Cut an access panel in the floor or find another way?

[JimT]

(07-13-2020 )Meanwhile Wrote:  It was a bit difficult to see all the amps on my phone, I can see them well from my desktop though. Looks like some serious wattage.

Planning out the access panel, I'm thinking about drawing it out with a Sharpie and getting some cutting wheels for my grinder. A few weeks back I found some heavy aluminum on the side of the road, a piece the size of a mud flap. Now I'm debating on what to anchor it with.

Before you start cutting away drill a couple small holes at the corners just to see where everything lines up, top and bottom, inside and out. Make sure you're not coming close to anything important like wires or hoses or some cross member or support for the floor. If they are correct you can always go back and make bigger holes as a starting or turning point for your cuts. Small holes can easily be filled with caulk or silcone or whatever sealant you like if they are in the wrong place. Shine a bright light through the small holes to help find them from the underside more easily.

Nice thing about aluminum is that you can usually use normal wood working blades and tools to cut/drill/shape it. When I ran the cables for my inverter I used my little dremel with a cutting wheel to cut an opening in my floor that was big enough.