'63 Bambi with a sanded exterior. Am I doomed?

[Aage]

Jim,

None of your image "attachments" worked; the links all give dead ends.

You need to use the other method you were using at first, or use an "image warehouse" site to post a link.

[Trestrey]

Originally Posted by Dyoung59

Looks like they used a 80 grit sandpaper, you will have to do this in stages use a 180 grit on an area then go to a 320 grit then a 1500.just keep going to a finer grit til you get the slicker looking metal.

I wasn’t planning on starting with anything as rough as 180 grit, but if you think that’s the way to go, I will start there. My approach was going to be:

Final Scuff with Scotch Bright pad, then 600, 800, 1000, 2000, then 3 stage Nuvite Compound/polishing.



I spend most of the weekend pulling the windows, and stripping them of lots of spray paint on the exterior, and interior paint on the inside. I used Citristrip and a Scotch Bright pad to get the frames clean.




The windows are now looking much better! A few of the frames fell apart pretty easily, after pulling them off the trailer. The POs had used various methods of fixing the frames in the past, from using angle-brackets with screws, to screwing directly into the corner of the frame. In any event, I am planning on getting these looking totally brand new, then bonding the corners with Loctite Metal Epoxy. Loctite Epoxy Metal / Concrete from Loctite Adhesives Let me know if something else would work better.




The windows came out pretty easily, as the PO had re-installed the windows using steel screws. As I got them out, I started to think I will run into issues with the screw holes left in the frames. Will I have to use a larger or longer buck rivet to account for the oversizing that the screws caused? I am replacing some of the panels on the side, so I can drill 1/8” holes in those places, but in the front and back, I will have to use some of the old, potentially oversized holes again. In addition, I feel like I should prep those holes before starting the riveting. My current plan of attack is to lightly clean the screw holes of metal burrs n such with a Dremel, so the rivets seat cleanly.



Also, long these lines, there are a number of screw holes in the front and back end cap areas, just above the windows, where someone went off screwing holes in it. Any recommendations on filling these holes? I was thinking of pulling the old pop rivets, and just bucking a bunch of buck rivets into the holes to fill them, or potentially riveting in a reinforcement piece of aluminum in behind where all the holes are, just to beef the area up.



Thanks again for all of your feedback. Hearing from everyone makes me feel much more comfortable making all my moves. Thanks!

Jim

[Trestrey]

Originally Posted by Aage

Jim,

None of your image "attachments" worked; the links all give dead ends.

You need to use the other method you were using at first, or use an "image warehouse" site to post a link.

Thank you, Sir! I spent a while on that original reply, then when I tried to publish it, it disappeared, so I just re-wrote the whole thing. Anyway, you can see my revisionist's version of the original post, with the intended pictures, just before this one. Sorry for any confusion. You can delete the reply with all the failed links, if you are able to. Thanks for the heads up!

Jim

[Aage]

Originally Posted by Trestrey

Thank you, Sir! I spent a while on that original reply, then when I tried to publish it, it disappeared, so I just re-wrote the whole thing. Anyway, you can see my revisionist's version of the original post, with the intended pictures, just before this one. Sorry for any confusion. You can delete the reply with all the failed links, if you are able to. Thanks for the heads up!

Jim

You're quite welcome, and I removed the post as you suggested.

[cdmagda]

I used wet sanding on heavily oxidized/ scratched areas on the 55 FC. Depending on what grit they used, you will need to gradually increase the grit to remove the previous finish. I found that I needed to go as high as 1500 grit to be able to polish it out with an aggressive compounded grease type grey bar (maybe F9 would work, I don't know). This requires a lot of patients, loads of effort, and hundreds of hours for a whole trailer, even a trailer your size. At this point in the trailer restoration, I would concentrate on the structure and interior sheet replacement. The finish is the last thing to do on these projects. Pick at it as you find time, but there are tons of things to do prior to the ext. finish.

[J. Morgan]

I wouldn't begin to wet sand an Airstream without a air powered water feeding dual action sander.

3M makes soft sanding disks ranging from 1,000 grit to 3,000 grit that work very well. They aren't cheap at about $5 a pop, but they last quite a long time when compared to regular paper.

[cdmagda]

Concerning the front and back windows with the rivets galore, you could put the fifties style aluminum drip cap over the two windows to cover the rivets.

[Trestrey]

Thanks for all the feedback.

I am in the process of replacing a number of panels, as we speak. In the end, only the end caps and the top center roof panel will remain original. It has been going very well.

I have also restored all the windows, and am prepping them for new glass. I am going to use scratch Resistant Lexan for all of them. I have brazed two of the broken windows back together, and have two more to do.

I am replacing the door's panels as well. I am going to get rid of the existing window on the door, and just have it be blank. I might put a cool peep hole on the door. We will see.

I hope to have the entire exterior sealed up (new panels, windows and door) completed by June 15, 2014. I will post some pics when it is done.

Thanks for the advice on sanding. I am interested in the 3M sanding wheels. Sounds like a good time-saver item.

Cheers,

Jim