[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=356152#p356152 said:great white » 17 Jun 2014, 17:42[/url]"]All aluminum will polish up nicely.
We used to polish the CT114 Tutor training jet when I was working on them way back when. The flight line was a dazzling line of shiny mirrors all summer long. You could tan just standing next to one!
But, we ended up having to stop polishing them when it was discovered that the constant buffing resulted in the aluminum becoming thinner and thinner (remember that we measure with micrometers, not rulers). They let them oxidize to the dull aluminum color (AL oxide) and then it stops.
Eventually, they were all painted silver with what we called "Mach 1 paint" since it would hold on at 400 KIAS.
I wonder if any of the boats here reach Mach 1?