Roundel mount looking good

There are few things more satisfying for a mechanic than the first time an engine starts. We had one of those today, a Subaru in for an engine swap, all shiny and tricked out. The happiness on that guy's face was unmistakable. Every long term project needs some milestones like that. Otherwise, it just turns into an endless grind. I know I'll celebrate the first time I shoot my E9 with primer, in the paint booth. Maybe I should not wait so long. Like, when the nose is finished.

Every Saturday I inch a little closer. Today was all about shaping the Epoxy Filler I applied last week. As expected, it was easy due to the filler being rough shaped when applied.

As the first round of roundel shaping progressed I could see where I had a few low spots. Being minor imperfections, and not wanting to wait another week, I applied some TECHNIFILL. I also applied a bit more along the top, above the roundel, where it seemed necessary to flow into the sheet metal on either side. While that set I worked on the top on the RH side, and along the bottom of the LH grill.

When the TECHNIFILL was set I used my tool again to sand it smooth, and the long blocks to blend in the top surface. There is a bit more shaping to do, so I did not add any more filler. I took these pictures at the end of today's session. The first three are without flash, so that the shadows highlight the shape. The last three are with flash.

For comparison:

Before work began:

After initial stripping:

Reconstruction:

Seeing these photos all in one place really brings home how much work has gone into this.