bluestratos

I agree Jaka...I did some test panels up on some very smooth plexi I had. I wet sanded starting at 400 grit and worked up to 1200 girt.. did not like the finished product. I polished it with several different polishes.. mothers etc... but while it got shinier.. never really came up like I expected it.. in fact so far just polishing the flite metal on the plane unsanded looks better.. so another learning curve I guess, lol...

I have the plane and wing completely covered.. The wing tips were the worst, while I have the stretching part down now... (I work the metal ahead of the surface creating stretch before it contact). There just is not enough stretch to cover a bulbous compond curve. Eventually the metal just tears. So I did the bottom first to the the 1/3 point, then did the the center front to tip, then finished with the top over lapping the center. The lap line is just about invisiable because it is in the curve. I tried 6 different times, started the piece in different locations but no way I could get it to conform to such a complex piece with out spitting or bunch up (you cannot shrink the material so if you start in the wrong spot you will eventuall wind up with wrinkles.)

Ok.. Now what the plane is covered.. Do I wet sand??? As I said, I tried a test piece that had a lap on it and sanded to 1200 grit with not great results..

Also, do you apply the rivets before polishing?? The stuff is so soft that I would think you should imprint the rivets first then polish as other wise you will have a million more scratchs as you handle the parts. I want to have all of the rivets imprinted before I paint the anti-glare panel on the cowl and the wing walk stripes... decals etc...

Thanks for any help...
Randy