Why pay $20 for a simple gauge mount that can be made using $2 of scrap plastic and 30 minutes of free time? For this application I wanted something that could hold two gauges (Tach and Voltage) & looked good.

By the way,
"I made it at TechShop"
www.techshop.ws

Step 1: Design Process

The only critical measurement was the diameter of the gauges so that they fit tightly.
Using Autodesk Inventor I created a 2D sketch (I like parametric modeling even for 2D stuff) of the mount.
I placed the gauge holes in the part first then designed the profile of the mount around the two big holes.
I then added:

Curved lower profile with a 3/8" offset curve from the gauge hole (for looks)
1.5" tab for mounting under dash (with rounded corrners)
Centerline mark for lining up the part on the bender

Transferred the sketch as a dxf to Corel Draw
Added a Jeep logo with Corel for that extra custom touch (Also made a clamp for the tach)

Note: I messed up this the first time. All lines other than the center line need to be hairline so that they are cut as vectors. The centerline needs to be thick enough to be visible, and the logo needs to have no outline so that the raster cut shows up right.

Step 2: Fabrication & Install

I used a scrap peace of 1/4" thick clear acrylic sheet cut out on a 60 Watt CO2 laser for the mount.
The last step was using a hot wire acrylic bender to get the desired angle. In this application I chose a 75* bend so that the gauges were slightly tilted upward towards the driver.

Although i could have made the mounting holes with the laser cutter, I waited so that I could use existing holes that were already drilled into the dash.
A couple of screws and some quick wiring and the vehicle now has a custom gauge mount