Polishing almost half done already!

[drboyd]

So, I started this afternoon on stripping the clearcoat and polishing the Tradewind. I'm using the Napier Removall 210 and the Southern Shine with the CHinese victim INcarcerated in forced labor Kamp TM brand buffer from Habor Frieght (now on sale for $29.95, by the way)

I started about 3 this afternoon and I was almost half done by 7:00 when it got too dark to see.

The Removall seems to work well; it's pretty warm here still, and the time between when it's done working and when it dries out is pretty short. The SS / CHINK buffer with the Official 3M wheels is clearly The Bomb (a toast here to Trailertrash and Stefrobrts!)

I've still got the curb side to do, and another pass with the fine wheel, but this is going very, very well. If I had cool weather and all day tomorrow to work on it, I'd be done this time tomorrow.

I'm not going nuts on the "perfect mirror finish" --- I just want it to look better than it does now with the dead clearcoat.

So far, so good!!

Don

[Stefrobrts]

Pictures, Don, we must have pictures!

[Safari Tim]

Lets see some pictures!

Check out the very long thread Finally got started

A couple of us are using Nuvite and Garry is using SS.

A lot of good discussion going on.

[flyfshr]

Yes Don, we want to see pictures. I know what you mean about it being too hot around here. Half done in a day? Impressive !

FF
Fellow desert dweller

[drboyd]

...excommunicated, nothing will!

Here's a "before" picture, of the starboard side of the trailer, showing the FFC (Filiform Corossion)....

[drboyd]

...and here's a general picture of the starboard side, with the Clear coat still on (more or less)....

[drboyd]

Here's the port side, after stripping and the coarse 3M pad....

[drboyd]

And here's the port side, after the "fine" pad, cleaning with lacquer thinner, and waxing with Meguiars Gold Class....

(Say, isn't that a gorgeous 1976 Cutlass with original special order paint, Hurst t-tops, and a factory 455 in the reflection? My, whoever owns such a magnificent vehicle must be quite a stud-muffin!)

[drboyd]

So, here's what's gonna get me excommunicated:

This is 80/20 polishing. I believe I can get this thing looking 80% as good as a Cyclo/Nuvite job, with 20% or less of the effort. No, I didn't wet sand all the scratches out with 40,000 grit sandpaper. There's still scratches and FFC in places. It's a long way from being perfect. But it's a much longer way from where it was when I started...!!

...and I'll polish the center of the roof when you polish your belly pan! So there!

[54FlyingCloud]

Great pictures!!!!

Hope I have same results.

Have already purchased two Far East buffers (wife wanted one too) at HF for 29.95. Ordered 3M 5701 and 5705 wool pads last week which I hope are the correct ones and already have the SS and laquer thinner.

Are these the pads that you used?
How much of the SS did you use to do 1/2 of your AS?

Any other tips greatly appreciated.


PS: Nice car.

[Silver Bullet]

I've been going at it with the same equipment, same polish (SS), same pads (3M), my AS wasn't nearly as bad as the pic's posted when TT made a visit to AZ and pic's were posted of a 7 min operation. As of now I have 24+ hrs invested and and I'm just half way! (And still not satisfied)

What tips are being left out? By the way, the mineral spirits was a great time saver for losing the stripped oxidation.


And if you think that 2 or3 bottles of SS will do the job, "you're nuts"! Some of us will use a bottle "plus" just detailing the old '60 model Herh windows.



Oscar

[drboyd]

OK, tips:

In addition to the 3M pads (yep, those are the right ones), you will need the adaptor. I'm using the Removall 210 (or private label version therof) and I'm gonna get the whole trailer out of a gallon, easy.

I got 3 bottles of SS, and the first bottle is about gone, so I should be cool with what I've got. I've only used one side of each of the 3M pads, so I should be cool there, too. (Keep in mind that I'm not doing the top...)

I'm only polishing up as high as the awning roll, as you really can't see higher than that from the ground.

I did get a trigger nozzle deal for my garden hose to get a better stream to wash off the stripper. The lacquer thinner does a great job of taking off the Black Goo, but you'll need to have rags on hand for the process.

Don

[Stefrobrts]

Looking good! So, how scared were you when you saw all the swirls the coarse pad was leaving? I think I would have had a heart attack right there! But the finished product looks excellent. I guess I'm going to have to give this a try!

Nice car!

[JPAIRSTREAM]

Ok what pads are we using? 3m course?? Can someone give us URL to the eqipment you are using??


Please I would greatly appreciate this I am about to start my 72 in a week or two..

[garry]

I'm thinking the condition of the A/S skin will have something to do with it...Using the same equip and method but taking twice as long. Your A/S does look good.. Hmm the car is looking good to

garry

[drboyd]

Stef, this sounds too dumb to be true, but it was so dark last night when I was doing the coarse pad that I didn't notice the swirls. Duh! But for some reason I wasn't freaked out, and I just figured it would come out with the fine pad.

The 3M pads and the adapter I bought down at a local auto paint supply store - they had piles of 'em.

I have noticed that the more rounded skins on the ends don't take a polish near as well as the side skins.

Oh well!

That's all part of the 80/20 deal.... at least that's what I keep telling myself.

It's also true that if I get like really bored at some point, I can still whip out some 99,999 grit wet sandpaper, and go after the scratches....

...and thanks! More car info is available
here.

[flyfshr]

OK Don, which local store has piles of them? I burnt throught he two cheap ones I had and need some new ones. No polishing this weekend because I need some new pads. Help !

FF

[54FlyingCloud]

Thanks for the reply. I did order the 5710 adapter for the pads. Also the people at Levine Autopart suggested another aluminum polish that I thought I would try in addition to SS.

Hopefully my AS will turn out as good as yours. Just know that if the 1 foot square test spot I did by hand with cloth rag in about 2 to 3 minutes with the SS polish is matched or surpassed by the buffer, I will be estatic.


JPAIRSTREAM:

Following is thread within which I cut and pasted many suggestions regarding polishing including TT posts and current discussions:

http://www.airforums.com/forum...&threadid=6816




Items I think are needed for the SS method are:


{Ordered first 3 from: http://www.levineautoparts.com as was about 2/3 price of my local auto parts store plus no tax. }


1. 3M Wool buffing pad #5701

2. 3M Wool buffing pad #5705

3. Buffing Wheel adapter #5710

4. Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 7'' VARIABLE SPEED POLISHER/SANDER ITEM 46507-0VGA 11amp

5. Terrycloth rags (bought mine at Sam's Club)

6. Mineral Spirits or Laquer Thinner

7. Southern Shine (purchase from Stephanie - dnstoys.com)

8. Dawn Dishwashing Liquid to clean AS

9. Wax (Liquid Glass Wax seems to be preference, however, is no longer available. Some suggested Turtle Wax, Meguires or Carnuba)

10. Napier Removall 210, for clearcoat removal.

11. Buffing Pad Rake/Cleaning Tool (bought at local Paint Store)

12. 3M Green and Blue Scratch Pads

13. 1000 grit Wet/Dry Sandpaper (May also want finer sandpaper)



Hope this helps...

[drboyd]

flyfshr, I got all the 3M stuff at....
Space Age Auto Paint on Country Club in Mesa.

Don

[TBKP's Overlander]

Hearing Don's results confirms my thinking.

I had already made a pass with the Nuvite before Trailer Trash came by and got me into the SS. I ordered 2 bottles of SS from Stef and the pads from Levine (great service from both). I have spent about 1 1/2 hours eash of the last 2 days. I did about half of each of the sides in that time. It looks great.

I think you can in one day (8-10 hours) finish a trailer and have good results. You will still have the fillafoam corosion to some degree. You might also have some swirl marks. But you will have a great looking trailer. Trailer starting condition can have an effect on this estimate.