this thread is starting to have a very familiar ring to it.....
Isn't that the truth. I guess one thing that will get an Airstreamer going is polishing.
Wet sanding has to have a constant flow of water to work, either a sponge or slow stream from a hose. It is done by hand, linear motion. Hold the hose or sponge above the area being sanded (squeeze the sponge slowly to get the water), you will feel the sandpaper suck up to the surface. Use very light pressure and rinse the surface and sandpaper often and well.
That is one great shine. Prehaps a shine off at International wuld settle the issue, but I suspect not. I am a year from this job. I'm sure the debate will last that long. How about Paint
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- a bottle of polish called Southern Shine on www.steeda.com for $12.95 a bottle. That was all that was on the first page of Google.
The old guy said that White Diamonds was great stuff and the price he told was about the same, so I'll try that one, unless something is cheaper and well reputed.
About the sanding: I've wet sanded auto paint before, and have done it the same as 74arogosy24mh states- all one direction, and without any more pressure than what the water creates as vacuum. I slap mine with water in a bucket though- it wastes less water- you know- California...
I guess I was taught well.
The issue for me is weighing the systems and making a choice. Everyone considers themselves to be intelligent and tries to do things the best and easiest way, and if it works out faster, its a bonus.
If the aluminum skin will shine as well with wet sanding as opposed to circular buffing with a coarse compound, followed by a buff with a wool pad and a light rouge or creme based polish, instead of a an expensive product and a seemingly slow tedious machine using old shirts- which way makes more sense?
I'm inclined to believe the old guy at the airport with 1000 polishes to his credit, rather than advice from a company trying to sell me something. I try and see through motives of people- salesmen are usually coming from a point that they'll fail if they don't sell me what they have on the market- whether its right or wrong for me is up to me to determine- not them.
The old man at the airport doesn't want to sell me anything- and I feel like I've used up my questions for him for the month.
-and I just want to hear if anyone hasn't been brainwashed or conditioned to use only one system, to have gone "outside the box" as you may- and tried this older and proven method from the aircraft industry.
Any who have tried the wet sand and polish method please let us know how you fared with it as a DIY project on a trailer. No name calling, no wars, just intelligent discussion. Thanks. Cliff
I haven't tried any of the systems -yet. I am willing to go with what works. But I agree with you that there is more than one method to do the job. I might try a little wet sanding on the roof. Rob
I've at this polishing for about six years now - its kinda like golf, you work at it, not sure you ever get it right. One thing I can say after following this for six years, is you ask 100 different people, you will get 100 different strong opinions. I know that Jim at Airmark was the first guru - he suggested sanding only scratches out and that his green compound was the best, then the Rollite folks came along, then Nuvite, then Southern Shine and now Blue Magic. From what I can tell they all work. I've never heard of someone wet sanding their whole trailer although I have heard of someone steel wooling their whole trailer (yes you read that right). If you sand I think its important to go with the "grain" of the aluminum. In my case, if I can use a machine to do the work, thats my preferred method.
I too have talked to aircraft polishers and they too prefer a machine - but each of us has what has worked for us.
Let us know how the wet sanding goes - I'm curious to learn yet another method - always trying (as I do in golf) to better my polishing method.
Don't forget, polishing is done for different reasons in different industries.
Port polishing, aircraft polishing, industrial polishing, Airstream polishing etc.
Some applications do not call for a deep, lustrous shine, but rather a way to keep the aluminum from oxidizing or corroding. Not all polishing is done for beautification, so clearly it depends on who you talk to on what works, and for what purpose.
Most maintenance and production shops use industrial buffers, and on tub of a cerain polish. I suppose that the 3-step or more polishing process would yield the desired shine for Airstreams. I talked to a tanker truck driver a while back, and he said theyplish his tanks with a one step and a buffer of some sort. Man, some of those tankers shine like the sun itself!
-and I just want to hear if anyone hasn't been brainwashed or conditioned to use only one system, to have gone "outside the box" as you may- and tried this older and proven method from the aircraft industry.
Any who have tried the wet sand and polish method please let us know how you fared with it as a DIY project on a trailer. No name calling, no wars, just intelligent discussion. Thanks. Cliff
It would help with the name calling if you would not start off your post with the implied assersion that those who have used the Rolite/Nuvite compounders are "brainwashed". There are several success stories in the archives, and their posts do not suggest in any way that they are some kind of stupid sheep led around by preditory marketers.
seriously, Millionaire....if you read through that thread, (and others), I think that's what the SS proponents were trying to say...some found it worked good for them, some didn't, and preferred the "hard" way. For reasons that I don't understand, though, some got very emotional about it.
Anyway, if I recall correctly, the original SS thumper never said it was "as good as"...only that it got darn close, with a fraction of the work. He said that he wet-sanded the entire trailer, then one application of the SS with some sort of inexpensive polisher.
~~~snip~~~posts do not suggest in any way that they are some kind of stupid sheep led around by preditory marketers.
I cannot speak to the subject of what shines the best, but that sheep following sheep description purt well sums up a fair sized chunk of the folks I have met in the RV world regarding what they own or what they buy to "improve" what they own.
Now as to the Polish Wars, I am trying to keep up, but it aint easy.
There are lots of subjects that I can see arguing about, but why anyone gets irate over what some one else uses to shine their ol' can just amuses me. I am just thankful to get reports on various methods. I weigh very carefully EVERYTHING I read on all the forums before I follow any bellcow.And you better believe that there is lots of misinformation by even the various most hallowed contributing posters. Knowing that, when I screw up a project I only have myself to blame.
But why the Heck denegrate a peer for having a strong opinion??
Why take something said in general as a personal affront? It is really quite easy to tell the difference. I get lots of practice. I think Millionairstream and Trailertrash (and others in the past) have raised very interesting and needed questions. Let em speak! I appreciate their candor. Much more needed on all forums.
As I have asked elsewhere; "What is it about Airstreamers with a bit of "authority"(or a large number of posts) that makes them think Condescension is their "birthright"?
Will the day eventually arrive when the International owners will turn their noses up at the poor lowly LandYachters ..? or the Trade winders will carp at the Sovereigners. Man talk about territorial.
I think why alot of tanker trucks can get away with "one-step polishes" is that they are polished & maintained from "day one" and haven't been left in a neglected manner as most of our vintage airstreams have.
Personally, we had to remove 39 years of oxidation prior to polishing...have you ever seen a neglected oxidized tanker truck brought back to life? My guess is no...they have been maintained from the beginning. They also are made from thicker/better quality aluminum to begin with.
Just food for thought...
Shari
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Vintage Airstream Club - Past President 2007/2008
WBCCI #1824 - DenCO Unit Past President (2005)
AIR #30 - Join Date: 2-25-2002
I was reading on one of the airplane forums recently about polishing and one of the replies from a guy with 30 years experience with polishing. He stated that polishing is not a one step process. It is a two step process, cleaning than polishing and that his polishing started after he had a mirror finish with the cleaner. He also stated that most all of the polishes were good, the one that was the best was the one that worked for you because polishing was as much a artform as a science.
I think that it is tough to compare polishing Airstreams to polishing airplanes because airplanes are usually better maintained and don't have decades of oxidation and garbage that needs to be cleaned off and repaired before they can be polished. I've used Blue Magic and Rolite polish and Met al on my 45 year old Airstream and it is very slow going, plus I still have pits and scratches and worry about denting the body because I'm pushing so hard trying to make progress. I'm ordering some stuff with more grit to it so I don't have to work so hard or damage anything. I guess to sum it up, it is to each his own.
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I think Millionairstream and Trailertrash (and others in the past) have raised very interesting and needed questions. Let em speak! I appreciate their candor. Much more needed on all forums.
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