So, I've had a little break with no progress.  Getting back to work, I made a few wiring splices like this one connecting the flap actuator motor.  I used solder connectors and double shrink.  A little overkill, but they are tight and sealed and I don't want to ever touch them again.

I made the first battery box.  This one is the Van's battery box.  I'm using a 2" Greenlee punch to make the lightening holes.  I really do like these punches.  They make clean precise holes that are easy to dress up and they are quick.

I tried using a plain 1" drill to make the pilot holes in the battery box.  That didn't work very well in the thin sheet metal, but the Greenlee punch still delivered a nice clean 2" hole.

Here's a shot using the punch.  It's simple and competent at making holes.

It is time to make the first panel cuts.  I started by making a template to match the measured physical dimensions of the Blue Mountain Sport.  I didn't trust the dimensions in the spec sheet.

I laid the template on the panel blank and squared it up with another piece of aluminum known to be square.

My husband scribed around the template for me.  This is one place where it is O. K. to scribe the aluminum because the scribe line will be cut.

I scribed the second BMA Sport opening.

After a little practice, I decided that I didn't have the hand strength to hold the cutoff wheel steady enough to get an accurate cut.  The actual panel cut fell to my husband.

After making the cuts, he buffed the edges with a small buffing wheel on the die grinder.  The results were surprisingly good.

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