Ext. cleanup of a prev. polished long time sitter ?

[BabyBoomers]

Hi guys, thanks in advance for your help.

I have a '63 22 safari that has been sitting out in the woods in the same spot under a couple of scrub oaks in OK for 5+ years. It has green crap growing on it.

The guy I got it from told me that he remembers his Uncle (who he got it from) telling him that he spent most of one summer polishing it til it shined.

I need to clean it up a bit before I bring it home so the neighbors love it as much as we do. The PO gives me access to H20 and 120V. I took a spot clean shot with some Krud Kutter (KK - good stuff from HD/L if you have never used it) and a hose. The KK turned the stuff golden and ran down the sides and it washed off with H20, but still left bumps of green / black stuff on the surface. I really don't think it is that filaform stuff that you talk about. Next trip out there I cleaned it out and tried some NeverDull on the front quarter that I had spot washed the last time. I was amazed that the haze came off (lots of that black stuff) and polished up pretty nicely without a lot of work, except some of the stuff /spots that were still on the surface. They are hard to get off! but will come off. I also tried some IBIZ that I use on the motorcycle and I could shave in it! I noticed that it has very light horizontal strikes / scratches that really look like someone took it through a car wash. Ever seen that? The scratches, not someone taking it the car wash.

OK, now to the issue: how do I get the outside cleaned up and the stuff off? BTW it is not tree sap. I think maybe mold / mildew and pollen etc. I think I have read most of the threads and haven't seen anything like this. I have contemplated a few different things: KK again and a really soft scratch pad of some sort, oven cleaner and a scratch pad, kerosene, etc.

Yeah, I know you require pics and I found one after the spot wash and polish. Thanks again for your help.

BabyBoomers

[wasagachris]

Hi BB I'm in the middle of polishing rigth now. Don't use any abrasive pads or oven cleaner. It will leave scratches that you will fight to get out later.
To look at your trailer I find it hard to believe that it ever was polished.
The only way to avoid seroius scratches is too start with a soft micro fiber cloth and some polishing compound for aluminium.
A variable speed polisher with a cotton wool pad and compouding paste or cotton pads and compound bars is what you should start with. It will still have marks which should polish out later with a random orbital polisher. Here are a few links for you to look at for tools and materials.
Jestco Products Buffing Supply (Powered by CubeCart)

Nuvite Metal and Paint Polish - Aircraft,Trucks,RV's,Automotive Polish, Cleaner and Degreaser - Nuvite Aluminum Polish - Leather Cleaner Treatment

Polishing Instructions - Southern Antique

Home

Cyclo PolisherCyclo Polisher

DeWalt Variable Speed Polisher DW849

[nick6930]

The key is polish, polish and polish. The first swipe is to get the heavy stuff. Each time you polish the better it will get. Each year it gets better yet. Nuvite is great stuff but I would used it on the middle passes. I like using cheaper creams to get the first bit of crud off first. Order the cotton terry pads IN BULK you will use 100's them.

[BabyBoomers]

is non gender. Just saying ladies ... The other ONE in BabyBoomers reminded me that ...

[Melody Ranch]

Been there done that....and I'm sorry.
I would not have polished a spot. Now you are committed. And this is a job. The guys in Tulsa will come to your place and finish the job for you...if it comes to that. Now, lets see the inside. it looks real nice.

[BabyBoomers]

Originally Posted by Melody Ranch

Been there done that....and I'm sorry.
I would not have polished a spot. Now you are committed. And this is a job. The guys in Tulsa will come to your place and finish the job for you...if it comes to that. Now, lets see the inside. it looks real nice.

Yeah, your probably right, doing it there was not my best idea! But it really wasn't difficult at all ... and didn't take that long ... and I did it by hand ... so do we have a bunch of polishing whiners here or ... ?

I really need some in-put on what to use to wash the exterior and get that stuff off ...

And since wasagachris doesn't think it's ever been polished, are those horizontal marks mill marks or ... ?

Andy, Collin, others ?

[driftless]

I used a power washer to do the first cleaning of our AS. It had been sitting in a campground under some pine trees for the past six years. Just pay attention to the direction of the spray so you aren't forcing water under seams or moldings around the windows, door, etc. in case you have leaks (which are almost inevitable).

The horizontal marks could be the result of the previous owner using an improper technique when he polished the trailer, or could be from towing it through brush, trees, bushes, etc. Just guessing. But they can be polished out in most cases.

And yes, it seems there are those who don't believe polishing an AS is a worthwhile undertaking. But the truth is, some trailers will look like crap if they aren't polished. Mine is one of those.....

[wasagachris]

Hi BB I'm not a polishing whiner. I'm doing mine and not really enjoying the experience. the finished results however are fantastic. As far as it not ever being polished. It just looks all original unpolished. maybe I'm wrong I just didn't think it would reoxidize that much in a few years.
Are the horizontal marks regular and evenly spaced or do they look like random scratch marks. I'm no expert but as far as I know the 60's units didn't have a mill finish. Maybe some of the people in the know will chime in.

[BabyBoomers]

Originally Posted by wasagachris

Hi BB I'm not a polishing whiner. I'm doing mine and not really enjoying the experience. the finished results however are fantastic. As far as it not ever being polished. It just looks all original unpolished. maybe I'm wrong I just didn't think it would reoxidize that much in a few years.
Are the horizontal marks regular and evenly spaced or do they look like random scratch marks. I'm no expert but as far as I know the 60's units didn't have a mill finish. Maybe some of the people in the know will chime in.

Wasn't sayin that you in particular were a whiner !

The marks are very uniform in an un-uniform way. That's why I thought it looked like the marks from one of those car washes that had the little things spinning around that hung down but go horizontal when they spin and move around at the car wash. They do polish out. Thanks for the tips on the pressure washer. I have an electric one that is 1300 - 1500 psi that I use on the outside of the boat and the driveway / sidewalks and decks around the house. It's just enough pressure to blow things off and not to much that it blows the surface off the concrete or the pulp out of wood grain on the decks unless you stay in one spot to long. I sorta neglected the boat early last year and the PW worked great with a spray of KK to blow the mold off the boat decks last fall. I recommend these for home use v. the higher pressure gas ones. I'll try that and watch the direction of flow. No doubt it has leaks but I am hoping for a minimal amount since I think it has set for most of the last 20 years.

Yes, the axle is on my list ...

I thought that maybe it had been polished when it was so easy to do by hand. At this point I have done all of that first panel and the door within a door and it took a little over two hours with just some torn off pieces of NeverDull and an old bath towel. Those were the pics that I am having problems transferring by bluetooth from my phone to my computer. Next time I am out there I will remember to take the camera.

So at this point I am really committed and in over my head!

[safari62]

If you are going the polishing route it is best to leave it for last. And if you have read even a fraction of the polishing threads then you will find why this can be a difficult thing to keep up as time goes by.

And why many times it makes the trailer look worse than unpolished. here is another way to go:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f441...ish-72209.html

[Keyair]

Originally Posted by nick6930

Nuvite is great stuff but I would used it on the middle passes. I like using cheaper creams to get the first bit of crud off first.

What do you use instead of the Nuvite?

[OklaOverland]

Originally Posted by Melody Ranch

Been there done that....and I'm sorry.
I would not have polished a spot. Now you are committed. And this is a job. The guys in Tulsa will come to your place and finish the job for you...if it comes to that. Now, lets see the inside. it looks real nice.

Who are these Tulsa people you are refering to? I live in Tulsa and would love to know if there are local people that work on AS.

[Airwave503]

I had heavy oxidation and corrosion on my '61 Safari. I've tried a bunch of different techniques. I highly recommend using a sisal wheel to get to a mirror shine, then go to the rotary buffers and cyclo with polish.

The sisal wheel is far less expensive and messy than wool buffers with compound polish and way faster. Once you master the technique you can avoid leaving lines. Black bar is the coarsest, I just moved to Brown bar and it's working great...get's me right where the medium compounder does in terms of shine with way less mess and effort.

I'm wondering how you know when it's time to replace the sisal wheel though. After a while it starts leaving more behind. I tried "combing" it out a bit with a wire brush and that seemed to help.