Meatloaf

Weds.19.09.07. I am presently affectionately known as ‘Meatloaf’ at Savoy timbers, currently making my 8^th blank dashboard then buying my 3^rd  hole cutting set. The boys down there know my exact measurements 48 inches by 8 and a half, worst of all I know the exact price of £1.96pence. Apparently the much adored ‘Meat’ penned a song called ‘dashboard lights’. But, none the less, the sharper set of cutters has made very light work of the 6mm plywood dash backplate, thankfully, my hobby band saw has accurately traced the outline shape of the model. So much so that the instrument holes have first been located then drilled accordingly. This should form the ultimate template for the eventual ‘facia’ and also act as, not only reinforcement, but more essentially serve as the fixing board for all of the gauges and switches.

Thurs.20.09.07. The template of 6mm plywood dash was laid upon the blank raw ‘maple’ that I sourced in France from Alain Luzan, after which the outline was drawn in. The centres of the holes were identified by using a compass. Applying the radius to produce a series of arcs their precise position could be located. Once marked they were pre-drilled with a 2mm wood bit to facilitate sighting the hole cutter in the correct place. To confirm the cutting procedure I telephoned Dave Brown to ask his advice as to whether my proposed method would be successful. It was suggested that two approaches could be adopted. However, both require a slightly smaller hole to be drilled for each of the instrument sockets, the template then clamped to the back of the blank board will function as a guide for the router. After which, the first method, being the simplest, is to choose the exact profiled router bit to enable the enlargement and the bevel to be fashioned simultaneously as a single cut. The second, much more complicated, creates a shoulder at a depth of 6mm followed by an extra cut to form the desired rounded contour.

It does appear that Dave is only prepared to offer advice, tuition and his excellent tools, but since I have boasted before that I must control total ownership of this aspect of the project, I must then, step up to the ‘plate’ put my toes on the ‘ocky’ swing the bat, propel the arrows, sink or swim or just finish up tit’s up, belly down, pear shaped, paddle, creek, shit, dead in water.