Hi ADSala;

Hey we are all here to learn and share idea's. I did not polish the aluminum in any way. Straight from the roll. I did try on a few panels, fine steel wool. The finish on the plane is a little too bright yet and I have not decided if I should take steel wool to it yet or not. I alternated some of the panels to get an opposite grain, as in the real plane. Yes both the aluminum tape and real aluminum have grains, anyway I am afraid I might loose some of that effect if I steel wool it. I also have not aged it as of yet. In short wipe paint over the panel lines and rivets, then wipe it off leaving the paint (looks like grease) inside the panel lines and rivets.

As a rule all my panel lines are flush, butted up to one another. There are some overlapping ones. Another neat effect you can try is to put the metal over an existing metal edge, looks neat, or over a rivet. The panel lines were made by the way I described earlier, with the masking tape.

Don't get discouraged, if you have an area that you can not get, no way no how, without wrinkles, try adding a panel line on that spot, I know it's cheating but it's better than a wrinkle. The only other thing is, you should have a good base to apply this stuff ie: glassed. I thought I had done a bang up glass job till I applied the metal. Found two or three bubbles and one dent on a wing tip that I had missed. Everything will show through.

Peter