SmittysRV
Well Known Member
Time to cut the panel. I got some typing paper and cut out templates of all the components that I wanted in my panel. I laid the paper templates out and determined the center most component, which will be the Garmin 696 Air Gizmo Panel Dock. I marked where the mount goes on one corner on the panel with a fine point sharpie. Then I put some painters tape on the panel to protect the surface from the jigsaw I used. I could see the sharpie mark through the tape and drew the lines for the cutout onto the tape. Then I carefully cut the panel right up next to the marks I made without cutting into the marks.
I got my back-riveting steel plate and a scrap piece of aluminum angle and clamped the steel plate to the panel, right on top of the sharpie line. Then I started filing away at the edges on the panel cutout until it was even with the edge of the steel plate. Since the aluminum is softer than the steel, I could file right up to the edge of the steel without messing up the steel.
I rounded the inside corners with a small round file that I got from Lowes and cleaned up the edges with some fine grit sandpaper.
Here's the test fit of the AirGizmo Panel Dock.
![20110101_08.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smittysrv.com%2Fphotos%2F20110101_08.jpg&hash=d7a4f0a4e5ad5574fd64775c972a624d)
I got my back-riveting steel plate and a scrap piece of aluminum angle and clamped the steel plate to the panel, right on top of the sharpie line. Then I started filing away at the edges on the panel cutout until it was even with the edge of the steel plate. Since the aluminum is softer than the steel, I could file right up to the edge of the steel without messing up the steel.
![20110101_09.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smittysrv.com%2Fphotos%2F20110101_09.jpg&hash=fd146e61435c1542e140273fe7adae65)
I rounded the inside corners with a small round file that I got from Lowes and cleaned up the edges with some fine grit sandpaper.
![20110101_10.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smittysrv.com%2Fphotos%2F20110101_10.jpg&hash=dcf74cef1650704db480059b07939b30)
Here's the test fit of the AirGizmo Panel Dock.
![20110101_11.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smittysrv.com%2Fphotos%2F20110101_11.jpg&hash=867ba4a3fddb84269e78b29d0fe0fdcd)