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Astrodokk · 08-05-2003, 09:58 AM

TT:

Patent your "system" before Airstream, Inc. does.

trailertrash · 08-05-2003, 12:17 PM

I can't understand some folks....

Anyway- as I offered before all the negativity over this great product arose- I don't want any profit from this stuff, and I buy it for below wholesale- the site lists it at $13, and I'm able to buy it at $3.50 plus shipping, a case of 36 costs me $135 plus the shipping charges. I just ordered an extra 2 cases for myself- even after the botched "trial by hand" ordeal.

I need someone to distribute it- I don't have time to ship it out, and am leaving soon for europe. I'll front it out for cost to whoever can be entrusted to re-ship it out to members and collect the money and place it in my bank account while I'm gone. I had an offer from someone and can't remember who, but they would need to be able to box and ship from their work without too much trouble. I'll send them out the 2 cases and get more for myself. If it doesn't all sell, they can return it and I'll pay for all the shipping to and from.

I told flyfshr that it would take him about 2-3 bottles to do his trailer and he said "gimme 6 bottles" so I assume that many will do the same.
I also think that people will want the 3M pads and should go to lewismarine.com and get set up to order them from there- if you can't find them locally. If I was a single trailer owner and wanted to start off with them, I'd order 1 coarse wool pad, and 2 soft wool pads, and probably 2-3 foam pads. That will hold you for a long time- you wash them out and spin them dry on your buffer and allow them to sit over night. The ones I used on FF's TW were washed out at least 6 or more times. The softer ones wear down, as they'll "shed" as you use them.

And pick out whatever buffer/grinder you want, and just make sure its variable speed. The Harbor Freight buffer is going to fall apart after awhile, but it only costs $50, and they get trashed anyway because of the mud from the polish. TBKP's OL has a Makita, and every major tool manufacturer makes one. Choose whatever you like. I'm still working on the extra cash for an Airmark- about a G, but well worth it when you have as much ahead of you as I do, and get the results it affords- plus it works anywhere you have 20 cfm air pressure- and I'm in Europe half the time, so it makes a lot of sense.

It'll be nice to see folks drivin around in nice shiny trailers that doesn't take 100 hours to polish. I think based on what he saw last night, FF thinks he can accomplish a nice shine in about 8-10 more hours, and I hope all that use this great product enjoy it, and make better use of the free time it provides.

I'll start a thread on wet sanding if any need more info on the subject.

......Peace

JPAIRSTREAM · 08-05-2003, 12:20 PM

Wow great looking from the pictures..

Do you have more that can be sent at other angles? are there swirl marks etc.

I plan on stripping mine here in about 2 oe 3 weeks and will be doing a clean up or full polish... if you have more photos you can e-mail me it would be great FLY...

Thanks in advanced. I will send my e-mail later if you would be so kind......

flyfshr · 08-06-2003, 10:48 PM

I'll post more pic's this weekend when there's better lighting during the day as I am at work most of the day. Look for them this weekend. I can't wait for my shipment to arrive and cooler weather.

FF

smily · 08-07-2003, 05:07 AM

have watched this thread for some time now and I have only one question, (with open mind I might add).

Are there any swirl marks when you are done?

The selling point of the cyclo is "no swirl marks"

Smily

trailertrash · 08-07-2003, 06:16 AM

The claim of no swirls from a cyclo are not true, judging from what I saw- it had tight little nasty swirls and no real shine on that section FF had already done. It actually made it harder to work with and remove than the untouched section I did with SS.

I can warn any who want to use a cyclo, that you are opening up a very time consuming, tedious, and far less rewarding. can of worms when it comes to polishing your trailer.

If you pay yourself just $10 and hour, times the 100 or so hours you'll spend toiling with that toy- it quickly becomes logical to spend the money on an Airmark and get it done faster and better- especially when you have to do it over and over in the future, and can save even more time.

Swirls are removed in any revolutionary process by buffing with lighter abrasive compounds and pads. A foam pad or softer wool pad will work fine with a lighter polish, and that process takes about half the time of the first application.

I have the feeling that after about 10 "honest" people have tried this the normal way- the cyclo's will be hitting Ebay in force.

nds · 08-07-2003, 06:44 AM

"I'll start a thread on wet sanding if any need more info on the subject. Hopefully that one won't result in a public outcry for my head..."

TT, I've searched all the posts pertaining to Southern Shine and haven't been able to find the one where you actually go through your polishing procedure or the steps that you take.

Would it be asking too much for you to post this one more time or at least link to that post that you said you previously described this?

It looks like you've convinced my friend on thiis product and since he's never polished a trailer using any method, he'd like to know the steps you take. Thanks in advance.

JPAIRSTREAM · 08-08-2003, 08:39 AM

WET SANDING

IS THIS THE THREAD YOU ARE LOOKING FOR?

nds · 08-08-2003, 09:02 AM

No. TT has previously said he posted his steps or procedure for actually polishing the trailer using Southern Shine (once all the stripping of clear coat and surface prep work is done).

What pads to use, etc.

I remember seeing it one time but, can't find it now. Even using the search option.

He doesn't need to retype it all, if he remembers what post it was in. Just link to it from this one.

TBKP's Overlander · 08-09-2003, 12:12 PM

TrailerTrash just came by and spent a few hours over here. I'd have to say that I am impressed.

I have had my trailer for about a year and have been working on polishing for a year off and on. First I started stripping with Aircraft Stripper. Then I tried to get by using a friends Sears car buffer. It helped but was FAR from perfect.

I decided to get a compund polisher and Nuvite. I have made one pass with the Nuvite/7 inch Coumpounder combo. It hade a huge difference. There were many swirls but it was almost mirror like. My digital camera isn't downloading right now so I will take some pictures with my conventional camera to show you what I have done. It looks nice and I think I know what I am talking about.

TrailerTrash came by and hit a spot on the roof that I only had stripped. In no time this spot looked better and didn't seem to have any swirls. The Nuvite that I had been using (grade C and F7) leave smaller scratches that the Souther Shine doesn't. Probably the grade S Nuvite would take them out, but the Southern Shine doesn't put them in to begin with.

The southern shine is cheaper, better and faster than what I have doing. Nuvite can do a good job but it is more money and much slower.

We also did some wet sanding that nearly took out some heavy scratches. We used 600 folled with 1200 and then polished. It polished up very nice. I need to hit it a little more with the sand paper. The sanding took out the pitting from the rocks that hit it while towing. Don't be afraid to sand!

You can buy the Pads at Lewismarine.com. The pad are 9 inch and are superior to the pads that I have been using. You need to course and soft pads. He said since I did a lot of work with the nuvite I need 1 course and 2 soft. You can get the pads with a backer plate (hookit is the name I think) or double sided pad that has some type of plate built into it (2+2 it is called). The hookit plate is part #5717 and the course pad is 5711 and soft is 5713. The 2+2 with out the plate the course is 5701 and the soft is 5705. Or maybe 5710 was the couse 2+2. Check out the website.

I'll post post some pics soon.

montanaandy · 08-09-2003, 06:02 PM

Has anyone taken over the distribution of the SS that TT purchased? I would be interested in several bottles (enough to polish a 31') if it is available at a fair price.

Montanaandy

Silver Bullet · 08-09-2003, 07:06 PM

At the NM-TX border. Plenty of room to camp over if you want, hook-ups included, (less sewer). The challange is a '62 Overlander, no CC. PM or EM me if your still in this area.

Oscar

trailertrash · 08-09-2003, 08:53 PM

TBKP's OL will attest to the fact that we used ALL of what I had- which wasn't much to start with. I didn't head out expecting to prove this stuff worked- I didn't know it was going to be such a controversy.

I appreciate FF and TBKP for allowing me to test it on their trailers, to show everyone there is another way, and it doesn't require the "journeys and destinations and art" its just a simple way that we can do it ourselves and have a great result without hiring someone and investing money we don't have.

I hope this proves I'm NOT a liar- plain and simple...

Creampuff · 08-09-2003, 09:34 PM

a buck a bottle and let's help TT get his Airmark.
I'm in for 6 as soon as we have a distributor.Anyone wanna buy my cyclo?
(comes with 2 unused jars of Nuvite)

trailertrash · 08-10-2003, 12:03 AM

For the thought 'puff, but I'll do OK- I don't know how long and how much we can sell for cost before it gets to be too heavy for the shipper.

I tried to get Steve from A/S Dreams to handle it and called him, but haven't heard back. If and when he ever does, he'll obviously want profit- he's in business, but will be a good reliable source, and should even consider getting the 3M line to offer a package for the people who want one stop shopping for all the associated products.

Even at retail- the 3 bottles necessary to polish most trailers cost the same as one tub of Nuvite. I think I only used 2 on my 1958 FC, and it was never polished- looked terrible.

Hopefully we'll hear from Steve. Or someone else will pick it up and run with it in the future that will be more business oriented- I just wanted to help people get it done easier...

I just bought an early 1950-ish FC in Blythe, and all I thought when I looked at it was- "damn! I wish I had another bottle with me to get started!" ....Its that easy!

.....Peace

austreampete · 08-10-2003, 09:03 AM

Hello: My vote is to reinstate the original thread about the much controversed south'n shine. The others obviously conspired to get one man a job polishing others trailers, and in the process appear to have attacked and trashed TT's credibility and that of the product. I didn't participate but watched and read, and that thread ended up with almost 2400 views- prior to The Windy City Thug Gangsta Diaper Rash Gang beating him up verbally and telling him to stick- what now looks to be a great polish- "up his south'n end" (???) Not very nice talk indeed!

I, for one, applaud TT for standing up for himself and what he believed in and knew was right. I'll certainly doubt that the Chicago plan will work since TT has "hit the road" and shown what can be done easily to avoid hiring these guys to spend, well, how long has it been for this "journey" they are referring to? I certainly will laugh hard if Bruno hires them to come to France for 2 months to polish his trailer. They'll go home broke at the current dollar to euro exchange rate- maybe thats the lesson they deserve for attacking and trashing people who try to help.

Good on ya TT! You should feel good about what you've done and not fear these fellows- obviously had a plan for employment at your expense. Peter

flyfshr · 08-10-2003, 09:39 AM

Here's more photos of the SS polished area. There aren't any swirl marks, upclose or from a distance. Of course the pits and marks in the surface of the aluminum really stand out with the shine accenting them.

FF

flyfshr · 08-10-2003, 09:41 AM

Another photo. This one shows the imperfections in the skin but it shines like a new dime. Keep in mind, the reflection is blurry because the focus on the camera was set on automatic and it read the distance to the skin of the trailer and not the images in the street that are further away.

FF

flyfshr · 08-10-2003, 09:43 AM

Here's another. I wish TT would get home so he can send the SS. I want to get busy shinin'

FF

wildcat455 · 08-10-2003, 10:23 AM

ok, I'm sold. I polished my Overlander with the Rolite pre-polish and a Dewalt Polisher. Worked great, but was a lotta work. Lucky for me my 18 yr old needed money and was available for most of the heavy stuff. I haven't done the next 2 stages, of polish, but after reading these posts doubt I will. I want the SS. If for no other reason than the easier clean up it would be worth it. My pads were constantly loaded up with gunk, had to soak over night, dry, get re fluffed, what a mess. Polish a day, clean a day. I know nothing is easy, but I will accept easier! Put me down for 3 bottles, 2 for now, and 1 for next year's touch up. Mike