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I have been in the hangar all day polishing and think I may have come down with "Metal Illness". I thought I would check with you guys to see what the symptoms are for sure before I go running to the doctor. Here are a few of my symptoms.

1. Nuvite smells good to me
2. Can't get the song by Florida Georgia Line, ‘Get Your Shine On’ out of my head
3. Body aches. Especially my back.
4. Self doubt. Is this how Bob (Shine On) Mika does it?

Let me know if you think you had a case of "Metal Illness" and what your symptom were.

Yeah, you have it bad. but here is how I did it.
1. use a small 5 or 6" buffer. (Remember, it isn't the size of the tool, it is how you use it!).
2. don't try to work too big an area. This is about the right size:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/22138162@ ... ateposted/

3. listen to some good tunes as you work.

Bob (working on caps for the MWSFI) Mika

Index finger raw from smearing F9
Clothes all black from polish
CD's skipping because the polish goes everywhere
The smell of ozone from the cheap HF polisher as you kill it. I had to bypass the variable speed switch as it died.
An odd attraction to the smell of a freshly painted airplane

I'm strongly considering a brushed aluminum finish, with selective polishing in places like the leading edges. I need to research the drawbacks and techniques to brushed aluminum though.

I thinks that the first Sonex actually had a brushed aluminum finish.

Ahhhh, I'm happy to hear the spirit of "Metal Illness" lives on in the hearts, minds, and sore backs and black-stained hands of polishers everywhere.

On the topic of the Scotchbrite finish - not a great idea. True, the Sonex prototypes wore a Scotchbrite finish for a while and that is how I (we, at Sonex Aircraft) know it is a bad idea. The unfinished finish holds moisture, collects sunscreen, sweaty hand prints, etc, and that results in stains and corrosion, requiring constant upkeep.

Two final thoughts:
1. I was frequently asked when I was done polishing. I was done polishing the day I sold my airplane, "Metal Illness."
2. Marty Smiltneek, another early Sonex builder and friend, offered me these wise words, "If you paint, it will never look better than it does the moment it leaves the paint booth. If you polish, it can look better and better all the time."

Blue Skies!

Kerry Fores
Builder, "Metal Illness"
http://www.TheLifeOfDanger.com

Waiex 121YX is now 5 yrs old effectively.
The initial polish was work. Real work. Spent about 135 hrs for a fuselage/tail polish job. Wings and bottom of fuselage are painted.
Worked my buns off and pushed it out into the sun and about sat down and cried big boy tears. Swirls from hell!
Pulled out the credit card in a fit of rage and ordered the Cyclo with polishing towels from Toms Polish.
That put the shine on and has kept the shine on for 5 yrs. Needs a spring touch up but that's after the engine break in on the new Camit. One war at a time.

Larry
Waiex 121YX

The Cyclo polisher isn't cheap but it does a great job of polishing aluminum without making all those swirls.
Very happy with my Cyclo polisher.

sonexparts wrote:On the topic of the Scotchbrite finish - not a great idea. True, the Sonex prototypes wore a Scotchbrite finish for a while and that is how I (we, at Sonex Aircraft) know it is a bad idea. The unfinished finish holds moisture, collects sunscreen, sweaty hand prints, etc, and that results in stains and corrosion, requiring constant upkeep.

Thanks for the heads up. So glad I chimed into this discussion; you just saved me a lot of disappointment.

I'm abandoning the idea of brushed aluminum finish -- polished it is. I think I'm feeling the onset of a Metal Illness.... :o

Last year Adam and I wheeled out the Waiex for the annual Poplar Grove fly in. It had swirleys.

An alternative to big boy tears: lower your standards!

Bryan,

My friends all tell me my standards are low but I've managed to excel and surpass all expectations!

Larry
Waiex 121YX, preparing for first start, Camit 3300