Polishing drip caps when removed?

[RankAm]

I have removed all of the drip caps from my 1956 Flying Cloud. Any advice as to whether it would be easier to polish the drip caps (1) after they have been remounted on the trailer or (2) before they are remounted?

Any information about drip cap polishing techniques (including tools) either mounted on the trailer or not?

I have been thinking about building a bench-top jig of some sort to which I would panhead screw the drip cap and then polish (probably with smaller tools than the big buffer I have used on the trailer exterior roof and side walls) the outside of the drip cap. Is polishing the inside of the drip cap feasible/crazy?

Any guidance would be appreciated.

Hank

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by RankAm

I have removed all of the drip caps from my 1956 Flying Cloud. Any advice as to whether it would be easier to polish the drip caps (1) after they have been remounted on the trailer or (2) before they are remounted?

Any information about drip cap polishing techniques (including tools) either mounted on the trailer or not?

I have been thinking about building a bench-top jig of some sort to which I would panhead screw the drip cap and then polish (probably with smaller tools than the big buffer I have used on the trailer exterior roof and side walls) the outside of the drip cap.

We took ours off while working on the windows. and used a Scotchbrite pad on the inside to get rid of all the "gunk" before reinstalling them on the trailer. We polished the area behind them before putting them back on, then polished the drip caps in place. They are too flimsy to polish loose.

Originally Posted by RankAm

Is polishing the inside of the drip cap feasible/crazy?

I think it would be a huge waste of time...nobody can see the insides - even you when you are in the trailer, the window frames block the view.

Shari

[RankAm]

Thanks, Shari. I appreciate your experienced advice.

Hank

[HiHoAgRV]

I also cleaned with scotch brite but then used a mag wheel cleaner, followed by a 1st pass polish with Nuvite F7 and a sewn cotton wheel in a drill. The final polish was done after install.

[60's Iron]

I polished mine by hand while off the trailer. One pass with G6 then S. Really happy with how they look. I'll be painting the underside with gray rustolium. I've also will be painting the window hinge gray. Once the drip caps are put back on I'll hit them one more time with the cyclo to polish up the Oylimpic rivets.

[RankAm]

Because I am installing a new baggage hatch (see here), I needed a new drip cap. In addition, I had several damaged drip caps. I bought online 4 drip caps, and two of them were in good shape structurally, but were dirty and corroded (probably from being attached to a non-aluminum sidewall of an SOB).

I decided to build a jig and give the drip caps a first-pass polish:




The drip caps were screwed to the board with pan-head screws (to avoid enlarging the rivet hole). I used the same board for the in-the-vice version and the on-the-benchtop version.

Hank