The panel was shot with Rober basecoat and five clearcoats. The clear was then sanded back down in preparation for graphics. Exotic Paradise Ocean Mist Candy paint was sprayed in fades to highlight the trunk panel. A Mobile Solutions oval template was used to trace the desired oval shape onto 1/4-inch aluminum.
A scribe is the proper way to trace a shape onto aluminum. This ensures that it will not rub off during the machining process. The aluminum was cut down and taped with double-stick tape to the oval master template. Be sure to do 100 percent coverage with the tape when machining anything on an inverted router. The MDF, ABS, and aluminum templates were cut on the router with a flush-cut bit to the exact shape.
An MDF template was cut for the lower portion of the hatch. The MDF was traced onto 1/4-inch acrylic so have a master acrylic template on file. The acrylic was rough-cut and taped in preparation for flush trimming on the inverted router. A Mobile Solutions router shield was taped to the aluminum and template. This lets you hold the pieces firmly during the routing process.
The 1/4-inch aluminum inserts and latch trim were glued into the painted fiberglass panel. EL lighting was added to the trunk floor (www.ceelite.com). Here is the completed trunk panel installation.