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Polishing / cleaning bare aluminum?

Kooshball

Well Known Member
For those of you with experience maintaining bare aluminum aircraft exteriors is there a preferred, one-step process / chemical that works well? I understand that to get a mirror shine takes quite a lot of time and effort but I am interested in knowing what the best 1-step process is for maintaining bare aluminum.

Thx!
 
For those of you with experience maintaining bare aluminum aircraft exteriors is there a preferred, one-step process / chemical that works well? I understand that to get a mirror shine takes quite a lot of time and effort but I am interested in knowing what the best 1-step process is for maintaining bare aluminum.
The simple one-step process for maintaining bare aluminum is *paint*.
 
For those of you with experience maintaining bare aluminum aircraft exteriors is there a preferred, one-step process / chemical that works well? I understand that to get a mirror shine takes quite a lot of time and effort but I am interested in knowing what the best 1-step process is for maintaining bare aluminum.

Thx!

I?ve seen Rollite or Nuvite at the shows. I use Purple polish on my gear and like it.
https://www.amazon.com/California-C...ocphy=9001853&hvtargid=pla-493645301981&psc=1
 
Related question - do any of these polishes (Rolite, Nuvite, Purple, etc) impact the ability to paint the airplane later on? I'd like to buff out some small scuffs/scratches but plan to paint eventually, and I've heard that some treatments that contain silicone might cause problems with paint.

Dave
 
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Related question - do any of these polishes (Rolite, Nuvite, Purple, etc) impact the ability to paint the airplane later on? I'd like to buff out some small scuffs/scratches but plan to paint eventually, and I've heard that some treatments that contain silicone might cause problems with paint.

Dave

Silicone creates big problems with paint application. If you plan to paint some day, avoid silicone like the plague. VERY difficult to remove.
 
Polishing aluminum

I own a 1947 Luscombe that I have been flying and polishing for over 50 years.
I use the Nuvite process. Depending on how the skins are, you might want to do an initial polish then finish up with grade S.

Although the best process is well documented on a cd sold by the Swift Association in Athens, Tn., you can do a pretty good jog with a $49 7" Harbor Freight polisher using wool bonnets.

Apply polish sparingly to a 2'x2' area max. Then buff it to shine with the wool bonnets held at a slight angle so the edge of the bonnet does the polishing. You will be left with a mess on the floor and skin. Put mineral spirits in a spray bottle and clear up the black residue on the skin.
 
For those of you with experience maintaining bare aluminum aircraft exteriors is there a preferred, one-step process / chemical that works well? I understand that to get a mirror shine takes quite a lot of time and effort but I am interested in knowing what the best 1-step process is for maintaining bare aluminum.

Thx!

Starting from scratch involves a lot more than a one step process. You may already know that but it is more than just time watching a spinning buff. Grit selection is very important to success. A common error is to select too fine a grit to start.

Even maintaining a polish is not necessarily a single step. First step in my opinion is to keep the plane in a hangar. Outside storage will ruin your work in short order. If you choose Nuvite, grade S is the maintenance grit like Vern said. Cleanup can involve mineral spirits or corn starch which I prefer. Minor bug removal can be rag and water or magic eraser pads depending on polish level and pad grit.
 
Thx folks. I?m not needing to start from scratch; just try and reasonably maintain a surface that was last polished a few years ago.
 
Related question - do any of these polishes (Rolite, Nuvite, Purple, etc) impact the ability to paint the airplane later on? I'd like to buff out some small scuffs/scratches but plan to paint eventually, and I've heard that some treatments that contain silicone might cause problems with paint.Dave

FWIW, here's an email exchange I just had with California Custom:

From:
Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2020 2:05 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Any silicon in Califronia Purple polish or deoxidizer

Dear California Custom:
Can you tell me if either the California Custom Purple Polish or Deoxidizer includes any silicon that may interfere with the later painting of an aluminum surface?
Thanks so much,
Steve


Hi Steve,

Those products don?t contain silicone. You may prep for painting in the future as you otherwise would.

Regards,

Mike
California Custom Products, Inc.
 
I use Blue Magic metal polish and my Cyclo Orbital polisher to get it shining, but then once it's shiny, I use Wash-Wax All as my cleaner/wax to keep it clean and shiny. Works well. A good description of the process (albeit using Nuvite) is here Cyclo Polish
 
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I use Blue Magic metal polish and my Cyclo Orbital polisher to get it shining, but then once it's shiny, I use Wash-Wax All as my cleaner/wax to keep it clean and shiny. Works well. A good description of the process (albeit using Nuvite) is here Cyclo Polish

Does the blue magic require the Cyclo or could it work with an automotive orbital polisher like a Porter Cable 7424xp that has a minimum speed of 2500 rpm?

Thx
 
Does the blue magic require the Cyclo or could it work with an automotive orbital polisher like a Porter Cable 7424xp that has a minimum speed of 2500 rpm?

Thx

2500 rpm is pretty high speed for bare metal polishing and might put swirl marks, but if you use a cotton cloth as a barrier it might work; test it on an out of way spot or spare piece of aluminum first. YMMV.

Blue Magic should work fine with any polisher, including the Mark I "hand polisher".
 
FWIW, here's an email exchange I just had with California Custom: <snip>
Can you tell me if either the California Custom Purple Polish or Deoxidizer includes any silicon that may interfere with the later painting of an aluminum surface?
Thanks so much,
Steve


Hi Steve,

Those products don?t contain silicone. You may prep for painting in the future as you otherwise would.

Regards,

Mike
California Custom Products, Inc.

Many thanks Steve, that helps a lot!

Dave
 
purple polish one pass

Timely topic for me. My plane is polished. I used the nuvite system which is the way to go if you want it to look great. I hadn't completed the job completely, leaving the ailerons un polished. Last week i decided to give the bottle of Purple Polish and prep (two step, the prep is a deoxidizer wipe on then polish)I'd purchased at an airshow a try. I used the nuvite orbital, did one pass, and would rate the results as acceptable. Definitely still grainy on close inspection, but it had the polished look. Fine for a stop gap until final finish.
 
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