When to polish?

[gregsonex]

A few posts mention it's easiest to polish sheets before riveting at the beginning of the build. Curious what most folks recommend since it seems you don't think about polish/paint until you're getting to the finish line. I was planning to paint the fiberglass components after completion and then use nuvite to polish the aluminum at the end of the build. Any advice or recommendations?

[WesRagle]

Hi Greg,

I've done it once each way. If you plan to polish, it's much better to do the polish on flat sheets. If you wait, the aluminum will tend to stretch just a little between supports/ribs/etc. Also, on flat sheets, placed on a flat table, you can apply all the pressure you want without worrying about buckling anything.

Ref. https://sonexbuilders.net/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=704&start=20#p33481

YMMV,

Wes

[Bryan Cotton]

Definitely before riveting. Sacrifice a folding table to the Polishing Gods.

[Tnhelm]

A polished aircraft is generally beautiful on the ground although requires more detailing work to keep it that way. Painted is much easier to maintain, although heavier, (+15 lbs on my Onex).
I was in the pattern one time with another polished Sonex doing multiple circuits. I found that polished Sonex nearly impossible to spot, blending in with the surroundings. (Think mirrored surfaces)
For that and other reasons, my preference is a nice paint scheme.
Tnhelm
OneX 0137

[Bryan Cotton]

After a year and a half of flying, Adam did some post-build polishing for the first time. So we have about 230 hours of flying and 5 hours of polishing. Doesn't seem too bad.

Also, weight is the enemy.

[DCASonex]

Definitely easier and faster to polish flat sheets. When solidly supported on a flat table, more pressure can safely be applied and that speeds up the polishing with the first two and most difficult grades of polish. The warning about not using too much pressure is mostly about not causing ribs and other components to be visible due to bending of the sheets when working on a finished plane.

David A.

[gregsonex]

Thanks for all the helpful thoughts on this!

[Bryan Cotton]

Definitely easier and faster to polish flat sheets. When solidly supported on a flat table, more pressure can safely be applied and that speeds up the polishing with the first two and most difficult grades of polish. The warning about not using too much pressure is mostly about not causing ribs and other components to be visible due to bending of the sheets when working on a finished plane.

David A.

Seconded. The great thing about polishing on a table is you can really bear into the metal and get that mill finish off. I did polish the ruddervators when they were built and it was a lot more difficult to do a good job.

[mike.smith]

I did the initial polishing when the sheets were flat. You do have to be very careful with the direction of the polishing pad. You want it to be moving away from edges and corners. If it's turning toward the edges, and especially corners (!!) you can instantly bend the corner with the pad if/when it catches. I only did the next level of polishing after I was flying. I polish every couple of years, in different areas. Wings one year, tail another year, fuselage another. It's too much work to do it all :-)

[mike.smith]

I polished strictly due to weight. Mileage varies, but on a classic Sonex, 25 lbs seems to be the most common number reported when weighing the aircraft before and after. With an AeroVee, unless you're flying solo, weight is a very big consideration. Mine weighed in at 653 lbs at completion, and I only painted the fiberglass parts. Another 20+ lbs would have really cramped my mission parameters. No regrets on my side. I've never had a mirror finish, and really never wanted that degree of polish.