Today I resumed work on the front skin panel.
First I lined up the panel in the correct position, used painter's tape to hold it in place, then laid the skin down. With the hinge clamped into place, I used a pencil to trace around...I will apply epoxy (JB Weld) in that area.
Epoxy applied, I place the hinge gently into position and make sure none of the adhesive oozes into the door sill. Gently, I clamp everything into place.
JB Weld takes 24 hours to harden, so we are done the skins for tonight! (Side note...every piece I have applied with JB QWIK has fallen off. Stick to the good stuff, waiting 24 hours will reward you!)
I took apart the utility arm carrier and drilled and tapped the holes to mount the backplate on with. While I had that off, I decided to make another modification....the COM-8 charging port that is designed for the newer frames. For now its just a decoration since the panel door can't really open far enough for it to be seen. But...this is the time to add it in. I can tweak the door later.
Here's the back view, with the back plate installed.
Tomorrow I'll inspect how the door works out and make any needed adjustments. The next big feat will be figuring out where to mount a servo, plus the linkage, for it to open and close.
