Rack it up.

Power lines from buss to the switches all colored and grouped.

And now for something completely different. Time to install the radio rack.

From past experience I learned the rack had a front lip that extends to be flush with the panel, but the sides go BEHIND the panel.

So to line things up, hang the lip over the edge of the workbench.

Of course, I've had a couple spectators. I love birds, but I've discovered swallows make a hell of a mess if they hang out in your hangar. Anyone got any ideas to keep them out?

Braces from the top, but...

shit. Bringing in the braces from the top doesn't leave enough room for the LED night light rings.

Ok, back to the drawing board. How about from the bottom?

That works.

Now, let's mount those rings.

This is a really cool tool Syd loaned me, you tighten a bolt against 2 discs, and they cut into the metal.

Takes a lot of force, I was worried I had torqued the panel and bent it. The front wrench is my dad's old one, one of the few tools I have left of his.

Nice clean cut.

Some day I'll drill a perfect pilot hole that doesn't skate on me and end up misaligned.The rings ended up about 1/16" to the left, oh well.

And another toy from the museum to line up the mounting holes.

No tools to line up the holes from the Dynon, I just had to put it in place and drill very carefully.

Whew!!

Perfection is attained by slow, obsessive strokes of a file.