Today I decided to cover over the lower portion of the forward baggage compartment and turn this area into an electrical "hell-hole." This is a popular option for some RV-8 builders, and it's one I've been considering for a while. With all the extra wiring and electrical components I'll be installing, the extra couple of cubic feet will be very welcome. I'll probably use it to mount the grounding buses, the Approach Pro-Hub avionics hub, some relays, a backup EFIS battery, or other items. It might also allow me to mount a heating vent on the rear (cockpit) side of the vertical wall outboard of the pilot's right leg, and will be a great place to run wires fore and aft from the engine compartment and panel area.
I temporarily installed the forward baggage compartment floor, measured the area I wanted to cover, and cut out a cover plate from a sheet of 0.032. I notched it to fit in the right front corner, match-drilled it using one hole in the existing floor, and drilled #8 holes in about a dozen other places along the edge for screws and nutplates. The right-aft edge will be supported by a stiffener only, and there will be another stiffener under the center of the new floor piece, similar to the ones on the existing floorboard.