I dont know if I invented this tip or read it some where.But anyways I needed some swirly aluminum
Thats the name I need help with...lol I took a hole puncher and made some round punch outs of sand paper 440 paper. Then I put a drop of Ca medium on a pencil eracer then stuck on the punched out sand paper on the glued end of the eracer then I made three twist on the aluminum for each swirl. The aluminum I used is like tape aluminum.You can get this type from "Flight Metal" its sold from them.They are listed on Tower MFG. list. But anyways it came out decent. These are the pics of what I used it for.
on my Guillows SE5A.

I always thought the term was 'engine turned'. Dunno why, but that's what I recall.

On a rifle bolt, it is called jewelling. I guess the same term would apply wherever it's used. "Engine turned jewelling" would probably be more correct.

It's called engine turning and jewelling and has been around since the early nineteen hundreds.

engine turning is the name,very similar to the pencil and sand paper tip.I have done it in a drill press almost the same way on firearms using polishing compound.

I always thought this style of marking was called "machine turned jewelling".

haha You know a rose is a rose.Depending who you are talking to you get a different name.

. A horse is a horse, but me of corse, that is why my name is Mr. Ed.

I believe the correct term is little swirly marks on metal.

NAH NAH NAH! You guys have it all wrong! It's called engine-turned swirley sandpaper-on-a-pecil-eraser-spun jeweling!

Jeez!

All kidding aside... It is machine turned jeweling

Actually the original name for this process is engine turning. Nothing more, nothing less.

engine turning ? I remember when certain trans am cars had dash boards,that had this type of metal.
I thought there was a name like galvanized. Now dont go telling me...lol what galvanized is,I know...lol

Listen to tashley - he got it right. What ever it's called it is not necessary on all WWI airplanes with the possible exception of the Eindeckers. Even then it was a decoration and was often painted over. Perhaps It was used to impress the people who were reponsible for letting the construction contracts. Tony Fokker was good at that. Seldom used on allied aircraft and not too often on the German planes. Paiting was cheaper, easier in production and the first item grabbed by the piilot who was issued the airplane ususally grabbed the first canof paint available and decorated the plane his way. It's still called engine turning today.

Eindeckers were more like squiggles - "squiggly machine turned jewelling.......?"

Funny, I thought engine turning was when you flipped the prop?I've done the same thing on tooling for forming dies using a wood dowel rod diped in valve grinding compound. Course tool steel is a little tuffer.

It's "swirly-thinging."

yeah you guys got it right,Machine turning is whats its called.I saw it onthe military channel a few months ago after this post got going.They had the WW1 birds on it and sure enough in a english accent The narator called that style metal on the cowl machine turning. Good thing they didnt use it on machine guns...or they be ducking....lol Ive started a scratch built plane and im trying for a 3D style look to parts of it.
The picture with me holding a strap of wood on the rib is to show you how I intend to make an I-beam stle to the tops and bottoms with a 1/2 inch skin across the tips behind the leading edge.I want to seal the wood ribs and paint them chrome and use see through clear covering in that area.Im going to get things like a cowl and a canopy from Towers replacement parts to make it easier. not to change the subject,I just cant seem to navigate through "my account" area to find my old posts? I wish they would make that area easier to navigate. un less its just me..lol Ive been looking into trains too.Ebay has some nice deals on them.
My local shop's wife though didnt appreciate me bringing an engine in to be tested,nor did she like my skimpy buying..But at least im not like some of there dream customers who have them take expensive engines out of there packaging only to hold them and snap off some detail parts by accident.This happened the last time I was there....lol The guy looked homeless,I didnt know who to feel sorry for?vinny for his broken train or the guy who broke it..lol