Removing Scratches on Aluminum Spinner

[mooneyflyer]

I have a beautiful aluminum spinner on my Eagle.

Trouble is that it came with the airplane and has scratches.

I was ready to rub them out with fine wet sandpaper and then polish.

BUT do I need a professional to do this?

Balance issue? Thinness issue?

Thanks,

Phil

[MB65E]

Most fine scratches (fingernail catch or smaller) will come out with a polishing compound. I have had good luck with some of the $25 "micro mesh" kist from Sircraft spruce. I think they start at 1500 grit. Wet sanding will be better too. Unless the scratches are gouges most stuff will come out. I wouldn't be worried about balancing or thinning unless you really bore a hole in it. A lot of guys like the California polish recently posted here. I can't wait to try it. I have always used mothers paste Mag wheel Polish. I'd say- go for it! Tape off the cowling area, and prop blades.

-Matt

[BillC]

Phil,

I just finished polishing the spinner on my "O". It had some bad scratches around the attaching screws. Enough to catch your fingernail on. I removed the screws on the section I wanted to start with. Taped off the cowling and prop root. Wrapped the cowling and windshield with old bed sheets.

I then started with 1800 grit wet/dry sandpaper. It wasn't coarse enough. I went to 1500. Still not enough. 1000 grit finally did the trick. I used plenty of water and rinsed the sandpaper in a bucket of water every minute or so. Keeping the sandpaper clean with water helps a lot.

After removing the scratches I then started sanding again with 1500, then 1800. I then finished with "Flitz" (a highly rated aluminum polishing compund) and buffed the spinner with a drill and a polishing kit I bought from Harbor Freight. The kit comes with multiple buffing wheels and compound for aluminum, which I used in the beginning but switched to Flitz.

It took me all day to do the complete spinner but the results were remarkable. I can read the serial numbers on a dollar bill.

The polishing shops quoted me between 125.00 and 175.00 to buff it out but could not guarantee to get all the scratches out. Worth the money to do it myself but I'm retired and have nothing better to do. Besides, what better thing is there to do than spend the day with your Mooney.

Good luck,

Bill

[Hank]

Anyone want 7/8 of a can of Mothers? It's yours for shipping.

--signed, a happy California Gold convert

(Spent a whole 20 minutes making my spinner a mirror)

[HRM]

Anyone want 7/8 of a can of Mothers? It's yours for shipping.

--signed, a happy California Gold convert

(Spent a whole 20 minutes making my spinner a mirror)

 

Yep!