Aircraft Metal Polish and Preservation Jobs: What You Should Know

One of the best ways to get the most out of your aircraft metal polish is to tackle a good solid preservation job. Metal preservation jobs can be an exciting way to see just how far your metal polish can go to get that clean brightwork shine that makes for a job well done.
Many professional polish businesses use a trusted metal polish to ensure that every preservation job turns out top quality. With proper selection of a reliable polish, lots of time and a little elbow grease, every metal preservation job can yield excellent results.

Types of Metal Preservation Jobs

Preserving metal is a unique endeavor like no other. The depth of satisfaction that can come from restoring an aging family heirloom or giving an junked vehicle a new life can be priceless.
Many of these type of projects are rooted in a desire to carefully preserve the texture, look and feel of historical objects and valuables. For instance, many of the aircraft that have made history in the past are preserved and restored for special display at air shows trade shows or for local museums and other exhibits.
Family heirlooms and antiques are yet another category of historic metal preservation. These objects can be located in attics and basements, found underground or even under sea often in conditions that is well below their value. With the help of quality metal polishing and unique preservation techniques, these items get a new life and can be dramatically renewed to their original shine and luster.

Famous Metal Preservation Jobs

A few of the most famous metal preservation jobs can be excellent sources of inspiration for your own work. Antiquarians, who have historically had a strong following in Europe, Canada and the U.S. since the mid 17th century, were the first to really formalize the practice of metal preservation as an art form and since then, it has figured prominently in historical restoration projects large and small.
Some of the most famous aircraft metal preservation projects take place at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia. This museum specialized in preserving and restoring historic military aircraft and has completed countly preservation projects since opening its doors in 2005. The museum now has one of the largest collections of military aircraft in flying condition.

Tips for Metal Preservation Jobs

Incidentally, many of the most simple metal preservation jobs can be done at home with a quality metal polish. The best things to remember about these projects is to allow patient hard work to guide you as you carefully remove top metal layers to coax a good shine forward.
Where’s the best place to start with a metal preservation job? Cleaning. That’s right. A quality metal preservation job begins with doing a great cleaning job to remove surface film, dust, dirt, grime and debris. Skimping on this step can cause later steps to yield less than ideal results.
Next, metal preservation always involves some degree of altering the top layer of metal to cut through the dents nicks and scrapes that has the metal in a state that needs improvement. For most at-home jobs this step can be addressed with sandpaper. The courser the sandpaper the smoother the surface.
This step is similar to the cutting methods used to polish aircraft. However, with aircraft metal, technicians may employ the use of a tools and methods beyond sandpaper. This may include cutting compounds of various grades and levels that attack the surface of the metal to skim the top layer until all nicks, dents and abrasions are removed or smoothed to a level grade.

Selecting the Best Metal Polish for Preservation Jobs

It’s important to note that the best result for a metal preservation job can easily boil down to whether or not the best metal polish has been selected. Metal polish factors in as one of the most important considerations in the metal preservation process because it’s often the main ingredient for success.
Most preservation jobs require removal of some of the worst, and toughest, forms of corrosion and damage around. That’s because many of the jobs involve conditions that have built up over time, increasing the changes in the metal that make the preservation process necessary in the first place. It take serious time and effort to complete the process in a satisfactory way, and it takes patience to see the job all the way through to completion.
However, some of the time and effort expended can be reduced or at least made worthwhile with proper selection of the best metal polish for the job. When selecting a metal polish it’s important to consider the type of metal being preserved, the type of damage the metal has and the amount of time the piece has been exposed to damaging conditions.
Each of these factors can significantly affect which metal polish is best to use for a metal preservation job.
Once the selection of metal polish has been decided, it’s time to focus on the best technique for application. Depending on the type of metal piece involved, a buffing tool may be the best route. Keep in mind there are a number of buffing tools to choose from, each with their own unique set of benefits and advantages. Here again, the type of metal being preserved can be a significant factor in choosing the best buffer for the job since some metals are tougher than others and respond better to certain buffing tools and techniques.
Always check the user’s manual and guides included with your buffing tools for special tips on the best ways to use the tool as well as any specific precautions or instructions regarding the types of metal that work well with the tool. Doing so can go a long way in enhancing the quality of the preservation job and could even save you time and money in the long run.

Getting the Most Out of Metal Preservation

It’s important to keep in mind that not all metal preservation jobs require tools to yield quality results. Some of the best metal preservation comes from simply choosing the right polish for the job and patiently hand polishing until the process yields the level of shine and restoration that is desired.