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Re: EFWD Build
Here is the latest photo.
On another subject. I would like to install the gear for the final time but need to know how people are achieving the polished aluminum finish I want before I install. I was at Aircraft Spruce today and found the NuShine multi step products that run about $38 each and I believe its three different jars to do the job. I have the Grove aluminum spring gear. Any help would be appreciated.
Oh yes, I put the seat pan in so a friends kid could get in and Ill admit I did some day dreaming from there as well.
Eddie
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Re: EFWD Build
Eddie, I painted the center portion that would be pretty hard to access later, and not particularly visible anyway. I polished the gear legs and the visible sides of the mounting blocks. I just went thru progressively finer wet "sand" papers (down to 2000 I think) and then just used Meguiar polish from the auto parts store. I think it polished up just fine.
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Just to save you some time...
If you polish mill aluminum using the kits, generally you come up with a shiny crinkle finish, which some like, but certainly isn't "mirror". To achieve mirror you have to start with fairly course sandpaper, like 400, and work down to 2000, making sure you remove the previous scoring completely each time. (Work at right angles.) Then polish using compound. The grit you start with depends on how rough the original article is. If my memory serves, the Grove gear is pretty smooth on the mill faces, but has machining marks on both edges, which you'd have to remove with something pretty heavy, say 220, to get an initial "flat" surface you could bring up to mirror.
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Well....
I spent 5-6 hours polishing just the outer legs and painted in between the mounts. I am happy but a little disappointed still that I didn't get all the Grove sanding marks out. I wish I had had Guy's advice about the starting grit number because I think he's right. Grove uses some pretty coarse sanding apparently. Unfortunately you cant see if you got down deep enough until you start working on the polish phase with the 2000. I actually had to start over on the top surface of the right leg and still I didn't get down deep enough. I started with 380 grit by hand the second try. It will have to do until another day when I go at the oxidation that develops one day. If you do this Carl, heed Guys advice. I bought an orbital polisher and thought it wouldn't take as long as it did.
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I painted mine on top between and under the mounts for protection where it is inaccessible and unseen also. Then... I just "Scotchbrited" the rest (I can hear guys saying "ugh!" now). I like the look (really!), it's "low maintenance", and I'll just put a good coat of carnuba wax on it. That is unless I change my mind.
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I thought about polishing my Grove gear. Then the lazy took hold and I just painted the whole thing with automotive urethane paint matched to the Nevada Silver on the bottom of my plane. Looks good and near zero maintenance.
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I polished the control sticks e with progressive sandpaper and some compound I don't remember. Very quick job but doing the gear is a different level of work. I'll have to peel off the paper and see how the scratches look. Polished looks great but there is a definite appeal to taking advantage of a friend with auto painting experience and the proper tools. He's already signed up for the job of painting all the small bits.
The satin look of the Scotchbrite approach would look good too, and certainly low maintenance. Several of my small aluminum parts, door hinge for instance, have that look.
That fuselage looks great Eddie. Definitely a kid magnet.
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One more tip:
Unless you plan to do a lot of polishing on your engine, etc., I'd throw money at the gear and send it out to a polisher. The one I used here in San Diego was quite reasonable. (Didn't do the gear, but a bunch of stuff on the engine.) Make sure they understand what surfaces need to be maintained for mating, threads, etc. as they can remove a not-insignificant amount of metal.
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OK, that Pic belongs in Kitplane Magazine or Sport Aviation Magazine. Thats far more work than I am interested in doing. I could just pay to have the gear polished but then I would have nothing to share with my friends about how my hands still feel odd after working with the orbital polisher for 5 hours. :D