Um, where's my endcap aluminum? (57 SOTR)

[A-Merry-Can]

i think people mix and match the terms. polishing the inside cap looks awesome, but kills my back avter craning around with a 7 poind polisher in my hands for an hour... plus, it is REALLY dirty work! (depending on your polishing method, of course). i start with a buffing wheel for the initial cut, do 2 passes, then switch to the 8" wool pad and Nuvite for the BLING.

jp

[asta2]

Originally Posted by A-Merry-Can

i think people mix and match the terms. polishing the inside cap looks awesome, but kills my back avter craning around with a 7 poind polisher in my hands for an hour... plus, it is REALLY dirty work! (depending on your polishing method, of course). i start with a buffing wheel for the initial cut, do 2 passes, then switch to the 8" wool pad and Nuvite for the BLING.

jp

Well, we won't have to worry about that, since there's NO METAL there!

I just have no desire for Zolotone.


b

[59toaster]

Originally Posted by asta2

Well, we won't have to worry about that, since there's NO METAL there!

I just have no desire for Zolotone.


b

That was our original thought as well. Most of the interior of our coach is not 2024 T3 Alcad (the stuff that really polishes up nice like the exterior). It is a lower grade and by hand it has not taken a good polish. I am waiting to see how JP's polish comes out and reevaluate. If it comes out good then we may try to piece in the end caps. I would love the easy clean up of a wax job once a year so I have hope that it comes out good.

[A-Merry-Can]

i'm only doing the end caps, not the sides... those are gonna be maple. maybe before xmas i can have something together to look at.

jp

[muddy_hollow]

So what stripper have folks been using to get off zolatone? I've not started mine, but I plan on taking the zolatone down to bare and then having it re-shot with new zolatone. The polished look is great and I love it, but for the amount of time I spent polishing the outside... I'm not about to double my pleasure.

BTW, my end caps on my 56 are aluminum.

Has any used the Ralph Lauren River Rock finish before? I was in HD a couple weeks ago and noticed this stuff. Looks very similar to zolatone and for someone looking for a quick alternative to zolatone or just less expensive, this stuff might be an option.

Here's a link:

http://rlhome.polo.com/rlhome/produc...ms.asp?haid=75

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by muddy_hollow

So what stripper have folks been using to get off zolatone? I've not started mine, but I plan on taking the zolatone down to bare and then having it re-shot with new zolatone. The polished look is great and I love it, but for the amount of time I spent polishing the outside... I'm not about to double my pleasure.

BTW, my end caps on my 56 are aluminum.

Has any used the Ralph Lauren River Rock finish before? I was in HD a couple weeks ago and noticed this stuff. Looks very similar to zolatone and for someone looking for a quick alternative to zolatone or just less expensive, this stuff might be an option.

Here's a link:

http://rlhome.polo.com/rlhome/produc...ms.asp?haid=75

The Zolotone that you have is about the best primer you can have.

Don't remove it.

Sand it down very well with 120 to 150 grit sandpaper.

Don't scuff it, but sand it.

Feather sand any missing areas.

Then simply spray the new Zolotone over the old.

If you remove it or even try, because it won't be easy, you will have to prime the walls. It's already done for you.

Make kife simple.

Andy

[59toaster]

Originally Posted by muddy_hollow

So what stripper have folks been using to get off zolatone? I've not started mine, but I plan on taking the zolatone down to bare and then having it re-shot with new zolatone. The polished look is great and I love it, but for the amount of time I spent polishing the outside... I'm not about to double my pleasure.

BTW, my end caps on my 56 are aluminum.

Has any used the Ralph Lauren River Rock finish before? I was in HD a couple weeks ago and noticed this stuff. Looks very similar to zolatone and for someone looking for a quick alternative to zolatone or just less expensive, this stuff might be an option.

Here's a link:

http://rlhome.polo.com/rlhome/produc...ms.asp?haid=75

Yeah we had eyed that as well.

If you plan to paint and the zolotone is not already painted over....stick with it like andy said.

Unfortunately our coach had 3-4 coats of very sloppily applied paint. Runs every where. We had not choice but to strip so we could get back to a smooth surface. It was a TON of work.

[asta2]

Originally Posted by 59toaster

Unfortunately our coach had 3-4 coats of very sloppily applied paint. Runs every where. We had not choice but to strip so we could get back to a smooth surface. It was a TON of work.

Diito, plus we had the possibility of toxins absorbed into the paint - better to just go down to bare and start over. The soda-blasting is done BTW, and reportly looks great, we'll go to get it this weekend - considering the time and chemical exposure I'd have had to endure to do it myself, I think it was money well spent.

Sean

[scottanlily]

My trdwnd has the interior painted a funny beigish sorta color,done in the 60s
as the previouse owner had all kinds of documents and even the paint lable
with the color in a drawer.I can open up the overhead bins and see the original zolatone ,its cool ,but I don't want to strip my interior unless i had to do a major rehab ,luckily I did not .Im betting that since the original interiors
were zolatone ,they saved money using the lesser grades of aluminum sheets.
Bet they never figured we would be polishing it up .

Scott of scottanlily

[muddy_hollow]

They PO painted over the zolatone with latex so I'm pretty sure I'll have to take it to bare.

In terms of soda blasting they did the entire inside? I was considering picking up a portable soda blaster, but I would be curious what the cost was for having the interior done.

The other option is to re-skin the inteior. Use the original parts as a pattern. The only thing would be then end caps would need to be stripped and the entire inside re-coated.

Doug

[A-Merry-Can]

i painted our house hallway withthe sand paint stuff. painting it on is tricky. it gotta all be wet, or you see the line. that has me scared of ever touching it up... it does seem to be really durable, though. i think we painted the hall maybe 4 years ago, and it still looks great. it feels like sand paper when you drag a knuckle across it running to the front door, though.

jp

[asta2]

Originally Posted by A-Merry-Can

i painted our house hallway withthe sand paint stuff. painting it on is tricky. it gotta all be wet, or you see the line. that has me scared of ever touching it up... it does seem to be really durable, though. i think we painted the hall maybe 4 years ago, and it still looks great. it feels like sand paper when you drag a knuckle across it running to the front door, though.

jp

You know, the whole scratchy thing is one of the reasons I don't like that kind of paint - and the dust catching ability.

When we finally decide on whatever surface Rosie will have, it will be a smooth one that doesn't "grab" dust and hold it. And it will be something I can easily wipe down. I *really* don't like bumpy surfaces.

b

[A-Merry-Can]

i think a smoother finish would be nicer. when i get around to redoing the globe trotter's interior i plan on a nice sage green in semigloss, for easy clean-up, and touch up, should i need to drill out any rivets.

jp

[asta2]

My sodablasting guy has posted pictures of his work on Rosie on his website:

http://gallery.nutechsodablasting.co...?g2_itemId=952

if the link goes astray, just go to the main site, go to "gallery", and search for "airstream"


Bridget


p.s. the weird looking patch above where the fridge used to be (next to the door) is going to be removed, therefore we didn't have him blast it