I tried a number of different methods of getting the shape and radius right. I tried bending it out of 1/4" brake line and 3/16 aluminum, routing the shape into a piece of oak as a mold, splitting nylon tubing, pinning wire to a template and cutting and taping two "Frost" breath mint containers together. I finally just bit the bullet and made it out of 5/16" 6061 plate stock.
As I mentioned in the past, the only tool I have that will cut something truly square is a tube cutter. I don't have a lathe or mill to make stuff like this, so I usually draw it up in AutoCad, print it as a template, glue it to whatever I am going to make it out of and cut it out with a small drill bit and 11th billion holes. Its neither a fast or sexy way of getting the job done, but I have to work with what I have available.
Here are the tools needed to make something like this the hard way. A sturdy drill press, a few wood routing bits, a drill bit, dremel rotary files, files, sandpaper and my "micro spider" for early AM company.
The back side has two edges cut into it. One to interface with the front of the removable duct, one to interface with the lower cowl. The inlet is removed before removing the cowl.
The duct was then bonded to the flange.
It still needs to be sanded and polished to a chrome like shine, but I have a day our two in the truck to work on it on the way to Mojave next week to get that done ; )
Jeff - I think you are a little bit crazy, talk about working with the tools that you have available to you...wow
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