Nuvite -- Did I skip a step?

[Air Cruiser]

As info as to why I'm asking this...............Wednesday I polished the rear end cap (exterior) for about six (6) hours -- yes, six hours! (I was so sore that at the end I received a phone call and it hurt so badly to hold the phone I had to beg off and promise to return the call later.) I don't know why I did continued on for so long, as I had previously polished for around four hours straight and vowed never, ever to do that again! I just remember thinking, "I'd like to get that skin F-9'd before I quit for the day, but the trouble is, I saw improvement and pushed myself further and further.

Anyway, as some of you may have read in other threads, our Bubble was sorely abused and sat out in the blazing mid-West plains with a tarp and had the tarp marks burned into the skins, so, very difficult to polish that out. Wednesday, I just couldn't wait for DH to have time to do more on the top, so I pressed on myself with the Nuvite F-9. It took three to four passes with the F-9 to get the oxidation off, but it was scratched. I didn't purchase F-7 because I thought I'd read that you either needed the harsher F-9 or you used the F-7 (or some people use the "6"). I was so proud of what I'd done in those six hours, but DH only remarked about how the F-9 left more scratches than his wet sanding with 1200 grit did.

I said, no problem, the "C" is supposed to take those off. Well, I took Thursday off from polishing to rest up and later today went back out. I used the "C" with a new wool pad, and it started looking really shiny, but I could see some (not nearly as many) scratches, so I ended up doing three or four passes with the "C". However, there's still scratches.

I really have two (or so) questions:

1) Should I have used F-7 also (before the "C")? I think I did read that the F-7 has rounded pieces and will smooth out some scratches. Or should I do more passes with the "C"?

2) Does the type of wool pad matter? I have been using ones from Harbor Freight and I know they are not nearly as nice as those at the auto paint stores.

DH went to Bowling Green, Ohio to the tractor pulling Nationals (I think the Nats.) today, so I texted him to ask if he'd pick me up some more wool pads if there was a HF around there. He said there was a tool guy there and he'd check to see if he has any...........he did so he picked me up four and I'm hoping they're the better ones. (DH used to pull tractors, mini's, blown and injected, and a two-wheel drive blown and injected truck, but is now an alumni and gets tickets to get in every year; he takes a couple of his buddies and they sit there all day and night watching and have a grand time!)

Thanks so much.

Deb

[NJtoNC]

are you polishing a 1999 trailer? thats what i see listed under your screen name. did you already remove the clear coat?

[Air Cruiser]

Oh, I'm so sorry, no it's not the '99, it's the '56 Bubble, so no, there's no clearcoat issues here. (Although, our '99 has clearcoat that's coming off, as so many others have; some day that will hopefully get addressed.)

Actually, since the oxidation was so bad, I don't really know if I put these scratches on her or if they might have been there already, but I just assumed I did it.

Thanks so much for responding.

Deb

[mopariac]

Hi Deb,
Every trailer is different and my won't have had the same issues as yours, however, I chose to go only with the F-7, then the C then the S. I got a small can of F-9 and tried it at first and didn't like the results I was getting from my test panel (the back hatch). When I started only with the F-7, the heavy scratches never appeared like they did with the F-9.
With that said, and maybe I didn't have to do it, but I went from F-7, probably 7 passes with the rotary polisher, to F-7 with the cyclo for 3 or 4 passes, to C for 3 or 4 passes with the rotary, and so on. I didn't see where you mention using the cyclo between compounds. Do you have a cyclo polisher? If not I found good results (although laborious) doing it with the sweatshirt material by hand. Anyway, let me know if that helps. By the way, the videos that you see on YouTube make it look too easy...I took one month (300 + hours) to do my Ambassador. Maybe I'm slow but I lost a lot of weight. lol

Tharon

[65CV]

Deb -

In my experience, you definitely have to use F7 between F9 and C. We did a Caravel, which didn't need too much F9 -- just on the roof. After several passes with F7 with the buffer, we did a pass with F7 and the Cyclo. It was amazing how good it looked then. Only then was it ready for C. The C didn't seem to do to much, so it appeared that we had to do a LOT of prep first.

No clue about the HF pads. We used these. They lasted pretty well, but 3 were pretty worn out after doing the Caravel.

John

[Air Cruiser]

Tharon and John,

Thanks to both of you for your responses. No, I don't have a Cyclo yet; I was planning on buying one to use with the "S", which I did go ahead and purchase the "S" when I bought the F-9 and "C". I didn't realize I should be using it between the various different compounds. I guess I'll go ahead and get that Cyclo ordered and some F-7 while I'm at it -- I had a feeling that perhaps I should have gotten the F-7 too.

There is something else I think I need to get cleared up -- when you say "pass", are you meaning one pass is when you are applying more Nuvite and then working it off? Or, is a "pass" when you go back over the area because you are keeping the machine moving around so as not to heat up the aluminum? I thought a "pass" was when I apply more Nuvite and then worked it off.

I will say this, I have gained a lot of respect for anyone who has polished an AS, because it is not for the faint of heart!

Thanks again.

Deb