What is the first step in forming a streamline cover plate using a form block?

The first step in forming a streamline cover plate using a form block involves placing and fastening dead soft aluminum over the mold. This step is crucial because it ensures that the aluminum conforms properly to the shape of the form block. By using dead soft aluminum, which is aluminum that has not been work-hardened and is more malleable, the material can be easily shaped without cracking or breaking.

Once the aluminum is securely in place over the mold, the subsequent shaping or tapping process can begin. This initial step of positioning and fastening also helps to provide a stable foundation and minimizes movement during the forming process, leading to a more accurate and better-finished product.

Other options, like applying heat or cutting the aluminum to shape, are not appropriate as initial steps because they do not directly prepare the material to take on the configuration of the mold. Instead, those actions may come later in the process, depending on the specific methods being used for the forming operation.