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Polished Aluminum

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s_thatcher(at)bellsouth.n
Guest

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:00 am Post subject: Polished Aluminum

I'm trying to decide on having a painted 601XL or a polished one. I've used

NuVite parts C and S to polish the rudder and it looks terrific but here's

my question to anyone who has a polished aircraft.



Has anyone used a Clear Top Coat (Loehle or any other manufacturer) on

polished aluminum and what has been the long term effects?



Thanks for any info...



Scott Thatcher

601XL with Corvair. Working on Fuselage.

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challgren(at)mac.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 7:01 am Post subject: Polished Aluminum

Scott:



I spent about 50 hours initially polishing our 601HDS with NuVite but  

only about an hour a year after that.  I did not clear coat it or do  

anything other than wiping the leading edges down with a soaked towel  

after each flight.  I would follow that with a dry cloth to restore  

the gleam.  The post-flight wipe down took about 5 minutes each time.



While the aircraft was  hangared for the four years we flew it, I was  

very impressed with the long-lasting NuVite polish.  I would see no  

benefit or reason to clear coat it.



The downside to the polish is the decreased visibility it provides.   

I plan to paint my 701 so it increases the chances other aircraft  

will see me.



Stan

601 HDS (sold)

701 building

On Aug 1, 2006, at 6:38 AM, Scott Thatcher wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   

 <s_thatcher(at)bellsouth.net>



 I'm trying to decide on having a painted 601XL or a polished one.  

 I've used

 NuVite parts C and S to polish the rudder and it looks terrific but  

 here's

 my question to anyone who has a polished aircraft.



 Has anyone used a Clear Top Coat (Loehle or any other manufacturer) on

 polished aluminum and what has been the long term effects?



 Thanks for any info...



 Scott Thatcher

 601XL with Corvair. Working on Fuselage.

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601zv(at)ritternet.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 7:39 am Post subject: Polished Aluminum

For those who have been there, would 1/2 lb of Nuvite C and 1/2 lb. of S be 

appropriate for a 601? And is there any reasonable alternative to the Cyclo 

5 polisher for final finishing?



---

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pmaxpmax(at)HOTMAIL.COM
Guest

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 4:02 pm Post subject: Polished Aluminum

I polished my plane with Nuvite in April and it's been outside since.  It 

has no clear coating on it.  My understanding is that paint (or clear coat) 

doesn't stick well to slick, shiny surfaces, so I wonder how long it would 

last.  Apparently, birds are mightily attracted to because they love to crap 

on and corrode the surface.  I think the finish will look OK through the 

season looking ok, and I'll have to polish it each winter.  We'll see.



Just a little tip I learned from Bill Clapp who painted my plane (and 

finished the polishing): start with 1000 grit sand paper, and wet sand it.  

Follow up with 1500 grit wet sanding, and then start on the Nuvite C and S.  

This will go a LOT faster unless your 6061 is very shiny to start with.



Phil Maxson

601XL/Corvair

Northwest New Jersey



 	  Quote: 	
		  From: "Scott Thatcher" <s_thatcher(at)bellsouth.net>

Subject: Polished Aluminum

Date: Tue, 1 Aug 2006 08:38:55 -0400




<s_thatcher(at)bellsouth.net>



I'm trying to decide on having a painted 601XL or a polished one. I've used

NuVite parts C and S to polish the rudder and it looks terrific but here's

my question to anyone who has a polished aircraft.



Has anyone used a Clear Top Coat (Loehle or any other manufacturer) on

polished aluminum and what has been the long term effects?



Thanks for any info...



Scott Thatcher

601XL with Corvair. Working on Fuselage.

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tshank(at)core.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:21 pm Post subject: Polished Aluminum

Robin,

I did my polishing with a 6 inch right angle buffer from Sears, I have 

found on "secret" when using Nuvite. If the aluminum is older and the 

surface dull take a piece of paper towel and wipe the surface to be 

polished with mineral spirits (paint thinner). The Nuvite especially the 

course F8 will spread like cream. The difference between doing the 

aluminum dry and with the mineral spirits is like day and night.



Tim Shankland



Robin Bellach wrote:



[quote] 



 For those who have been there, would 1/2 lb of Nuvite C and 1/2 lb. of 

 S be appropriate for a 601? And is there any reasonable alternative to 

 the Cyclo 5 polisher for final finishing?



 ---

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challgren(at)mac.com
Guest

Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 6:46 am Post subject: Polished Aluminum

Robin:



I used one pound of each of the three Nuvite polishes recommended in  

the 5 years of polishing my 601.  Almost all of that was for the  

initial polishing.  I would recommend at least one pound of each.



I do not know of any polisher that is a reasonable alternative to the  

Cyclo.  It costs a lot of money and works great.



Stan



On Aug 1, 2006, at 9:38 AM, Robin Bellach wrote:



[quote] 

 <601zv(at)ritternet.com>



 For those who have been there, would 1/2 lb of Nuvite C and 1/2 lb.  

 of S be appropriate for a 601? And is there any reasonable  

 alternative to the Cyclo 5 polisher for final finishing?



 ---

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n963wb(at)frontiernet.net
Guest

Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 2:19 pm Post subject: Polished Aluminum

Greetings all,



I have been following the paint or polish thread for some time and have 

appreciated the input as, I too, was debating the same question.  What 

concerned me was the aluminum for my 701 appears to have a "grain" to it. 

This grain probably is the result of the material being rolled to the proper 

thickness.   The metal I intend to polish certainly is not oxidized, but to 

polish out this grain appearance requires a more aggressive approach.  I 

took a piece of my skin material to OSH and went first to the Nuvite booth. 

Bob McHugh spent nearly an hour working a small area explaining the process 

and working the metal with five different materials (F9,F7,G6,C and S).  The 

final finish with the "S" grade gave a pretty decent shine and nearly 

eliminated the grain appearance.  His recommendation to polish a 701: 11 

pounds of the five products (at) $37/pound or $408 for the polishing medium. 

He also sold an equipment package for  another $500.  This seemed like a lot 

of money for the two buffers and required pads but in his defense they 

appeared to be high quality tools.



aluminum and asked him to demonstrate what his product would do.  Jay worked 

with three different grades of product from course to fine and produced 

favorable results in 1/3 the time required with Nuvite.  I showed the 

aluminum to an impartial judge (wife) and before I told her my choice, she 

picked the Rolite spot.  I agreed with her that the Rolite appeared to be a 

brighter shine.  According to Jay, I can polish my entire aircraft with five 

pounds of his product.  I was skeptical but he assured me that if applied 

correctly, it would be enough.  Someone one on the list suggested lightly 

coating the skin with mineral spirits before applying the polish.  He stated 

that the polish went further and was easier to apply.  Seems like a sound 

tip and will try that approach with the Rolite.  Total cost of his products: 

$154.  This included three buffing heads (one for each of the grades of 

polish) several applicator pads and a sealant.  This product is available on 

line for a cost of $119 plus shipping.  This price does not include the pads 

and buffing heads.  Site address is: 

www.topoftheline.com/rolmetpolkit.html    I am in no way affiliated with 

this site or product, I am merely passing along a way for anyone who wishes 

more information about this product as well as a means to secure the 

product.



There was some discussion as to whether a sealant was needed.  According to 

Jay of Rolite, the final shine will last considerably longer if the sealant 

is applied.  He also stated that after a flight if a much diluted spray of 

the sealant was misted on the leading edges to remove bugs, this would 

further preserve the shine and remove bugs before they have a chance to 

"set".  Seemed like good advice.



I did buy from Rolite and as yet have not experimented with it.  I would 

rather be pulling rivets and getting my bird to the hangar.  I will get the 

polish going before the final assembly so I am not standing on my head 

trying to buff the under sides of the wings and tail.  I will let everyone 

know how it goes when I get started.  I realize there is lots of work 

involved getting to the final shine but I think I will be glad that I took 

the polish plunge.



Thanks for all the good tips.



Dick Neitzel

Sayner, WI

701 Jabiru 2200

Wings done-tail done-fuselage on gear-starting instrument panel-will hang 

engine next

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Roland Smith

Joined: 02 Jul 2006
Posts: 14

Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2006 3:06 am Post subject: Re: Polished Aluminum

Thanks to Dick for a most helpful kind of posting, an objective comparison of two aluminum polishing products.   



A couple questions remain in my decision process about paint vs. polish.  1)   Weight difference.  2)  Compatability with Corrosion X which I plan to apply after painting/polishing  3) Use on amphibious floats. 



Thanks,



Roland Smith

701AA reserved,  tail and wings, 912ULS anticipated

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_________________
701 kit, Rotax 912 ULS, SensorNetics EFIS, Flying.

n963wb(at)frontiernet.net
Guest

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2006 5:22 pm Post subject: Polished Aluminum

Greetings all,



I had previously stated on the list that (at OSH) I had compared Nuvite to

Rolite and chose Rolite.  I needed to purchase a seven inch buffer/polisher

and found the Harbor Freight (stock number 92623) variable speed machine met

my requirements.  After the 10 minute test it appears that the HF tool is up

to the task.  On line price is $50, I got it in a HF store on sale for $30.

I pried it out of the box tonight, opened the can of pre-polish and went to

work on a two square foot area on the fuselage side.  I first wiped the

aluminum with mineral spirits to see if that was a good suggestion.  After

ten minuets I had gone over the area three times.  With out moving on to the

second grade or the AP 300, I was extremely pleased with the result.  The

"grain" appearance is all but gone and I am certain that moving through the

2nd and 3rd stage will give me exactly the finish that I was hoping for.



I'm not certain that the application of mineral spirits proved useful.  More

experimentation is in order.  I'm also not sure that the two pound can of

pre-polish is going to be enough for the whole airplane.  Basically I was

putting just a finger full on the buffing head and that seemed to go quite a

ways.  I am just looking at the "acres" of aluminum and thinking it may not

be enough.  Will have a better feel for it as I get serious about polishing.

I guess I don't really care if I have to order another can because I am so

pleased with what I am seeing.  This was just a test to let everyone know

what I have experienced.  I need to get back building.



Polishing is going to be very labor intensive but, IMHO, will be worth the

effort.  Going the polish vs. painting route, I can polish the completed

assemblies and except for touch up to remove finger prints after final

assembly, it will be done!  I will not have to look at the dreaded (and

inevitable) run that I will get by spraying.



If anyone is still sitting on the fence I hope the information I have

provided is enough to push you one way or the other.



Take care and keep pulling those rivets!



Dick Neitzel

Sayner, WI

701 Jab 2200

Just finished cutting all the holes in the instrument panel and now trial

fitting the engine mount.....can't wait to hang the engine and move my bird

to the hangar.

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