[patchmcg]

Boy what a long week! I've never shot my entire year of sick leave by mid-January before! I think I'm turning a corner finally, but it took a lot out of me for sure. Watching this parlor come together has been a highlight while I've been stuck on my couch.

Now it's time too make it more "Ovationy" than it was already...

Next job is to get the electronics installed, which means cutting and drilling holes in the bowl.

First I drew a template in CAD for the jacks. The photo is kind of blurry, but you get the idea.



Test fit of jacks.



I used spray glue to secure the printed template to the side of the bowl.



Jack holes all drilled and ready for installation.



The Optima needs a molded mount to be glued to the inside of the bowl and a hole cut for the face plate/outer mount.



Mount location is marked on the inside of the bowl.



I also marked the location of the hole for the battery box.



Holes for Optima and battery box are cut.



The area where the mount is glued to the bowl is masked off.



And, roughed up with 220-grit sandpaper, as was the underside of the mount.



Mount is glued with Hysol 0151 and clamped to cure for 24 hours. Then, it's time to start final fitting of the top in preparation to gluing it to the bowl.