What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Polished RV Question

JoeLofton

Well Known Member
I noticed a couple of polished RVs at Oshkosh that were eye-catching.

I am curious as to how a builder of a polished airplane manages to protect the finish through all the drilling, dimpling, riveting and fitting. There must be more to it than just leaving the blue plastic on.

Joe Lofton
Huntsville, AL
RV-9A wings
 
I think as long as you don't scratch through the cladding, you just polish the sins away. Lots of elbow grease though to keep shiny. When I started my project I planned on polishing, but at this late stage there's no way I want all that extra upkeep.
 
I talked to a couple guys at OSH from FL who had partially (mostly) polished RV-8s; they said they hit them once a year with the Nuvite stuff (I think) and in between just water and a rag. They looked good - and it had been a while since they last polished.
Anyone have any experience with this? I didn't get a chance to stop in the Nuvite tent and see the -8 they were working on there....

Thomas
 
Nuvite

I stopped by the Nuvite tent at Oshkosh. They were polishing up an RV8 and you could see the areas side by side polished and not polished. Big difference. I was impressed with the product but be prepared for lots of work. It is a 3 step process that the rep said would take about 40 hours of work on an RV for its first polishing. One of my concerns was also how this would affect future painting and they said no problem. When they etch the aluminum it will take these compounds right off. Between the chemicals, muliple buffer pads they recomend (and of course sell), and an untold number of rags along with a buffer, expect this process and to set you back over $300 in materials. They do sell all of this stuff in kits. www.nuvitechemical.com is thier website.

I will probably do this especially since I have already spent my painting budget.
 
JoeLofton said:
......I am curious as to how a builder of a polished airplane manages to protect the finish through all the drilling, dimpling, riveting and fitting. There must be more to it than just leaving the blue plastic on...........Joe Lofton
There IS more to it than that Joe. The blue plastic left on the skins has little to do with the final look. There are many highly polished airplanes out there that were once painted! I'm sure their pure alclad surfaces disappeared years ago. I elected to polish my 6A using the Nuvite system and learned real quick it is a step by step process using multiple grades of polish. Think of the various grades of Nuvite as sandpaper grits. Even deep scratches can be polished away by starting with a coarser grade of polish such as F9 or F7. Deep scratches existed on my wings through carelessness and also a deep and ramrod straight tooling mark ran the entire length of one skin that was apparently generated by the milling process. A suggested (but not necessarily the only) polishing process starts immediately after you remove the blue plastic. You "reform" the skin's surface with Nuvite Grade C using a 10" or so compound polisher. This grade will also blend out minor scratches. The final polish is Grade S and can be worked using the famous Cyclo polisher. I do not hesitate to mention I would not attempt to polish an airplane strictly by hand. It is still a lot of work made considerably easier with dedicated power tools. After the first polishing, periodically maintaining the shine is a far easier process, more so if the aircraft is hangared.

I initially polished in steps. I'd assign myself a section of airframe to work on a given day. One day the goal would be to polish the flaps, the next day the fuel tanks, then the ailerons, etc. etc.

Just Google in "Nuvite" and you'll soon discover all you need to know about the process and quickly determine if polishing is right for you.

The photo illustrates approximately 1/2 hour work on one half of the right flap. The power tools I mentioned are resting atop the wing.

nuvite00425st3.jpg
 
Rick6a said:
The photo illustrates approximately 1/2 hour work on one half of the right flap.
Awesome. Just wondering, how often you have to do this? Because if half of the flap takes 1/2 hours, the rest of the plane takes a day. If you do it once a year, that wouldn't be so bad but if it's even bi-monthly job, then I would never ever consider this as an option. (People change their opinions once a while. :D )
 
Pirkka said:
Awesome. Just wondering, how often you have to do this? Because if half of the flap takes 1/2 hours, the rest of the plane takes a day. If you do it once a year, that wouldn't be so bad but if it's even bi-monthly job, then I would never ever consider this as an option. (People change their opinions once a while. :D )
I don't know often it is required to maintain the shine. I've only done this once so far. I don't know about your work habits but it took me considerably more than a day to polish the airplane. This is supposed to be fun...not work! I polished the spinner 3 years ago (while building) and it still looked pretty good. Nevertheless, as I already had the product out, I went over the spinner with Nuvite Grade S for just a few minutes and that was all it took to restore it to an optimum shine. My DAR has a beautifully polished Cessna 170 with red trim and when I commented on its shiny brilliance, I asked him how often he polishes it. He said he's just washed the bugs and grime off it occasionally for over a year since he last polished it.

A friend of mine bought an unairworthy propeller blade to be used as an office adornment. He called and said he'd been working on it on and off for over two weeks using extremely fine sandpaper, buffing rags, and aluminum polish and it was nowhere near shiny. I said..."Don't waste your time, bring it out to the hangar." His eyes got wider and wider as the power tools and Nuvite quickly worked their magic and the shine appeared. Because of the single propeller blade's relatively small surface area, I gave each square inch extra special attention and both sides of the blade approached a mirror-like quality in about 30 minutes. :)
 
Last edited:
It took me 27 hrs. to reshine for OSH.

Started on a Sat. and gave up on Wed. night.

Kind of cool-- "Shiney RV come all the way to the strobes, that's it Shiney RV turn right for runway 36"


RV-7a
162hrs.
 
Rick6a said:
I don't know often it will take. I've only done this once so far. I don't know about your work habits but it took me considerably more than a day to polish the airplane.
You propably understood my day a bit wrong. I ment 24 hours and at least that is pretty close what Mike Manda has used for his plane (I really hope you don't use like +50 hours or so). So you really can't do it once but you'll need couple days to work hard on every single hour. I really hope you fly more than you do polish. ;)

But I really appreciate your efforts -- those shiny planes do look good and you deserve all the looks which your planes got from the bypassers.
 
Joe

Sorry for the links, if I could figure out how to post my pics I would. I found this pic of my plane from Ben Keens website (thanks Ben)


http://www.pbase.com/benkeen/image/64482148

You can take most defects out of the metal, I had some very deep scratches in my wing and was able to buff them out. Do be careful when building if you plan to polish your plane. You will save hours of polishing time just by being carefull. minor scratches are taken out very easily by the nuvite during the process. My two boys and I spent over a year polishing because we were very picky about the shine. we only worked on it on the weekends too, so I don't want to seem that it took mega hours.

To prepare for OSH, my boys and I took about 9 hours to polish the plane back where the shine was in November, that was the last time we polished the plane. I figured twice a year to keep the shine is what it will take to maintain it. It goes faster as we gain experiance with the process. You will know when it is time to polish the plane again, it starts to get foggy. I think it is well worth the time and effort.
64482148
64482148
 
Thats exactly the paint job I'd like to put on an 8 someday...

Just wondering - do you polish before you paint or vice-versa? And how do you prevent feathering the paint down to nothing with continual re-polishes over time?

[Edit] RV8Squaz beat me to the question! Should have turned the page first.
 
Last edited:
Everyone has already asked about paint... I'd like to know how much the sun reflecting off of the wings contributes to GLARE and HEAT.
 
Trim, heat, and glare

As demonstrated at the Nuvite booth at AirVenture this year, paint trim (or graphics) can be masked over with a strip of blue painters tape where you might possibly overrun those surfaces with the polisher.

HEAT and GLARE......No doubt about it. On the ground on a hot sunny day, that aluminum can radiate an enormous amount of heat your way if you stand at just the right proximity and angle to the airframe. In that case, unless you are looking to enhance your tan, you'd simply move over a little bit.

I have found that in flight, glare is not a problem. Certainly there are times (not as often as I originally thought) when the sun's angle will catch a wing just so and generate glare back into the cockpit but I have found the effect to be so transitory as to be considered a virtual non-issue. I realize that others may be more sensitive to glare issues than I am and find its sudden and fractions of a second distraction to be more annoying than I do.
 
Baja_Traveler said:
Thats exactly the paint job I'd like to put on an 8 someday...QUOTE]


There is an 8 I thought looked cool that is exactly like that. I have also seen the paint scheme in black, blue and yellow.




I'd like to see one painted up like this little guy:

 
I've heard stories of a parked polished plane generating enough glare to melt the canopy of another plane parked nearby. Do you think that's really true, or just one of those "stories" you tend to hear?

I was mighty tempted to polish my first RV-8, but was talked out of it by a local Swift owner. Actually, I should say it was his wife who talked me out of it, because she had the job of polishing it :D Last I heard, they were going to have it painted, in order to eliminate the chore.

That being said, I'm still thinking of polishing the current RV-8 project. Unfortunately, I live on the gulf coast, and have to believe that there would be extra effort involved in preserving the finish. On the other hand, I HATE painting, and I'm no good at it. Decisions, decisions...

Cheers,
Rusty
 
JoeLofton said:
I noticed a couple of polished RVs at Oshkosh that were eye-catching.

I am curious as to how a builder of a polished airplane manages to protect the finish through all the drilling, dimpling, riveting and fitting. There must be more to it than just leaving the blue plastic on.

Joe Lofton
Huntsville, AL
RV-9A wings

Thanks for starting this thread, Joe. The subject was on my short list of things to do after seeing the polished RV's at OSH.

A really nice one, and there were more, was RV-4 N363GC. I was going to contact the owner for more information on how he did it but that won't be necessay with all the responses to your post.

I dream about the next airplane - an RV-8 - with a prime goal of building it weightless. :)

My 7A at MGW OK, but with 10 gallons of fuel so much more of a delight to fly. I don't know the weight of primer and paint but these nicely polished RV's prove it is not needed to have a decent looking airplane.

David Domeier
Troy Airpark (02MO), Missouri
RV-7A
 
Thanks for the info

This is interesting. I had decided to paint my RV (and have started collecting photos of paint schemes that I like) since it seemed that you would have to hire a small boy full time to keep the polish looking good. Now it doesn't seem to be nearly as much work as I thought, once the initial shine is applied and if the proper tools and product are used.

I thought I had made all the major decisions (engine, prop, primer, canopy) but now I'm going to think about paint vs. polish some more. Let's see, the plane would weigh less, and if I put the initial shine on the parts as I finish them....and if I had an aluminum cowl....hmmm. Things to think about as I pound the countless rivets.

BTW, I discovered another thread on this subject in the Never Ending Debate section of the forums, under Painting.

Joe Lofton
Huntsville, AL
RV-9A Wings
 
I also heard the stories about polished airplanes melting the canopies, but I haven't seen any photos of that happening. To answer the question about if I painted or polished first, I polished first because I wanted to get the grain smooth first to have a nice clean edge and to the fact that I did not want to feather the paint by polishing it after.

I was wondering what others have found to clean the residue before going to another grit. I have found that brake cleaner does a great job of cleaning the black residue from the rivets. It has enough pressure to clean the rings and seam of overlapping metal. Plus it doesnt leave any streaks either.
 
Polished aircraft

I am owned by a 1955 Cessna 180 that is polished to near-perfection. I've used every concoction known to man, and it is a well-known fact that pilots who polish their aircraft may be closer to insanity that those that don't. However, it is a pure joy, both during the act of polishing, and when you pull up in any ramp; especially when you steal the thunder off everything from Cubs to Grumman G-seven's. I only polish my airplane once a year, starting in January and ending in December....pictures will follow.
It stands to reason that the RV-8 I'm building will be polished also.

Tom Navar
 
Great Discussion everybody. I am a bit encouraged to do a partial polish now rather than all paint, and I am convinced the power tools are the way to go after just getting my bare alum 8 kind of cleaned up for Oshkosh this year.

Maybe I'll get some of that Nuvite stuff after all!
 
New company and cheaper

I just found a company, topoftheline.com, that sells a kit. polisher, pads, polish and finish preserver for $435.00. Just the Cyclo itself is $55.00 cheaper. They have online instructions and appear to be a very professional company.

I do not know how much the Nuvite is but the polisher is much more at Nuvite.
 
ww2planes said:
I just found a company, topoftheline.com, that sells a kit. polisher, pads, polish and finish preserver for $435.00. Just the Cyclo itself is $55.00 cheaper. They have online instructions and appear to be a very professional company.I do not know how much the Nuvite is but the polisher is much more at Nuvite.
That's where I bought my stuff. While researching the subject, I thought they seemed to have the best overall pricing while providing a package specifically designed for aircraft polishing. I'm happy with it. The Cyclo, designed decades ago is still THE superior polishing tool available that's for sure. The company even has a limited edition 14 carat gold plated version of it for the truly commited enthusiast. http://www.cyclotoolmakers.com/cyclopolishers/cyclopolishers.html

As for Nuvite polish itself, it CAN be had much cheaper if you look around. I bought a 1/2 pound of Grade C on eBay for a lot less than what Nuvite wants at their on-line store. I've also used the following company too. They have pretty good pricing on what few grades they have available. http://www.lakeandair.com/
 
Nuvite

Before using the Nuvite, what did you guys use to fill in any imperfections in the skins ?

Doug
RV-7
Wings
 
What imperfections? If you are going to polish her, she had better be perfect from the start...
I am polishing my -8 right now and it is a huge task. It is also filthy and has really messed up my shop. I have gone with the Nuvite line and am pleased with how it works.
The work is difficult, but it sure looks nice when done...
Don
 
PainterJohn mentioned a product in this thread post #9 about a product that sprays on like paint but looks like machined aluminum, chrome or polished aluminum. Maybe a cool way to finish the cowl, wing tips, canopy skirt, etc. I've sent an e-mail to find out just how expensive it is but haven't heard back--anyone else know more about it?
Mike
 
Oh, I have a couple RV grins (smiles) on my wing skins and a minor one on a flap. They should filled.

Doug
RV-7
Wings
 
mandm1516 said:
PainterJohn mentioned a product in this thread post #9 about a product that sprays on like paint but looks like machined aluminum, chrome or polished aluminum. Maybe a cool way to finish the cowl, wing tips, canopy skirt, etc. I've sent an e-mail to find out just how expensive it is but haven't heard back--anyone else know more about it?
Mike

I priced it once a few months back - I seem to remember between $800 and $1000 per gallon.
 
DaX said:
I priced it once a few months back - I seem to remember between $800 and $1000 per gallon.
How much do you paint with gallon? And/or how much paint is needed to complete 2-seater RV?
 
tinman said:
What imperfections? If you are going to polish her, she had better be perfect from the start...
Just curious - what happens with the "halos" left by the dimpling dies around flush rivets? Can they be polished out, or do people find a way to avoid them if they are planning to polish?

Boris
 
Pirkka said:
How much do you paint with gallon? And/or how much paint is needed to complete 2-seater RV?

I don't know - it's way too steep for what I wanted. I would imagine that the coverage is similar to regular paint. The system I was looking at required a black basecoat be sprayed before the chrome paint. I think it will look fantastic when someone finally does paint their RV with this, cowling, tips, and all! :)
 
Boris,

Polishing mine right now with NuVite and the halo's come right out.

Working good and will post pics in the next day or so.
 
I wonder if this is the product--found the link on another thread. The ghost chrome sounds like it gives a polished aluminum look. $750/gallon plus $164/gallon for the clear coat plus $54 for the hardner or $947 for the 1 gallon complete kit (includes 2 quarts base coat and reducer).
 
Polished and painted RV8

Guys,
Last year at Oshkosh it was my 8 that Nuvite polished. I discussed it with them at length and talked about future painting if I wanted to change. THey did a very good job on all upper surfaces. THe underside of the wings and belly were ok....laying in mud after Oshkosh storms is not the best place to polish....
Fast forward 10 months to June this summer. I decided on a military look after seeing Mike Kelly's RV8 named Diamond Di...it is polished and painted Red and is in the pic several posts back in this thread sitting beside a b-17.
I hired a local guy to paint and I dissassembled my 8 and gave him the tail feathers, then the wings, then the fuse.
As the parts came back I reassembled and repolished for the 1st time since Oshkosh 2006.
The fuse took i good day using 2 steps...C6 polish then s grade for the finish shine.
I did the wings another day. I am new to it and am happy with my forst attempt but know it will get better. We did not protect the skins during construction as we thought paint.....so I have many deep scratches and whoops areas. If I build again...I will protect better!
So I am very happy with the Nuvite product and the guys at Nuvite. They answered cell phone calls in the middle of the process and spent many minutes answering all my questions. I was proud to have the 8 at Osh this year on the last Sat and Sun and they came and took a look. They gave me tips for next time etc as well.
I know that I rushed to make Oshkosh, but this winter I can take my time and work out some larger scratches. I covered the decals and paint as I polished. The S grade can get on the paint without doing any damage.
I am certainly willing to offer my limited experience if I can help anyone.
I can't figure out how to post pics...I forget. I'll try again soon.But email me directly and I'll forward until I can figure this out
Here are a few shots after Osh 2006 just out of the Nuvite tent and then this year after the P-51 paint job.
Doug Bell
 
Great! just when I've decided against polish w/ min. paint, you go and post those pics.

Very nice Doug
 
Beautiful and a sequencs question

Is the correct sequence to polish and then paint or the other way around? I'm considering having a small polished area to make a "chrome" pin strip near the edge of the paint. I assumed the paint should be done first, but after seeing this beautiful plane, maybe the other way around.
 
polish steps

Bud,
Not sure if I did it correctly or not....but I painted and then covered the painted area's and polished. I did polish before I put the decals on.
Doug
 
Back
Top