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AirHeadRik · 05-07-2005, 10:22 PM

O.K., I am stoked to report that when you use an acid bath, the compounding procedure goes waaaay faster. Now, there are some that would argue that acid washing will cause leeks. Many, many pros who polish Airstreams and Aircraft use acid wash, so, I'm not worried. If you are worried, well, don't do it. (Anyone personally know anyone who acid washed and now has leaks?) I think the key is to do one section about 3 feet x 3 feet or so at a time.

I plan on actually video taping some tests tomorrow. I also tried a green rouge formula today and it works pretty well. No better than Heavy Metal, though and about the same as Nuvite but, with more of a mess.

Also, I picked up a Makita Polisher/Sander that turns all the way down to 600 rpm. My other one was about to die. This thing makes the job go much better.

Rog0525 · 05-08-2005, 04:49 AM

Thanks for keeping us posted with your progress, BD. It looks like you're doing a great job on your Bambi II.
I'm curious about your coach, I don't see any clear pics of the streetside on your homepage, but it appears to have 3 windows on that side.
All other Bambi II's I have seen had 2 windows there. Do you think that was a custom order or maybe a previous owner upgrade?

dufferin · 05-08-2005, 08:29 AM

hello,
about the acid I do not feel worried, I was working as a wash trailer tank, and we used acid bath without any problem.
Some advice about the process : spray acid and few seconds later rince with water. Do it with someone else who follow you with 10 seconds delay.
Sorry for the english, i hope you anderstand me,
otherwise someone can try to translate my post... oups

AirHeadRik · 05-08-2005, 09:21 AM

I think it is a California made model and that is the difference. I believe I had heard someone talking about that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rog0525

Thanks for keeping us posted with your progress, BD. It looks like you're doing a great job on your Bambi II.
I'm curious about your coach, I don't see any clear pics of the streetside on your homepage, but it appears to have 3 windows on that side.
All other Bambi II's I have seen had 2 windows there. Do you think that was a custom order or maybe a previous owner upgrade?

bigshinything · 05-08-2005, 12:48 PM

This is a reflection, notice the rivet. This is the depth of shine I got with Nuvite and an acid wash. Some "Before" pics in my photo section.

ALANSD · 05-08-2005, 05:30 PM

what type acid are you all talking about? Is it like Kleen Strip or what. (Or should I try to call Timothy Leary)

fireflyinva · 05-08-2005, 06:22 PM

Dufferin, your English was perfect until you got worried about it! Bienvenue!

So, looks like Dufferin and BigShinyThing both had sucess with acid wash...not acid trips (nudge, nudge, wink, wink, Alan)...Those results look great!

Mary

AirHeadRik · 05-08-2005, 08:42 PM

I got this stuff at a truck wash place that is for aluminum. Looks like a local mixture. I know "aluminum brightner" works well from other folks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALANSD

what type acid are you all talking about? Is it like Kleen Strip or what. (Or should I try to call Timothy Leary)

TravelCloud · 05-11-2005, 05:28 AM

In support of your acid bath-
I asked the airport people about it before and said there was theory about the leaks, the rivets and the destruction. It brought laughter. They've been using it for years and the rivets on the planes haven't fallen out, the seams didn't start flying open. The stuff they use was actually called "Aircraft Cleaner" and I think its absolutely safe.

Its almost as if there are forces who don't want us to do it the easy way. If you can acid wash, light wet sand, use a couple passes of home made rouge or other less expensive rouge based polish such as HM- nuvite and cyclo are history. The other polishing industries aren't using them- this is there stronghold- a cottage industry that they are defending.

Rog0525 · 05-11-2005, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TravelCloud

Its almost as if there are forces who don't want us to do it the easy way. If you can acid wash, light wet sand, use a couple passes of home made rouge or other less expensive rouge based polish such as HM- nuvite and cyclo are history. The other polishing industries aren't using them- this is there stronghold- a cottage industry that they are defending.

Here's a novel idea: Why don't you polish your trailer the easy way and expose those evil forces once and for all?

TravelCloud · 05-11-2005, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rog0525

Here's a novel idea: Why don't you polish your trailer the easy way and expose those evil forces once and for all?

Just have a lot of other priorities beforehand, but in the meantime, guys like Ed are exposing it- and I don't know about evil, but greed sure comes to mind...

And just because someone else did it, I reported and commented about it, doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.

I still haven't picked my method, and don't want a patchwork of attempts. But don't worry, I'll get to it...

AirHeadRik · 05-11-2005, 08:50 AM

I want to put emphasis on how great this Makita Sander/Polisher works. The fact that it is angled makes it soooo much better to control than a drill. The drill is a nightmare compared to this and it turns slower! Really great!

Chuck · 05-11-2005, 10:17 AM

I swore I wasn't gonna get involved, but....

I've been around small airplanes for a long, long time.

airplanes leak.

alot.

in fact, I don't think I've ever been in an aged airplane that doesn't leak at least a little bit...somewhere. sort of like trailers, in that its not a question of "if" it springs a leak, but when.

anyway, its not a huge deal, as they don't have plywood floors. but it is a recurring theme amongst aircraft owners.

but perhaps using the acid bath is a contributor? who knows....my dad's airplane desperately needs an acid-bath, followed by a paint job. its never been done to it. but it leaks anyway.

maybe its just what happens when you rivet 2 pieces of alluminum together, given enough time and exposure to the elements.

**Stefrobrts** · 05-11-2005, 10:28 AM

Airstream seams do need to be resealed occasionally. I have done it to mine and stopped some leaks. I would be more concerned about chemicals getting into the seams and staying there, causing adhesion problems in the future when you reseal the seams.

TravelCloud · 05-11-2005, 10:29 AM

Do they use the Vulkem or another sealant on the seams in planes? I'm curious if anyone had a problem if the sealant could be broken down from it.

I also read somewhere that the excuse was "it eats away at the rivets" which seems totally absurd- to me anyway...

And thanks for chiming in- your expertise and experience are needed here!

Chuck · 05-11-2005, 10:54 AM

I honestly don't know the answer to that question. I do know that the "etching" process is commonly used to re-paint airplanes, though. and it is much cheaper to have a paint job done down your way than it is up here. so much so, that people I know have flown their airplanes down there to have it done. (that could easily be $1000 bucks worth of gasoline...plus the cost of a round-trip airline ticket). my understanding is that the FL environmental laws are not as stringent as they are in other places, which either enables them to use better chemicals, or makes disposal of the same chemicals much cheaper.

markdoane · 05-11-2005, 11:14 AM

My '59 has never been acid cleaned, and I discovered five leaks in just one seam yesterday. Now I need to know how to seal them.

If I use Parbond, how do I clean the seam before I apply it? Should I use a pressure washer? Should I apply the parbond from the inside?

fireflyinva · 05-11-2005, 11:53 AM

Mark,

I have done a little cleaning of the seams, to test it out. It isn't tough to remove the old caulk. I used a little nylon brush, some plastic spoons and a plastic paint scraper and the stuff flaked right out. I was ready with the dremel with nylon and wire wheel brushes, but that never became necessary. I did wash it with household cleaner before caulking. I ended up using vulkem with a syringe, because that's what I had on hand. It was ok, but quite hard to sqeeze out and a bit messy. I found best results just kind of wiping it in the crack, since I never could manage a nice clean line of caulk. However, I did get a little residue on the surface--though eventually, I figure we'll remove it when we do polish.

Since doing that test, I did get some advice from folks in the unit. They advised taking the sealing thing in a more methodological way, starting with the most likely points of failure. These are the vents, AC (and any holes in the surface) and the windows. I knew from the previous owner that at least one trailer was problematic. A close inspection of the skin revealed that rivet holes (where the airstream sign once was) were sealed with silicone and I found a 1/4" upward facing gap at the belly pan seal. So, I'm focusing on these areas before going totally nuts with the seam joints. I've already hose tested the window I finished and it went from leaky to leakless, so that is one problem down!

Hope this helps!

Mary

remcolent · 05-12-2005, 12:27 AM

I used a acid to wash yesterday
polish is a LOT easyer after will try to post pics tonight
and have some more info on the acid also
Remco
The Netherlands

AirHeadRik · 05-12-2005, 11:07 AM

I say if you aren't comfortable with acid washing, don't. However, I was very methodical in how I did it. I used a paint brush and watched very close where it was all going. I wiped it when it started to run toward the seams. I left it on appx. one minute and then I rinsed it off. It gets to be a milky color. Yes, it does polish easier without a doubt. I think all the seals should be checked anyway, especially after any polishing or acid wash, etc. This is a 40 plus year old unit, I would be surprised if there wasn't a leak or two.