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Safari Tim · 10-11-2003, 08:49 PM

Hope you have a good trip Vern. Have fun showing off your efforts!!

Can't wait to hear your stories.

I got a couple of hours in today. Just kept compounding since its what I do best

43.5 hours so far....

Here's a pic. Still have below the belt line to do...

53flyingcloud · 10-11-2003, 08:57 PM

Safari Tim,

In a WORD, "WOW~!
lOOKING MIGHTY NICE~
I know you're very proud of the results of your efforts~
thanks again...
see ya~
ciao

Silvertwinkie · 10-11-2003, 09:00 PM

Damn nice job!

Eric

Safari Tim · 10-13-2003, 10:09 PM

Don't mind me, just making my diary entry since everyone else is done or gone

I am out of F7. So I decided to go over the curbside again with the compounder and Nuvite C to help cut the compounding scratches left by the F7.

I'm going to order some more F7 and try to cyclo again.

Still have both ends the the very top to do

flyfshr · 10-14-2003, 07:33 AM

Hey Tim - I'm not either done or gone. In fact, I'm a long way from done. Got the trailer out from under the trees this weekend and had an opportunity to photograph it in the sun. I got this far with three bottles of SS. Not lasting as long as I hoped. A friend and I ordered a whole case direct because we have three trailers to polish. Here's one of the latest pic's.

PS: Tim - why is your avatar license place from NM and you're from CA? Always wondered.

Safari Tim · 10-14-2003, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by flyfshr
PS: Tim - why is your avatar license place from NM and you're from CA? Always wondered.

Well, I bought the trailer from a guy in northern CA, who got it in NM and never registered it here.

It was just the most interesting picture I had at the time. I'll probably update it after I get the polishing done. If I ever get done

Yours is looking quite nice btw. Keep up the good work.

How many hours would you say you have into it?

rluhr · 10-14-2003, 03:34 PM

You guys in California and other warm climates have an unfair advantage!

My polishing season is pretty much over, except for a few days of Indian Summer. Gotta spend the next few warm/dry opportunities getting everything buttoned up for the long winter.

But since I'm planning to take the little trailer down to FL this winter, perhaps I'll bring my polishing tools along ... just in case I find a few free minutes ...

-- RL

nellie the elephant · 10-14-2003, 04:22 PM

FYI-
I did all my compounding (unit from Harbor Freight-super cheap)with the "C" Grade Nuvite, and then followed that with the cyclo with "C" again. "C" Grade tends not to break down as easily when compounding. After the cyclo to remove swirl marks, I cyclo'd again with the "S". Once I discovered this process, it went pretty fast...but I ate up three days of "learning curve" to figure this out.

Good Luck.

garry · 10-14-2003, 07:01 PM

Hey Tim I'm still here and I'm sure not finished, just finished for now. What I did was get it to the point it looks good, not great. I will make it great next spring after I put on the new axles.
After reading all the post I think I will get some Nuvite and try it followed with SS. I am sold on the SS. Don't get too discouraged but for me the curved end panels just wouldn't shine as good as a flat panel. Vern had the same problem they just take more effort.

rluhr : I'm with you head to FL

nellie: Finding the right combination has been a challange for all of us. Looks as if yours is working out great. Took me a good week to find what I felt was right but still had to stray when I would find an area that just wanted to be difficult.

Went to Colaws (RV salvage yard ) in MO today, they have just about everything in the way of used parts also saw a lot of dead A/S's on the lot, that was kind of sad. Also saw two A/S on the road, one looked like a 59 tradewind needing to be polished.

Garry

Safari Tim · 10-14-2003, 08:30 PM

Garry, glad to see your still around. I thought you were done and went to the same rally as Vern..... Too bad about the dead airstreams. Sometimes I think I am more of a restorer than an RVer. Never intended to be a restorer....

rluhr, any pics? With the time change coming soon, my season may be over. It will be dark when I get home from work

Trying to get done what I can before then. I only have about 2 hours from getting home till dark now.

nellie, looks good. I went over my trailer again compounding with C after I did F7. After the F7 I could not get the swirls out. So I went back over it once rather quickly with C. I have run out of F7 som I am waiting for that to try the cyclo.

48.5 hours... tick...tick...tick....

flyfshr · 10-14-2003, 11:17 PM

Hey Tim -- I have maybe 6 hours total in polishing since getting the SS. Don't get to close though 'cause it doesn't look as good up close. Once I get my order of SS in, I'll be able to get alot more done. Just under three bottles up to this point. There are quite a few swirls that will need to be dealt with once the whole trailer looks like the front part of the streetside. I plan on doing the top as well.

Garry - tell me more about those sad Airstreams at Colaw's. Anway to take pictures? How about some serial numbers? Where in MO is Colaw's? I'm looking for a few vintage items to finish out my restoration. I might feel a road trip is in my future.

FF

garry · 10-15-2003, 05:08 AM

Flyfisher sent you a PM with the info.
Where did you get the SS. I need a few bottles.

flyfshr · 10-15-2003, 07:43 AM

Hey Garry - I sent you a PM right back. Let me know what you think.

FF

JMoy · 10-15-2003, 11:41 PM

Nellie,

What was the condition of your trailer when you started polishing? I am will be tackling my 66 Caravel soon and don't want to buy more polish than I need.

Thanks

Safari Tim · 10-19-2003, 11:26 PM

In our continuing saga....

Got about 5 hours in this weekend. Finally got started on the rear endcap. I always thought I would be reaching as far as possible with the compounder and get the top looking at least

nice

.

However, even with a 10 foot ladder, my 5'6" reach could not manage much. So, I tried the cyclo with G6 with one hand stretched over the top of the trailer. After a couple of rounds of that, looks pretty good to me....

Still running the compounder and F7 anywhere I can safely reach. I also removed the rear marker lights, will be replacing them with LED Markers

see this thread .

My bad swirl problem is coming together as well. Because of my extreme FFC, I had to hit the entire trailer 10+ times with F7. This left deep swirls/scratches too much for the cyclo to handle. So, I have been going over lightly with C to help. It is a good visiable improvment. Have yet to cyclo yet, but hoping this will work out in the end.

Fighting the lack of time to work and daylight savings is approching at the end of the week. That will make it dark even before I get home...

So, here's a bad pic to see how its coming together...

flyfshr · 10-19-2003, 11:54 PM

Hi polishing gurus - I got in about five hours as well. Still too hot here to work very long. The polish dries before getting anywhere. We set record highs both yesterday and today. Go figure. Still got to work on the back end cap and under the rear window. Will post picture when there's more light.

Looking good Tim. Keep at it.

FF

rluhr · 10-20-2003, 09:43 AM

Too hot? You don't know how lucky you are!

Today it is 37 F as I type this -- at 11:29 a.m. The trailer is covered in frost each morning until the sun hits it, and I hate to even think about stripping/polishing until the temps are reliably above 50 F. These days, that's a rarity.

This time of year we get lots of rain and occasional snow flurries. Friday we got sleet. And since it's cloudy most days this time of year, I lose the daylight around 5:30 pm.

Sorry SafariTim, no new pictures. I've been busy winterizing and chasing a few tough window leaks in my spare time. I've put my polishing gear away

and I guess I'll start again while I'm in Florida from early Jan to mid-March. That is, if I can find a campground or storage lot nearby that will not have a problem with me stripping clearcoat on the premises!

-- RL

Safari Tim · 10-20-2003, 02:38 PM

Bummer RL...

That's too cold to polish. I tried it one morning here when it was 53 degrees and all the polish did was smear. So, I think your polishing days are over my friend.

flyfshr, too hot! Wow. This is a diverse group

I'm lucky enough to have mid 80's here. Just got to get off work early enough to get something done!

I may take off a couple of half days at the end of the week....

Keep up the work and photos for those in polish mode

flyfshr · 10-20-2003, 07:59 PM

I'll take 80 degrees anytime. It has been 103 degrees for the last few days and looks like it again tomorrow. Kinda like an Indian Summer without the cooler days in the middle. Man am I tired of this heat. Once it cools off, I'll get some polishing time in. I know it will happen eventually. Keep those pic's coming.

FF

53flyingcloud · 10-21-2003, 10:09 AM

I'm back..Do I have a ton of neat stories to tell..!!
While traveling with the "new?" shinnie airstream, I could see in rearview mirror the glare from the sun hitting the cars coming up beside me..lol
The trip was "Fantastic"!@!
It was so nice to be able to tow the Silver Turtle once again..Everywhere we went, people came up to talk about how nice it looked, was it new?? How long did it take to do that, etc..The list of favorable comments is just way too long.
Needless to say, it sure made all the work worthwhile..<grins>
Here's a picture of the A/S as we began the trip, in pourring down rain..Grrrrrrr.
more later...
ciao