Almost nothing left to my cowl any tricks?
 

I trully hate cutting cowls to fit an engine. I am working on the Carl Golberg piper cub with the OS 55AX and had to make a huge hole to fit the engine also screwed up where the needle valve goes as it tilts side ways made a huge hole now will cut the bottom for the pits muffler. I am by nature sloppy and not artistic by any means but does any one have a trick to make cowls look nice and easy to cut and fit. Thanks

RE: Almost nothing left to my cowl any tricks?
 

Iused to have the same problems you did. I would do the TLARmethod, "that looks about right", and then I'd have to start adjusting the hole to fit. Eventually Iwound up with a huge ugly mess. Then I built the GPUltimate and they had this direction in their manual.

Use some stiff paper/cardboard to make templates. I use manilla folders to do this with. Install your engine and then tape strips to the fuselage in the areas you need to make cutouts. Cut holes in the materials to your satisfaction. Then remove the engine and place the cowl on the fuselage. Now transfer those holes to your cowl. Quick, simple, and very effective.

Hope this helps

Ken

RE: Almost nothing left to my cowl any tricks?
 

I'll echo what Ken said. I know of no other method to get precise cutouts.

RE: Almost nothing left to my cowl any tricks?
 

I use a slightly different method for glow motors, and small gassers:

I "mount" the cowl in some way such that I can attempt to insert the motor into IT, instead of placing the cowl OVER the mounted motor. This way, I have a clear view of exactly what's touching where, and can easily mark those areas, and slowly carve/sand/grind away at them as needed.

For ME, that's a more precise method than that described above...but that's not to say either is right/wrong, just whatever your brain and eyes best adapt to.

RE: Almost nothing left to my cowl any tricks?
 

Thanks guys.

RE: Almost nothing left to my cowl any tricks?
 

I helps if you have two cowls. One to screw up and the other to make better than the first one.