Painting or Chroming Spinner

[M20E-1964]

I have some paint missing on my spinner (M20E) and am thinking the plane may look better with a chrome spinner.

Is this something you send out to get chromed? Do I have to buy a chromed spinner? How about painting? How much would a shop charge (on average) for a repaint?

[Seth]

Strip and Polish.  Some people send them out to be polished.  If you Chrome them, technically the metal becomes slightly brittle and usually is not allowed on the plane, even though many members have gone this route.

A shiny spinner polished or chromed adds SO much sparkle to an airplane.  If you simply polish it, know that you'll be polishing it every ______ (period of time).  For me to keep mine nice and polished, two to three times a year of really polishing it helps.

I used Mothers but may use flitz or something else next time.

Take care,

 

-Seth

[John Pleisse]

There are two types of aluminum finishes/grades used on spinners. One is more crude and better suited for painting, the other more fine and better suited for polishing. Most spinners you see are polished aluminum, not chrome. Chroming would be better suited for the former and really looks nice, but chroming anodized aluminum is a crap shoot. I have heard very little good about chroming spinners. Everything from bubbling to cracking and flaking. If you were to chrome...find somebody who does spinners for a living, not Harley mufflers. I would be really interested in what you find and elect to do.

Should only cost $100-$200 for a shop to paint a spinner. The same to polish it down. There was a fellow on Mooneyspace who had great success with a polisher. You would have to search the threads. It was a year or so ago.

[Txbyker]

I had mine done by http://www.mirrorfinishpolishing.com/  .  Tony Brock is the name of the owner and he is big on customer service.

$215 (including $35 oxidation protection).   Here is some pics Tony provided me before and after.

Before  http://www.mirrorfinishpolishing.com/PICTURES/POLISHING-PARTS/FULL-SIZE-PHOTOS/AIRPLANE-PARTS/CHROME-LIKE-POLISHING-AIRPLANE-PART-BEFORE-10.jpg

After http://www.mirrorfinishpolishing.com/PICTURES/POLISHING-PARTS/FULL-SIZE-PHOTOS/AIRPLANE-PARTS/CHROME-LIKE-POLISHING-AIRPLANE-PART-19.jpg

I still dont have oxidation after 5 months.  Usually wipe it down with a cleaner and cloth.

[MooneyMitch]

I chrome plated my spinner years ago on my former F model.  After approx. 1 year, the surface did indeed begin to crack and flake.  So, it's polish, polish and more polish for me these days on our current spinners.

[fantom]

A friend of mine polished his spinner out, by hand, in less than three casual hours. Looks fine, but anytime someone touches it, some wipe down is called for.

Speaking for myself, I prefer a white spinner because it blends better with the body of the plane and makes the plane look a bit longer. Plus you can touch mine without driving me nuts :-)

 

[KSMooniac]

I had a local hot rod shop polish mine after I stripped the paint for less than $100.  It came out perfect.  (they also do jobs for local aircraft companies, not just cars and bikes)

[AmigOne]

This is the result with a $25 kit from a specialized store but they sell a similar kit at Home Depot. First picture just after I removed the paint with a high quality stripper in aerosol.  Second the finished product (for now).  Not the professional quality (about $250-300 with shipping) but I can improve it some wth more sanding followed by more bufffing when it gets colder, now too hot to work in the hangar.  But I don't think that I will ever reach the professional quality.  Found very good videos in YouTube on how the professionals do it.  All you need is patieince and a good drill

[jetdriven]

Amig, you have to sand those ring marks out of the spinner.  They were left there by the cutter when it was milled.

I am researching how to polish the firewall and these guys have the polishing compound wheels and the compound bars.   http://www.swmetal.com/      Caswell plating is another.  No affiliation.

[sixsixX]

[AmigOne]

You are absolutely right about the black rings and that is why I said that I need more sanding and a lot more buffing.  Maybe in the winter.

[M20E-1964]

Quote: txbyker

I had mine done by

[M20E-1964]

Thanks for the advice- I think I will be sending the spinner out to Tony..

 

Question: Can the plane sit outside in the weather if the spinner is off?

[Kwixdraw]

Short answer is yes. Take the normal precautions to keep water from puddling at the root of the blades.

[M20E-1964]

So the spinner is out to Tony for polishing. Dumb question. When the spinner came off, there were two small plates that sat inside.... where the holes for the prop are. They were painted the same color as the spinner.

It's not part of the prop assembly. What are they, and should they get polished too?

[DaV8or]

Quote: gmcd

So the spinner is out to Tony for polishing. Dumb question. When the spinner came off, there were two small plates that sat inside.... where the holes for the prop are. They were painted the same color as the spinner.

It's not part of the prop assembly. What are they, and should they get polished too?

[Hank]

My spinner is polished, and so are the little metal pieces that go behind each blade, connecting the back of the spinner in a complete circle. Every annual I replace several of the stainless screws [4 on each little sub plate makes 12, plus another 10 or 12 around the circumference. If the phillips head is buggered from slipping screwdrivers, or if it snags my polishing cloth, a new one goes in. Spruce will sell you a bag of 50 or 100 at a reasonable price. This keeps everything on the pointy end shiny and looking good.

[jetdriven]

Our backplate and the small pieces are painted white and the spinner is polished. Use the proper structural head screws onthe spinner. Hardware store screws have threads all the way to the head and these enlarge the holes in the spinner.

[carusoam]

Check for cracks on the filler plates eminating from the screw holes.  This happened on my M20C.  Stainless screws help from letting things get buggered..

I think they got replaced after 35 years...

Best regards,

-a-

[M20E-1964]

Spinner is back from Tony Brock.

Airplane Spinner and Pieces BEFORE Custom Metal Polishing Services:

http://www.mirrorfinishpolishing.com/PICTURES/POLISHING-PARTS/FULL-SIZE-PHOTOS/AIRPLANE-PARTS/CHROME-LIKE-POLISHING-AIRPLANE-PART-BEFORE-20.jpg

Airplane Spinner and Pieces AFTER Custom Metal Polishing Services:

 

http://www.mirrorfinishpolishing.com/PICTURES/POLISHING-PARTS/FULL-SIZE-PHOTOS/AIRPLANE-PARTS/CHROME-LIKE-POLISHING-AIRPLANE-PART-32.jpg

http://www.mirrorfinishpolishing.com/PICTURES/POLISHING-PARTS/FULL-SIZE-PHOTOS/AIRPLANE-PARTS/CHROME-LIKE-POLISHING-AIRPLANE-PART-33.jpg

[DaV8or]

Looks pretty dang good. It must be good, because I was checking out all the stuff in your house!

[Alan Fox]

Chrome is not legal , as the spinner can crack and the chrome can remain in tact and hide cracks...