Used a few different templates and jigs for the holes in the panel. A 1/2" router bit was used to cut the templates from MDF and then a 1/2 collar was put on the router with a 1/8" end mill to cut the aluminum. All of the openings were cut rough with a hand held jig saw using a 32 TPI metal cutting blade. The 1/8 end mill wouldn't have been able to cut through the aluminum by itself in one pass and I didn't try varying the depth of the cut to do it in multiple passes without rough cutting it first.
I write notes on things so I know what I did if a bunch of time goes by before I want to use them again.
First up was the template to cut the center iPad hole. The style of the cut leaves nice rounded and recessed corners for stress relief so you don't get cracking off the corners of the holes. The factory does this as well.
The hole for the two radios was cut the same way.
The mounting ears for the radios opening were bent using a female form and a male block. The panel was cut and then clamped into place before the block of wood was forced down into the form to make the bend.
The larger opening's mounting ears were bent in a press brake which was just a cheap Grizzly (worst tool I've ever bought, the handle broke off the first time I used it!
) press brake being pressed by a Harbor Freight (nothing but quality in my shop, eh?!?) press, pic is in a previous post.
The hole for the engine monitor was cut with an MDF template made like the others, rough cut first then finish cut with the router and end mill.
That's it. More time consuming to make the templates and stuff than it was high tech but it worked awesome. Hardest part was getting everything exactly where I wanted it with all of the lines and stuff parallel so it will look factory.
