings for the trim indicator and the slip indicator. I drilled the corners with a small bit first to create a curved corner to help prevent cracking of the panel. I cut just inside the scribed lines, then hand-filed the remaining material to fit the gauges.
