Jestco Buffer Leaving Hazy Streaks

[Lance M]

It looks like undercast to me. I would acid wash, re-polish and if it isn't good enough, replace that panel.


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[Lance M]

Some good info here if you haven't already read it.
http://www.perfectpolish.com/polishing_tips.html


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[dbj216]

Thanks Top and Aerowood. The embedded polish sounds like the culprit on my Trade Wind. I have some aluminum brightener (phosphoric acid) and might try it on one of my milky gray streaks. It might etch the metal enough to get back to base aluminum. I might try my G-6 too and see if I can't scratch the streak off.

The Perfect Polish website is helpful. Thank you for the link.

I'll report back if I have any luck.

David

[thumbelinadj]

Looking forward to a polishing weekend? I'm attempting my riveting shell to chassis

[dbj216]

Well, I tried compounding at 1400 rpm with F7 to no avail. I then decided to cyclo with F7 as I must move out of my rented garage space.

The Jestco system is a disaster for me. I believe I followed the instructions and followed the You Tube videos I reviewed. I have polished aluminum car parts with a cotton wheel and "rouge" in the past with good success. And I did my 86 with the Nuvite compounding method with good success. Nuvite was out of product last winter, so I decided to try Jestco. I wish I hadn't.

I don't know the cause of the marks. It is the Jestco gray bar, the cotton buff, or my technique; one of those three. If my technique was wrong, e.g. too much pressure, too much speed, to slow to travel, too much polish, too much raking, etc, etc. The pattern of the marks makes me think they happen after I rake the buffer, "re-charge" it with gray polish, and start polishing again. Maybe I was lucky enough to get a bad bar of Jestco gray polish.

I caution other hobbyists like me to stick with Nuvite compounding with wool pads. When I first saw the marks, I figured it was areas where I had missed. The pink Jestco polish does not remove the marks. I thought it might.

I have some "aluminum brightener" and will experiment with it once I get the trailer home. The bottle of brightener I have says it is not for sheet aluminum. I suspect it will brighten up my cast aluminum wheels. Acid etching and then starting over with polishing does not sound very appealing. Compounding with G6 and starting over with polishing doesn't sound appealing either. Maybe a summer in the rain, birds, trees, gravel roads, and hail will dull the finish enough making the Jestco marks less visible. Maybe touch up cyclo with S will blend the marks with time. We'll see.

I can distinguish no difference in surface finish between the marks and polished aluminum. The marks attract Nuvite polish residue and are difficult to remove polish residue, similar to pits, dents and scratches. It would be interesting to have a microscopic metallurgical analysis of the marks versus polished surfaces. Maybe we would see the marks are where the Alclad is removed. Maybe base 2042 T3 aluminum doesn't like to be polished. I have never known a piece of aluminum that can't be polished.

I'll let you know if I find a way to diminish the marks. It is interesting how the flash of my camera really makes the marks pop out. At some angles I can't see the marks at all. You have to get in the right light.

David - really bummed!

[ALANSD]

tried wet sanding? Attempt on one spot and see what you get.

[Zcashio]

David, I too am experiencing the same issue with the Jestco product. I thoroughly watched the video and never had the RPMs too high. The video explains after one use with grey bar if hazing appears to go over again and again until it’s gone. Other things that I have learned to avoid in that video also. The person in the video could not have had a more perfect shell to work with either. I’m very frustrated at this point. Hope you found something to help it out.

Thanks,
Zach

[dbj216]

Hello Zcashio: You have quite a collection of vintage Airstreams. Good for you! They will keep you busy for sure.

I sold my beloved Trade Wind last year. The new owners are vintage enthusiasts and have made quite a number of significant improvements to the trailer. I met up with the owners and the trailer at a vintage rally last August. The marks have weathered a bit. The trailer looks good from a distance.

He did mention something interesting. He experimented with acetone applied directly to a hazy area and reported some success in diminishing the mark. Acetone is worth a try.

Otherwise I recommend no more polishing with the Jestco process. It just isn't worth the risk in my view. Nuvite works just fine. I will polish my 75 Overlander with Nuvite this winter.

David

[Zcashio]

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, I have a case of the itchies for aluminum...

Acetone is an interesting idea. I tried some MEK on a hazy spot to no avail. I use MEK a good bit to help get rid of old sealant and sometimes with enough effort some oxidation of sorts. I will definitely try the acetone. But like I said, I still have the curb side of the Ambassador to start on. I put the polisher down today and moved on. Time to order something different. Like you said in an earlier post and possibly another post about this situation, too many variables with the Jestco kit.

Thanks for the thread and your reply back.

Zach

[PKLHead2]

I started buffing out a seasoned 1955 Bubble this week and was experiencing similar hazy results using White or Grey rouge. (I prefer to avoid using acid wash to remove the oxidation before buffing). However, I realized I wasn't getting thru the oxidation this time, hence the cloudiness so I switched from the Grey to Brown Tripoli rouge on an unstitched buff and made repeated passes like the pro's do - moving horizontally about 1/2" per second. It took 4 or more passes but things look clear, despite a lot of pits and crazing left on this 65 yr old unpolished shell. And the heat generated wasn't enough to cause any kind of burn or discoloration.

A couple other tips I picked up from the pro's that buffed my friend's trailer that I haven't seen mentioned in this forum -
1. Tyvec paint suit - a must to keep you clean
2. Full respirator - aluminum dust isn't good for you
3. Avoid sisal buffs and black emory rouge on Airstreams - both are too rough for aluminum and will leave marks you will regret

Hope that helps get some folks past their frustration and concerns. This one's been more tedious than I had expected, having previously polished 6 other trailers over the years using either the Cyclo or the Buffer methods, but I still think the Jestco Buffer method is faster overall and produces clearer results than the Cyclo. IMHO.