Got morn, dis is Carl here, shpeaking to you from Valhalla....
Yes, well, here's my input. Think the garage should look like the hatch with splayed sides and front, not a 90degree box you see a lot. Think it should be layed up inside a female form with frp. The splayed dish shape also would make it so much easier to laminate and remove from the form! Since there is a span, you can do it exactly like the hatch (assuming the Commander hatch is like the Ariel hatch) with a curved top which will keep it from deflecting, and adds enormous strength, when sat on.
It would be slim and tidy with a low profile because no plywood is used. 1/4 to 5/16" thick.
Tony's right on with the rise for the instruments at the open end, but you'ld have an up-flange here to act as a rib across the opening that would also be the breakwater and provide attachment for the bottom of the sunbrella dodger.
How do you attach the cowl to the deck? You could 5200 strips alongside the hatch and across the front. Let'e say 1 1/2 X 1 1/2" (wider on the bottom and smaller at the top) - they are shaped/angled exactly like the hood on the outer sides, so that when you mount the hood it slips snuggly down to the deck over these strips. Snug makes it strong.
Now comes the hard part:
Find some barrel nuts (would go for the 1/4" s.s ones from Jamestown*) you can glue into these strips (3 per side, 3 in front?) Attach the hood thru matching holes and wallawalla 'easy removal.'
* these require a 5/8" hole to be set in, a larger/taller strip may be required to comfortably take these. I would be very unhappy if the glue let go and the barrelnut decided to turn while I was unscrewing the machine bolt to take the hood off. Bummer. (the domestic alternative to the b.n. is called a T-nut. It has a wider flange for a 'head' and spurs that you set into the wood. Maybe find these in s.s.?)
So instead, one might consider including a metal bar attached to the wood rails, have to be 1/4" thick stuff for the threaded holes. Or maybe instead of long heavy bars, shorter rectangular pieces with threaded holes could be dapped into the logs and screwed on to match the hood's attachment points.
Poisonally, would break yer first rule and sneak in some lag screws (bolts WOULD be better) anyway along with the 5200 holding the mounting pieces on!!
Theryar bud, half done already
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