The first step was to print up the plans at a 1:1 scale. Using an 8 1/2 x 11 printer means you have to tape lots of pieces of paper together:
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m91aiCJDbnU/SMSdrEW3ipI/AAAAAAAABHE/4ohvrE9ZWKQ/s320/01_Pattern.jpg)
Next, I took the paper patterns outside and test-fit them to the box. On the whole, it fit pretty well - but it shows that a little more height to the sides would not hurt (which I added as I cut the patterns out):
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m91aiCJDbnU/SMSdrehXr1I/AAAAAAAABHM/l11S5SYQWGA/s320/02_PatTest.jpg)
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m91aiCJDbnU/SMSdrjpDPCI/AAAAAAAABHU/JKLPt9uy52A/s320/03_Primer.jpg)
Here's the box with weld-thru primer on any surface that will be touching sheet metal:
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m91aiCJDbnU/SMSdr0b0YsI/AAAAAAAABHc/MpS02deO0O8/s320/04_BoxPrimed.jpg)
I taped the templates to the sheet metal, then used a 4 1/2" cutoff wheel on my trusty angle grinder to cut out the pattern:
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m91aiCJDbnU/SMSdiGjg9YI/AAAAAAAABGc/zNIACEaj2HM/s320/05_FirstCut.jpg)
Both pieces of sheet metal have a "tab" that needs to get folded up to mach the angle stock on the bottom of the battery rack. So, I firmly clamped a spare piece of angle stock to the sheet metal and used my ball-peen hammer to "gently" form the tab to the 90 degree angle:
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m91aiCJDbnU/SMSdiUqFeFI/AAAAAAAABGk/nLBn74JdpbM/s320/06_BendingTab.jpg)
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m91aiCJDbnU/SMSdisczbEI/AAAAAAAABGs/7FCt_0DSlAU/s320/07_BendingBox.jpg)
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m91aiCJDbnU/SMSdi1oBzlI/AAAAAAAABG0/akOJXo2emSU/s320/08_BoxSpots.jpg)
The second piece went smoothly too, very similar to the first piece (only a different pattern, obviously):
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m91aiCJDbnU/SMSdjVbmZJI/AAAAAAAABG8/3eN0s_80BWI/s320/09_SecondPiece.jpg)
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m91aiCJDbnU/SMSdXwtCPYI/AAAAAAAABF0/qne6n0kYJSE/s320/10_WeldsDone.jpg)
And here is the completed box, with the exterior weld beads ground flat (to give less of a place for rust to start and to allow the box to drop in to the hole smoothly) and the flux residue sanded off:
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m91aiCJDbnU/SMSdYIvxuII/AAAAAAAABF8/_irQRPbTM7I/s320/11_CleanedUp.jpg)
The box still fits in its hole (although I did have to enlarge the corner near the top-right of the picture - that roughly 1/8" additional size was just enough to make it not fit):
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m91aiCJDbnU/SMSdYcENfWI/AAAAAAAABGE/8v0hNFB8f7I/s320/12_BoxPlaced.jpg)
Here is the completed box from below. You can see that it does not come close to interfering with anything. You can also see that the 3/16" angle stock on the top is actually resting on top of the unibody "frame rails" - this is a very good thing, since those are the primary structural members of the Jeep:
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m91aiCJDbnU/SMSdYh06TAI/AAAAAAAABGM/2lac7CB2B4Q/s320/13_BoxBelow.jpg)
Jill asked, "what are those triangular areas in the corners for?" They are for two things - the high-voltage interconnect for the charger (at the most-positive point of the battery chain, on the right side of the box), and for one of the huge 400A fuses that protect the whole high-voltage system. Here is one of the fuses test-fit in the corner. A slightly tight fit, but should be OK. I will likely put some polypropylene in this area to insulate it from sparks / arcing:
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m91aiCJDbnU/SMSdZQPeVKI/AAAAAAAABGU/AcN4QT-Tp44/s320/14_FusePlaced.jpg)
Next up: painting this rack (after cleaning the flux crap out of the inside), and building the Upper Rear Rack.
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