Hi hotrod1, I've had a couple personal messages on the outlets and the steps, I'll put up some pictures to show how I got the edge.
I decide to use square vs round for the edging. I knew I'd want to use body filler to smooth around the edge, if I used round material I'd have to fill under the edging also.
By using the torchmate I cut the edging for a piece of 3/8" plate. I made it slightly oversized, always better to have to much material vs not enough.
Here is how the edging fits around the exhaust tip.
There was no way I could shape the edging as one piece, so I cut it in half and by clamping it in the vise and using a hammer I was able shape it to be very close to the contour of the step.
Once I shaped both pieces I was able to weld them back together as one piece. The far end is welded, the near end has a gap, since the other end is secure I tacked the close end then put it in the vise and filled the gap, then ground it smooth.
Once together it fit nicely.
Once I had the fit I did a 100 % weld on the inside. I didn't want and vibration to allow a crack to happen where the step and the edge meet.
Once it was done I assembled all the pieces. The tip comes through at an angle so I still had to fine tune to get the same clearance all around the tip.
As for the torchmate..... I use a Miller spectrum 2010 I think. I believe it'll cut up 1" thick. A lighter duty plasma cutter, say that cuts up to 1/2" would probably work fine in most situations.
I knew absolutely nothing about CAD systems to design the cut, it just took time and error for me to figure the CAD system. At first it fights you, then once you learn it, it works with you.
Once you become familiar, the simplest items I hardly think about. Often I will draw and make what I want out of construction paper, once the pattern is made I use the scanner/copier and use the image to create a cut path. Then let the machine make the cut.
There are times when the day almost over so I'll bring my patterns into the house and while inside I'll create the cut paths so the next morning I'm ready to hook up and cut right away.
Costly, yes, I was fortunate, but we won't go there.
Hope this helps.. Jim