Trying Gord's Polish this afternoon! Will follow up!
Guys and Gals,
I just got my Gords' aluminum polish in today and I will be trying it out this evening. I have part of my A/S done with Nuvite F7 and I will be doing a section next to it with Gords. I am taking pics for comparison and "posterity" so I'll try to post them along with my evaluation of the Gords' polish. Keep in touch!!!
-Don
Our 2002 19' Bambi is certainly not in need of polishing yet, but that 50-year-old aluminum rowboat my dad built is providing a real test of Gord's Polish. The boat has never had any paint or coating on the outside and it has never been polished. It has also never been handled with care.
I can only say that Gord's is amazing. When applied as directed using 0000 steel wool, it removes oxidation and leaves a terrific polish without that black tinge buffing compounds sometimes leave. Of course, the boat's deep scratches and corrosion pits are not removed, but all the high edges around those things are like mirrors. Would I try it on the Bambi when the time comes? I hope I will be "gone" by that time, but, if not and if Gord's is still in business, I would surely give Gord's Polish a try.
When applied as directed using 0000 steel wool, it removes oxidation and leaves a terrific polish without that black tinge buffing compounds sometimes leave.
YIKES!!! I sure wouldn't use steel wool to polish my aluminum trailer! Miniscule steel particles would imbed themselves in the aluminum, rust and stain. You can see a similar effect on some trailers where steel rivets (or screws) have replaced aluminum ones and they "drip" over time, leaving the tell-tale brown stains.
Just my two-cents ~
Shari
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InsideOut questioned using steel wool with Gord's Polish. Please note that I said, "When applied as directed..." Following the directions means that no steel particles are left on the aluminum. Hence no resulting rust. Of course, you do have to read the directions!
The polish can also be applied with only a cloth, but that is the hard way to remove oxidation.
Not sure I'm buying that the Gord's Polish (or any other) prevents the steel particles from being left behind, even if "the directions" say so...steel & aluminum do not mix, at least on my trailer!
Shari
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WBCCI #1824 - DenCO Unit Past President (2005)
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I think on a heavily oxidized trailer using the polish I would agree you would need the 0000 steel wool to cut the oxidation ,as you would be there forever without it .that being said ,there will be particles of steel wool that are tiny that can get in the aluminum and They will be absolutely micro in size .What do the directions say that would or could if possible keep that from occuring ?
Here we go again - Since there are a number of new folks hearing this for the first time - I suggest that anyone who is thinking about polishing go back into the archives and see what those of us who have had trailers and polished trailers for a long time have to say about all of this. I think you will find that none of us are using steel wool. In fact if you listen to the most recent VAP you will hear why you should not use steel wool from someone who its been said "has the shinest trailer in the world"
Not trying to start a war here, just trying to help someone who is thinking about polishing their trailer from going down the wrong road.
... I think you will find that none of us are using steel wool. In fact if you listen to the most recent VAP you will hear why you should not use steel wool from someone who its been said "has the shinest trailer in the world"
Ken J.
There apparently is such a thing as aluminum wool, but I am not aware of anywhere to purchase it in retail quantities.
I can't believe ANY polish manufacturer recommends steel wool on aluminum.
I have used aluminum wool on aircraft for years....especially great with those tough patches of stripper resistant poly paints. Aircraft paint suppliers have this on hand along with aluminum tape.
I would not use any kind of metal wool - I do use pure wool on my polisher - I've polished and have seen polish some really bad trailers with great results using polish designed for this purpose - the first pass should be as least agressive as possible - its easy to get more agressive with polish than it is to get less agressive. Scratches can be a bear to polish out.
I would not use any kind of metal wool - I do use pure wool on my polisher - I've polished and have seen polish some really bad trailers with great results using polish designed for this purpose - the first pass should be as least agressive as possible - its easy to get more agressive with polish than it is to get less agressive. Scratches can be a bear to polish out.
Ken J.
I fully agree with Ken J on this- steel wool actually embeds particles of iron on the skin and you'll see rust after it gets exposed to moisture.
I also agree 100% that one should use the least aggressive method and polish as possible- its why large professional aircraft polishers never use a coarse compound and rotating buffing wheel like the first step that Nuvite peddles. Adding a coarse grit to a high speed buffer is suicide on the skin, and requires more work to correct and repolish than the actual polishing job should take.
Wet sanding in one motion is a good way to get a bad skin ready for lighter polish than the system of grinding swirl marks in- and its far more cost effective.
Yeah well I've never heard of anyone taking a 3M 0000 Scotchbrite pad (silicon carbide) and putting that in a 1/4 sheet orbital sander with polish to take a heavily oxidized trailer down to a near shine in a matter of minutes either!
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That grinding on aluminum, whether using a coarse grit paper, a Scotch brite pad, or abrasive compounds using a rotating wheel are a recipe for disaster, or at the least the need to perform LOTS of work to correct the damage.
The aircraft industry uses Airmark and Spec polishing tools for a reason- no damage and no swirling.
Aluminum restoration on a deeper basis should be done using wet r dry sand paper, and in horizontal strokes to avoid the damaging and difficult to remove circular swirls.
I would myself never use any scraping material ,steel wool or even sandpaper on any aluminum trailer ,let alone my 60 tradewind .i don't know the condition
of tim A s trailer ,and am really responding to his comments about proper directions etc he says dictate safe? usage of said steel wool 0000 .If the trailer was heavily oxidized ,where you would need to get somewhat agressive ,the nuvite compounds are the choice and follow on up to the finish .I totally concur on the embedded particles ,as they would grab into the softer aluminum ,so on and so forth .I am always concerned that with agressive methods (never use scotchbrite by the way ) the thin alclad layer will be removed ,thats a definate concern of mine .Any sanding in any direction (although I understand the idea ) causes scratching ,still has to be compounded out . any way all things we already know.
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