Man, i HOPE these end caps polish up as nice as the new material looks. they have been sanded by the PO with what looks like 220 to remove white paint! (yep, somebody painted this trailer to look like an argosy!). once it's towable, i'm going to do some nuvite tests on the end caps to see what i can do.
Time for a beer!
Jordan,
The panels that were sanded with 220 will most likely clean up fine, if you sand them again with good quality wet sanding paper, grit 400 next, then 600, then 1000, then 2000. Make sure each step is done perfectly before proveeding to the next step. It goes really fast, btw.
I would not recommend polishing over a 220 grit sanded finish.
The panels that were sanded with 220 will most likely clean up fine...
i may try to work with them monday. the grand plan is to have the entire front buttoned up by tomorrow night. i think it's pretty reasonable, as i spent a good part of today learning the best way to (and NOT to) do things. i'm gonna save the back end for another weekend, and try to get it all knocked out at once, like the front. then another weekend for the lower sides, and another for the upper and roof... then the door. crap, i'm not gonna make ANOTHER to-do list. they get daunting, don't they?
how often do you recon you'll be polishing that trailer once it's done? i'm hoping for once a year. the last thing i want is a trailer i don't want to tow through a rain storm for fear of rain spots!
how often do you recon you'll be polishing that trailer once it's done? i'm hoping for once a year. the last thing i want is a trailer i don't want to tow through a rain storm for fear of rain spots!
jordan
Jordan
My neighbor bought a beautiful 59 traveller last year, polished to absolute perfection. Concourse quality! Now, one year later, the polish is completely gone.
My plan on my 1963 is to apply a clear coating over the polished finish. I experimented with it a little on some loose parts, and so far so good. It takes away about 10% of the depth from the shine, making it overall ever so slightly duller in appearance. But I will gladly accept that, over having to redo my trailer once a year. My Airstream body is 23ft long, which makes for a lot of work. If my metal was in better shape, I would just clear coat right over it.
The coating material is supposed to hold up for over 10 years on polished aluminum. Application and prepping is somewhat tricky, though. I'll give more information after having messed up a few more panels.
My neighbor bought a beautiful 59 traveller last year, polished to absolute perfection. Concourse quality! Now, one year later, the polish is completely gone.
Hi Uwe
Wow I would love to see photos of it then and now.
Can you post some?
I'll give more information after having messed up a few more panels.
i was thinking the same thing, actually. the roof of ours is still white from the PO, and i had thought about leaving it for durability... but i hate the look of a white roof on the older bodies, even though you can't really see it. i'm definitely interested in what you find out for clear coating apollished body, though. i'm building this thing to look good, yes... but i want to enjoy it, too!
plus, if i get that barn built and store the pickle inside, i bet the clear would last significantly longer.
are you planning on shooting it yourself? or have someone else do it?
i was thinking the same thing, actually. the roof of ours is still white from the PO, and i had thought about leaving it for durability... but i hate the look of a white roof on the older bodies, even though you can't really see it. i'm definitely interested in what you find out for clear coating apollished body, though. i'm building this thing to look good, yes... but i want to enjoy it, too!
Me, too. It's a 10 year solution, which is fine for me. After 10 years, it might fail, it might not, we'll see. I might actually do the center section of the roof in white, and then clear coat over it. I don'tmind the small white section. It is supposed to keep the metal cooler. It would be invisible from below.
Quote:
Originally Posted by A-Merry-Can
plus, if i get that barn built and store the pickle inside, i bet the clear would last significantly longer.
are you planning on shooting it yourself? or have someone else do it?
jordan
Inside storage is key for eveything around an Airstream. I stored my Tradewind first inside, then outside. The difference is mind boggling.
I might shoot the clear coating myself. I got a small spray gun for just this reason. My friend Murray ( Creampuff on the forums) is a much better painter than me, and we might trade labor to do both his and my trailers at the same time. He will be doing all the painting, while I get the pizza and beer.
Front Skin Replacement: Day 2. Even more progress today. I started by finishing up the small vertical strip next to the door, clecoing every single hole to address a small buckle i was afraid might show up. It didnt! I think the trick is definitely to put a fastener in every hole when you are placing the panel, and drilling the initial holes.
Next up was the right side. same process, half the time. Things go a lot quicker the second time around. I went ahead and cut the front panel to height, and put it in position for tomorrow. All thats left is the one panel and the front is all buttoned up.
One screw-up for today. i CANT believe i did this, but in an effort to keep the right side panel down for yesterdays rivets, i had drilled about 8 of the holes for the rivets in the vertical piece where it meets the nose. the problem was, that piece wasnt lined up correctly, and it left a nice row of rivet holes that work themselves out from behind the finished nose panel! (see last pic) ARG! how many times to i have to hear MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE, STUPID! (one MORE time, i guess). CRAP!
A poor craftsman makes mistakes, a good one learns how to cover them up. So, Im planning on fashioning some sort of bracket to cover up the bad run of holes. its not too terribly long. maybe a total of 10 inches. Im thinking a solid aluminum flag pole mount, antennae or something along those lines... I WONT MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN! i'm open to other suggestions.
forgot to add a finished pic. here it is. i couldn't resist adding the name-plate (from airstream dreams). it really looks sharp! i was quite impressed with the quality of the product. time to put my order in with them for marker lights, i think. this weekend, i'm planning on starting on the back right corner before we head off to Reno.
i'm puttin it all on Black... daddy needs some 2024.....
Its been a while since i made any entries. Ive been traveling a bit. Reno was nice. made me wish i had the Silver Pickle done. Airstreams and deserts just seem to go together somehow... that, and polished aluminum planes from the 50s. Back to work.
I got the rear end of the trailer almost completely done in a day, thanks to my friend Adam. We started around 10am, and riveted until dinner time. great progress, though! everything is looking really cool. MUCH smoother than the front, thanks to lessons learned. I like the clean look of the rear end, and have decided NOT to reinstall the original access hatch. in fact, i am working on a plan for the rear structural ribs to minimize visible rivets (I wish i had thought of this on the front, but the tanks will kinda cover that area). It looks SO streamlined without those nasty rectangular <previous owner> tail light additions. My plan for tail lights is to get some Bargman #9s from Airstream Dreams, and try to retrofit a 4 LED tail light assembly into it. I have been unable to locate the back fixture to the 9s anywhere, and thought it better to use the trim rings, and possibly the lenses, then drop in a sealed fixture. Retro looks, modern conveniences. Its what this trailer is becoming all about. Im still up in the air a little about it, but Ive got plenty of time!
While I was at it, i decided to re-stretch a portion of the belly pan i wasnt 100% happy with. everything is really looking like something now.
Next up, the sides. Im going to start with the street side (since its easier), then tackle the door side, and FINALLY the door. The side panels on the street side are exactly 8 feet, and the 2024 comes in exactly 8 foot sheets. Ill have to rip them down a bit, but at least the 4 exposed edges will be factory sheared cuts. Very clean!
After the skins on, i think im going to replace all the rivets in the end-caps, and re-seal them. Ive come this far, why not? The LAST thing i need is a leaky skin! When i was popping the lower panels, there was almost NO sign of sealer on the endcaps at all. That can't be good.
slow and steady, i guess. but FALL'S HERE! and i wanna GO somewhere! i think after i get the outter skins and door done, we're going to take it camping, just for fun. i'll be a "tin can tourist" in every sense of the word. no interior walls, nothing but those crappy magnetic trailer lights stuck on the bumper... i bet it'll tow like it isn't even there.
slow and steady, i guess. but FALL'S HERE! and i wanna GO somewhere! i think after i get the outter skins and door done, we're going to take it camping, just for fun. i'll be a "tin can tourist" in every sense of the word. no interior walls, nothing but those crappy magnetic trailer lights stuck on the bumper... i bet it'll tow like it isn't even there.
ahhh, the lure of the outdoors.
Kind of like a hard sided tent. Better than no shelter at all, and it gives you some gratification for the alll the hard work you have done.
I think that's a great idea to stay motiveted and not burn out on the project.
Should have done this myself this summer. I am too much of a perfectionist though, dangit.
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