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I've started polishing my trailer using Nuvite products, compounding, and cycloing. I'm getting a good shine but there is almost a grain to the aluminum that can be seen when looking into the reflection. I've used three passes with G6 (compounding), two with C (compounding), and one pass with the cyclo and S. There is no serious corrosion on the aluminum. The side you see polished had very little clearcoat (it was stripped) and the aluminum was oxidized. This was removed easily by the G6. The other side however had full clearcoat and no oxidation. After stripping the clearcoat there is a film(?) on the surface that stripper will not remove. I have provided closups and hope they show what I'm talking about. It has spots that look like popped bubbles and a few places look like brush strokes. No stripper I've tried will remove it so It appears to be part of the aluminum. I've tried the G6 and this film is VERY hard to remove. Here are my questions:
1) Are most of you compounding the grain out of the aluminum or do you leave it?
2) Is the film I'm speaking of on the streetside part of the aluminum surface?
3) How many passes with each grade (applying polish and compounding it) are you guys/gals using?
4) Does anybody have a window to sell? I'm missing the 30 X 22 over the sleeping area?
5) I have two panels to replace on the front of the trailer which appeared to be from jack knifing. What type of aluminum should I use? I plan to purchase it from Airparts Inc.
Thanks in advance for your help. I'm a daily reader of the forums. It's an addiction I think.
Try this stuff sold at Lowes first, then go to Nuvite if you feel it is necessary.
Diamond Brite has made the job 150% faster. Are you sure the clear coat is off? Does black appear instantly after you apply that Nuvite?
you want 2024 T3 .32 thickness. Tell Diana Frank said hello, Those folks are so excellent to deal with. Just to piss on your campfire a little: to do it right, you need to remove the inner skins and buck those rivets. Olympics are not acceptable in structural repairs, you will need to buck them. Have no fear, it is fun and easy, way cool too... jump in have no fear.
Between compounding with "C" and cycloing with "S", I cyclo with F7. Cycloing with "S" will not remove the swirls left by the coumpounding.
The compounding should make the surface very smooth. Be careful that you are not using too much polish. "Rake" your compounding pad from time to time to keep down the build-up of polish and aluminum material.
Try a peice of plexiglass to replace the glass in that window. Worked for me. the corners were a bit tricky since you cut in straight lines. Three straight cuts provided enough radius to pass as a corner. Sounded hokey then I saw that others had done this before me so I felt justified. If nothing else you can use the plexiglass untill you find real glass.
I polished most of the graining out, but since we're storing it outside I didn't go to overboard. I did work really hard to get rid of the pitting, but yes, lines that look almost like roller marks were reduced, but totally removed. I found C did a good job of those lines btw.
Maybe your AS was re-clearcoated, and etched first. That "film' does look like brushmarks. Again, are you sure the clear coat is off that "film" area, does it turn black when you compound it?
Those bubbles look like filform... which is caused by oxidation under the clearcoat. Nasty stuff. Try F7 or harsher to cut through it, then G6.
We just about finished up our polish job. Everytime the guy would finish, we would find something or want it brighter. We have a 84 soveriegn and it has been polished twice now. Maybe have to go for 3.
This pic is when the new wheels were put on, getting close.
Olympics are not acceptable in structural repairs, you will need to buck them.
I too have two forward corner panels to replace. I thought I had read that Olympic rivets were acceptable on exterior wall sheets. I can't find it now but I think it was Andy at Inland that said it. I have my inner skins removed but do not have the tools or experience to buck rivet them.
I too have two forward corner panels to replace. I thought I had read that Olympic rivets were acceptable on exterior wall sheets. I can't find it now but I think it was Andy at Inland that said it. I have my inner skins removed but do not have the tools or experience to buck rivet them.
Any advice will be appreciated.
vhord,
Bucking rivets is not complicated, but a lesson would be a good idea. The equipment is a air chisel, available at Harbor Freight for about $10, a bucking bar, available at Aircraft Spruce for about $10 and up, I bought this one :P/N 12-01298, rivet sets, available at Aircraft Spruce for less than $10, rivets, correct drill bit, available from Inland for about $10 or so and an air compressor.
Since you have the inside skins out, buck rivets would be better than olympic rivets.
I would be glad to show you but you are a little far away.
Bill
__________________
Bill Kerfoot, WBCCI/VAC/CAC/El Camino Real Unit #5223
Just my personal opinion
1973 Dodge W200 PowerWagon, 1977 Lincoln Continental
1979 23' Safari, and 1954 29' Double Door Liner Orange, CA
I may have your window. Do you need the riveted frame and window or just the window glass and inner frame? The measurements I have on this one are 22x30.5 glass plus inner frame. Let me know. Ed
I too have two forward corner panels to replace. I thought I had read that Olympic rivets were acceptable on exterior wall sheets. I can't find it now but I think it was Andy at Inland that said it. I have my inner skins removed but do not have the tools or experience to buck rivet them.
Any advice will be appreciated.
You have to buck them.... olympics will not hold up to the stress. One or two to replace a rivet that has lost it's grip is okay. Or mounting an object, but not a skin. I am very surprised to hear someone say that it was an exceptable practice to use olympics for structural repairs. It is actually much easier than you think. Just remove the interior furniture and skins. You will have complete access to the backside of the exterior skin. Aerowood has excellent pictures of how he did it. He did go the extra mile and is treating it like a plane being built for the defense industry, but he shows exactly what needs to be done. You will need a bunch of clecos too.
Ed, Are you offering more hard to find parts? Ed was the kind person that supplied my with my missing drip cap. I installed it a few weeks ago and am now polishing in that area. Thanks again Ed.
You have to buck them.... olympics will not hold up to the stress. One or two to replace a rivet that has lost it's grip is okay. Or mounting an object, but not a skin. I am very surprised to hear someone say that it was an exceptable practice to use olympics for structural repairs.
Sorry, I really don't want to beat a dead horse but I had to look back in the forum to make sure that I had not dreamed something. One of the threads that I was referring to is this one.
Also, if buck rivets are a must I may have a problem with a large sheet that was apparently replaced on the street side by the PO or dealer.
The picture is of a horizonal rib but the vertical ribs are also attached with olympics. I want to do this right the first time but also I do not want to do any unnecessary work. Believe me I have plenty of other work to do.
You have to buck them.... olympics will not hold up to the stress. One or two to replace a rivet that has lost it's grip is okay. Or mounting an object, but not a skin. I am very surprised to hear someone say that it was an exceptable practice to use olympics for structural repairs. Ed.
Olympics are a fastener. Any fastener can cause a problem if not properly used.
I helped getting the present style Olympic rivet to the market place about 37 years ago, when I was with the Insurance division of Airstream, called Caravanner Insurance Company.
The Airstream factory uses them to replace complete sheets, as well as the dealers that do that kind of work, including ourselves.
Olympics are very acceptable to repair any part of the shell, when used properly.
If not used properly, then 1000's and 1000's of sheetmetal repairs jobs would be falling apart all over the world, which they are not.
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