3M Polish kit

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astaib
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3M Polish kit

Post by astaib »

Hello,

Did you ever use the 3M kits with the 3 different grades of polish (Green/Yellow/BLue)?

I'm about to buy this kit with the corresponding pads in order to polish my DA40.

I bought my plane almost 1 year ago (he is from 2001, but quite OK for the exterior), I polished it last year with a no name polish only one grade, and the result was quite OK just to have a more shiny aspect.

But I removed the old stripings and decals to make new ones, and I have the ghost traces of the old decals (normal).
Under the old decals it is very shiny and nice looking, and this is what motivates me to polish the complete surface to try to have this aspect back again.

Are you recommending this kit form 3M? Or another one?
What machine are you recommending to apply it? excentric? what RPM? etc?

As I'm in France, I might not be able to buy any US polish that are sold only in the USA.

Thank you very much for your help.

Arnaud.
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Arnaud
DA40 Star 180 / 40.026 / 2001
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vontresc
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Re: 3M Polish kit

Post by vontresc »

Check with the local glider pilots, and see what they use. I have used 3m finesse it on my Libelle in the past. Finesse it is the final step ultra fine polish, and it will remove the least amount of gel coat. Remember polish is abrasive. Unless you need to get the oxidation layer off, you may be better off with just a wax based solution.
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astaib
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Re: 3M Polish kit

Post by astaib »

Hello,

Gliders has gel coat when da40 are painted?
Am I wrong?

Arnaud.
Arnaud
DA40 Star 180 / 40.026 / 2001
Wingtip, landing and taxing LED (Whelen)
Skitube
GNS430 NON-WAAS
Steam gauges
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Don
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Re: 3M Polish kit

Post by Don »

astaib wrote: Wed Feb 06, 2019 4:53 pm Hello,

Gliders has gel coat when da40 are painted?
Am I wrong?

Arnaud.
I was told when on a factory tour in London that the Diamonds are painted with LP (linear polyurethane)
LP is also used in the marine industry when repainting fiberglass yachts. I know from my decades of boat ownership that LP is one of the most robust finishes one can apply. It weathers very well compared to gel coats.
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vontresc
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Re: 3M Polish kit

Post by vontresc »

astaib wrote: Wed Feb 06, 2019 4:53 pm Hello,

Gliders has gel coat when da40 are painted?
Am I wrong?

Arnaud.
Yeah never mind ;-)
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Lance Murray
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Re: 3M Polish kit

Post by Lance Murray »

My 2002 paint finish failed about 2010.
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astaib
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Re: 3M Polish kit

Post by astaib »

You mean that your painting was dead ?
After polishing ?

Was it sleeping outside ?
Arnaud
DA40 Star 180 / 40.026 / 2001
Wingtip, landing and taxing LED (Whelen)
Skitube
GNS430 NON-WAAS
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Scotsman58
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Re: 3M Polish kit

Post by Scotsman58 »

Further to this discussion -- I'm interested in the safest way to remove an old decal from my DA40. Not one of the decorative decals -- they still look ok -- but an old Connecticut state/town registration sticker. I've tried peeling and (very light) scraping but just can't get the bulk of it off. Is there any tool or chemical remover that won't harm my LP paint finish or the underlying surface?
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Rich
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Re: 3M Polish kit

Post by Rich »

Scotsman58 wrote: Mon Feb 11, 2019 5:47 pm Further to this discussion -- I'm interested in the safest way to remove an old decal from my DA40. Not one of the decorative decals -- they still look ok -- but an old Connecticut state/town registration sticker. I've tried peeling and (very light) scraping but just can't get the bulk of it off. Is there any tool or chemical remover that won't harm my LP paint finish or the underlying surface?
I've had luck removing these kinds of things by warming the sticker just by rubbing fast and hard with a bare hand and then peeling off.
2002 DA40-180: MT, PowerFlow, 530W/430W, KAP140, ext. baggage, 1090 ES out, 2646 MTOW, 40gal., Surefly, Flightstream 210, Orion 600 LED, XeVision, Aspen E5
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Re: 3M Polish kit

Post by BRS »

I changed my N numbers years ago. Took careful use of a heat gun and a plastic scraper. was a big job.
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