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markdoane · 05-07-2004, 05:52 PM

After reading all this stuff, I decided the only correct way to polish my Airstream is to take all the skin off, turn the sheets over, and rivet them back on with the shiny insides pointed out. So now I need to determine whether to switch the panels left for right, or flip them end to end.

In the first instance, my entry door would end up on the street side. In the other, I will end up with the coveted 'rear entry' door location.

Which would be more practical?

InsideOut · 05-07-2004, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uwe

Stephanie,

The black stuff comes off with mineral spirits on a rag.
Use a rag with the spirits, and a dry one to wipe after it immediately.
It might work with other solvents also, mineral spirits was just what was sitting around here. Let me know if you find something that works better.
Read the thread "finally got started" it has great info to share.

Glass Wax works really well for removing the black residue too...unfortunately, it's no longer made. I bought out all that I could find when it was discontinued. It also leaves a water resistant finish...

Shari

uwe · 05-07-2004, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markdoane

After reading all this stuff, I decided the only correct way to polish my Airstream is to take all the skin off, turn the sheets over, and rivet them back on with the shiny insides pointed out. So now I need to determine whether to switch the panels left for right, or flip them end to end.

In the first instance, my entry door would end up on the street side. In the other, I will end up with the coveted 'rear entry' door location.

Which would be more practical?

Turn it upside down, polish the belly and make it look like you're towing a clawfoot bathtub.

**Stefrobrts** · 05-07-2004, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InsideOut

Glass Wax works really well for removing the black residue too...unfortunately, it's no longer made. I bought out all that I could find when it was discontinued. It also leaves a water resistant finish...

Shari

Oh, fine! You're a LOT of help!

greg176 · 05-07-2004, 10:51 PM

I've started trying to polish my 61 Overlander .I was using Met-All polish with an air powered buffer.I was surprised at how little I knew after watching the cleaners polish airplanes at work for the last 25 years.Read up on process at perfectpolish.com and am having better results now. I tried some wet sanding to remove some deeper scratch first 600 and then some 1500.I am reluctant to wet sand much or use a coarser compound as the alclad is less than one thousandth of an inch thick.The air polisher I bought will fry my old compressor if I polish too much so I ordered one of those Chicago-electric polishers from harborfreight.The guys at work get great results using the Met-All .They were using Met-All when I started in the industry(with cyclo polishers) and I have seen many salesmen demonstrating all kinds of processes,but we still use the Met-All.

53flyingcloud · 05-08-2004, 01:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

Oh, fine! You're a LOT of help!

lol, I agree~!
I was able to find a can but..to be honest, it's so old..I don't even think it's close to the original formula~!!!

Oh well..
53FC

JPAIRSTREAM · 05-08-2004, 06:06 AM

I wetsanded my trailer as well in scratched areas however I used 1200 and 2000 grit paper. Met-all does a fine job. Airstream even sells it on there site.

swebster · 05-08-2004, 08:10 AM

Kind of a cruddy pic I'll take more. This is the pass side front bumper. You can see the old (original) and the new. I went over this with 600 for about five minutes and then 1200 for another five then with a 9" variable speed buffer with a little Blue Magic on a wool pad. I'm headed over there today so I'll get a body and front grill pic also.

64GT · 05-10-2004, 09:07 AM

My two cents...I tried wetsanding this weekend also. I've been using Nuvite and a cyclo so far but it takes many, many passes to get rid of the milky spots. So I tried wetsanding on the front panel using 2000 grit and then Nuvite F7. At first I was not happy with the results. It seemed hazy compared with the pure Nuvite/cycle panels and I could see the scratches. I went back the next day and hit the area again and it shined up very nicely. I then did the whole panel and was pleased. It definitely cut down on the number of passes needed to remove the milky spots but not by that much. If I look closely, I can still see fine scratches but I anticipate that they will be removed during the S polish. I think I'll use the wetsanding on the heavily corroded sections.

**Stefrobrts** · 05-10-2004, 10:52 AM

We're heading out for the Silver Trailer Social this weekend, and the Perfect Polish guy is supposed to be there giving demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday. I hope I get a chance to ask him about how to shine up the road-damaged front corners of my trailer while I'm there. Going at it by hand with the SS sure isn't cutting it.

j54mark · 05-10-2004, 01:52 PM

Question: What happens when wet sanding around rivets? I should think they would cause an unsanded "shadow" area if you are always sanding in one direction.

Mark

swebster · 05-10-2004, 02:13 PM

Mark - good point. What about a dremel tool around the rivets?

swebster · 05-10-2004, 07:00 PM

Here are two more pics. The "grill" and the body. I shot this later in the day so it's not quite the best lighting.

swebster · 05-10-2004, 07:02 PM

I hope to put some more wet sanding time in this weekend. All of these were done after work, with a few minutes of effort on each. I still think wet sanding is a "ton" of work but when you have as severaly corroded a nose as mine it may be the only way. I'll post more pics as I make progress on this.

greg176 · 05-10-2004, 09:41 PM

I got my $25 Chicago-Electric polisher from Harborfreight today and tried it out.It works great with the Met-All polish (I'll post some pics soon).
About removing black residue, white flour or talcum powder sprinkled on a rag works best.At work they make bag salt shakers with a dixie cup covered with tape and a few holes poked in the top to spriinkle the talc on a rag.One wipe with the rag and all the residue comes off.

Rog0525 · 05-10-2004, 10:20 PM

A combination of stripper and 600 grit wet/dyt sandpaper is the only method I found of removing the WBCCI
decal residue from my Caravel. I tried about everything short of dynamite.
I intend to wet sand the whole surface with 1000 grit before applying the Southern Shine. I did buff some on a small area and it looks great. Not a mirror shine but a nice shiny shine.

**Stefrobrts** · 05-10-2004, 11:13 PM

I managed to get the WBCCI number residue off the rear of the Caravel with Goof-off, and SS applied one after the other. Neither alone seemed to do the trick. However, I tried the same trick on the front and got a smeared gooey mess. Yuk. Not despirate enough to resort to the sandpaper yet though!

Rog0525 · 05-10-2004, 11:29 PM

Stef, how much SS do you think you will need on your Caravel? At the rate I'm going, I'm not sure the 4 bottles I got from you are enough. I used about half a bottle just on the LP tanks.

Penguin · 05-11-2004, 11:01 AM

Greg176,

Will you keep me updated about the polisher? I haven't started on my Trade Wind yet and am VERY interested in a $25 polisher. I want to know if yours survives the whole job and if you continue to be satisfied!

Thanks,

Connie

Irish · 05-11-2004, 11:48 AM

I've been following this thread with interest and was hoping someone else would ask this, but I'll show my ignorance...specifically, how does one go about wetsanding? Do you wet the surface first, and then sand? Or do you moisten the paper before sanding? Any other tricks or techniques to be aware of?

Mike