My Alon was stripped of paint before I got it. With myself and a full load of fuel I get 130 pounds in the right seat. That said I know that painting will add 30 pounds to the aircraft empty weight.
I have mine about 1/2 polished. Mirror finish? NAH! I’m shooting for looks good at 20 feet.
In order to get the kind of shine you are looking for you are going to overall sand it with finer and finer aluminum oxide sandpaper till you are well into the wet & dry papers before you start polishing, and be very careful you don’t sand your rivet heads off.
I have tried a series of machines and polishing products. There is no magic wand. Just a whole lot of work. Get yourself a good respirator and some bunny suits (zip up painters suits) and try starting at Harbor Freight with a full sized angle grinder and 7 inch cotton polishing wheels and a couple sticks of rouge. Look at what the people who polish Airstreams, pontoon boats, and big rig truck fuel tanks recommend.
I’d say work opposite directions 3 times in an area 6” x 6” before wiping it all off with microfiber cloth before really looking at it. I talked with a guy who had the grand champion aircraft a Sun N Fun. He details out million dollar yachts as a full time job. He said you have to focus on one foot at a time. You can’t look at the entire job.
When the plasmonic paint becomes available, I will get my Alon painted.
www.sciencealert.com/scientists-create-w...-covers-a-boeing-747 
