A 1963 Overlander named Moonraker!

[reinergirl]

Yep, POR is great for rust proofing but the Sterling Silver top coat isn't worth the $$$. For that kind of money it should not only perform, but look great! Honestly, I love the rustoleum hammered spray paint, cool texture and very hard and glossy. I used it on a desk I built for my son and it was way more durable than I thought.

And as HiHo posted Eastwood makes good products too!

I have found that spray paints have come a long way in recent years and it certainly makes touch up easy!

[Sum75]

Good to know, thanks!

[ALANSD]

Originally Posted by reinergirl

Polishing is kicking my butt! I try to keep posts to this blog light hearted but it turns that polishing may be a dark art, disturbing and unsettling in it's very nature. I have tried a variety of polishing methods and I'm sorry to report that shortcuts don't exist.
I finally settled on the Jestco method that I saw demonstrated by Levon at the Restoration Rally in New Mexico.

:

I feel your pain. I am polishing my 66. I started on it almost two yrs ago, but never was satisfied with the results. Using the black and grey bars right now. I can do about 2-3 hours in the morning, then it gets too hot here.
Its coming along, but what is depressing is the areas I did when I started this are ready to be redone now. Nuvite C and S should do the trick on those parts.
Its the roof thats killin' me! Leaning over from the side with the polisher.

[Air Cruiser]

Hi Shelly!

I wanted to share some info about a product to polish with which I found out today. The product is "Wizard's Metal Polish" and comes in a tin can sort of like a bandaids can; it costs around $12.95 or so and is on some kind of cottonish fabric inside. I was told it goes a long way, and it does.

I have been so down as I felt like I was spinning my wheels trying to find something which would work for cutting through the decades of corrosion on our '56 Bubble. I tried the bars; Wizard's liquid (which did practically nothing); Bushes alum. polish, etc. etc. I think I didn't apply enough pressure with the polisher to get the bars to work. I was so skeptical today when the fellow was telling me about this.

I got home, tried a small area -- all by hand, no machines; rubber gloves on rubbing a small piece of that "cotton" in a circular motion; wiping off the black gunk with a cloth; and then using a clean to buff. The first time it cut through there was shine, but sort of hazy. I redid it and it was shiny. I doubt it's as shiny as with a Cyclo and Nuvite "S" (I think "S" is right, I forget), but it is shiny. Amazing thing is I didn't have to get all dirty with the rouge bars.

It may be worth trying out if you are out and about this weekend and can find some of this. Oh, I have no affiliation with Wizard's.

Have a great weekend.

Deb

[reinergirl]

Originally Posted by ALANSD

I feel your pain. I am polishing my 66. I started on it almost two yrs ago, but never was satisfied with the results. Using the black and grey bars right now. I can do about 2-3 hours in the morning, then it gets too hot here.
Its coming along, but what is depressing is the areas I did when I started this are ready to be redone now. Nuvite C and S should do the trick on those parts.
Its the roof thats killin' me! Leaning over from the side with the polisher.

Thanks for the commiseration and I agree! The roof is the worst, I have scaffolding but I'm really not quite tall enough .

I really don't see how it could be done without the black bar! I'm getting it done and the progress is being made, but I'm always going to associate the summer of 2013 with " the polishing saga"

[reinergirl]

Originally Posted by Air Cruiser

Hi Shelly!

I wanted to share some info about a product to polish with which I found out today. The product is "Wizard's Metal Polish" and comes in a tin can sort of like a bandaids can; it costs around $12.95 or so and is on some kind of cottonish fabric inside. I was told it goes a long way, and it does.

I have been so down as I felt like I was spinning my wheels trying to find something which would work for cutting through the decades of corrosion on our '56 Bubble. I tried the bars; Wizard's liquid (which did practically nothing); Bushes alum. polish, etc. etc. I think I didn't apply enough pressure with the polisher to get the bars to work. I was so skeptical today when the fellow was telling me about this.

I got home, tried a small area -- all by hand, no machines; rubber gloves on rubbing a small piece of that "cotton" in a circular motion; wiping off the black gunk with a cloth; and then using a clean to buff. The first time it cut through there was shine, but sort of hazy. I redid it and it was shiny. I doubt it's as shiny as with a Cyclo and Nuvite "S" (I think "S" is right, I forget), but it is shiny. Amazing thing is I didn't have to get all dirty with the rouge bars.

It may be worth trying out if you are out and about this weekend and can find some of this. Oh, I have no affiliation with Wizard's.

Have a great weekend.

Deb

So NOW you tell me about a polish where I won't get dirty? Just kidding . I have something that sounds like that called Never dull, but I can't imagine doing the whole trailer by hand! It sounds like it would be great for the little spots that the wheel misses, I'll keep an eye out for it! Thanks Deb

Did you try the black rouge?

[Air Cruiser]

I bought the Airstream kit from Jetsco -- it came with either black or grey and pink. I will probably give that another try. What colors of rouge are you using?

The top of our Bubble is really bad; a tarp had been on it while it was out in a field and it looks as though it kind of burned into the alum. This Wizard product today wouldn't get that off, but my DH used some rubbing compound on a wheel in an area where I'd already used the Wizard and had most of the corrosion off except for this tarp business, and it came out great.

I agree that it sounds like doing it by hand would be difficult, but applying the product isn't tedious at all, however, the buffing after removing the black is, so that's why I thought about using a clean pad on a polisher at that point.

Deb

[reinergirl]

The grey and pink in the jestco kit were ok but I went back and bought a black bar. There's no way the grey bar was going to do it, the black was much better. I basically am doing 1 or 2 passes with the black until 95% of the corrosion is gone,1 pass with the grey, 1 pass with the pink, 1 pass with the white, then cyclo with S.

I'd be careful with rubbing compound, I use that on frames and solid aluminum but not allclad! But on the roof, anything goes

[Becky B.]

I hate doing the roof too. After I polished the roof, I put on a coat of Sharkhide. It takes down the mirror shine a bit, but it won't need to be polished again. It can be reapplied as needed without being stripped. I used it on my 31' Sovereign & the Bambi II roofs. I didn't care for out on the sides, but its great for the roof!

[Air Cruiser]

Shelly and Becky, thanks for sharing your techniques. We did some more today and tried using 1500 grit wet sanding, whichever rouge bar is the dark, then Bushes polish, and it looked good. The wet sanding took off the tarp marks and nasty corrosion.

We are planning to paint the top middle section white, have either of you considered that? (Up high where it won't be seen.) I was wondering what your thoughts are. We have white in the center of our '99 Safari and I feel certain it helps with the cooling, at least I would think so.

I'm looking into Cyclo polishers now, any thoughts on which model -- either the regular one or the Pro?

Thanks again.

Deb

[reinergirl]

Originally Posted by beckybillrae

I hate doing the roof too. After I polished the roof, I put on a coat of Sharkhide. It takes down the mirror shine a bit, but it won't need to be polished again. It can be reapplied as needed without being stripped. I used it on my 31' Sovereign & the Bambi II roofs. I didn't care for out on the sides, but its great for the roof!

Sharkhide's a great idea for the roof, I remember Colin saying he used it oin his door to the shop (which is aluminum)! I definately will use it on the roof, no way do I want to have to touch up the roof every year!

[reinergirl]

Originally Posted by Air Cruiser

Shelly and Becky, thanks for sharing your techniques. We did some more today and tried using 1500 grit wet sanding, whichever rouge bar is the dark, then Bushes polish, and it looked good. The wet sanding took off the tarp marks and nasty corrosion.

We are planning to paint the top middle section white, have either of you considered that? (Up high where it won't be seen.) I was wondering what your thoughts are. We have white in the center of our '99 Safari and I feel certain it helps with the cooling, at least I would think so.

I'm looking into Cyclo polishers now, any thoughts on which model -- either the regular one or the Pro?

Thanks again.

Deb

I'm planning on adding solar to the roof so the white coating would get covered anyway.... I don't live in a hot climate either so the benefit wouldn't be as great.

I've just started with the Cyclo, I bought the pro but then I like my tools. I think the only real difference is that the pro has a vibration elimination system and a better warranty. I bought from VTS and it came all set up, ready to go.

[reinergirl]

....stop the leaks, I decided to do the next best thing, Seal the floor! Actually, I did this as soon as the weather warmed up so this post is long overdue.

These were my tools of choice. I've always liked the West System. It's a two part epoxy but the handy pumps make it foolproof even for a beginner. Five parts resin to one part hardener but the pumps take care of the measuring. One pump from each dispenses the perfect ratio.

It was a bit of a slow start as I noticed the neck of the large pump had a crack in it and I had to McGyver it with a hose clamp. It soon broke anyway and the spring in the pump fell into the can, I spent 15 minutes with a coat wire fishing it out and then called my local boat place to get a replacement pump. Like I said, slow start!

I needed to fair (level) the floor first, fill all the holes from the elevator bolts, and fill the plywood seams. So I mixed up batches of 12 pumps each, added the 407 filler, mixed again until it looked like peanut butter. I used a putty knife covered with masking tape to fill in all areas and stripped off the tape after each batch so I could start with a fresh blade.

I had a bunch of plastic mixing cups, which I set aside after each batch, when the epoxy dries it's easy to pop out the hardened stuff and reuse the container, Some places needed a second layer, which is important to do before it cures completely, otherwise this product can get something called an amine blush. Which requires mechanical removal in order for the coats to bond. Which would suck!

The next day, I sanded it all down and gave it three coats of the epoxy, again all done within a couple of hours to avoid the dreaded amine blush.

I'm still going to have to go back and refair some areas and I missed one of the bolts, see right in the center? Gheesh, how'd I miss that!

I also had a slight problem with bubbles in the epoxy, evidently this was caused by the temperature increase inside the trailer during the curing phase. I probably should have waited for a cloudy day but they are cosmetic and won't show under the finished flooring anyway.

After the fairing and sanding

And after the three coats of epoxy. I'm happier than a slinky on an escalator. So bring on the rain!

My helper chose to spend the day with me, well actually I tied him up .....so forced to spend the day with me would be slightly more accurate (notice where he chewed through the leash?) . Good thing I did too, cause look what saunters out of the woods and parades right in front of him?

My trailer was fully chocked or I'm pretty sure Finn would have reinacted this:

Without the bike of course, Finn's smart but not that smart!!

[65CV]

Three coats of epoxy -- that must be like a bowling alley. What do you plan for the final floor?

[reinergirl]

Originally Posted by 65CV

Three coats of epoxy -- that must be like a bowling alley. What do you plan for the final floor?

Well why not? It was a skating rink this spring!

I love the look, feel and warmth of cork , so thats what's planned, some type of floating cork.

[Sum75]

Thanks for the detailed instructions (I like the parts about the taped putty knife and disposable cups- keep it simple!). Someday I will come back to this thread for guidance :-)

[Becky B.]

Shiny floors, shiny walls......I think you should call it DONE! So sad all your shine is getting covered, but it all looks fantastic!

[reinergirl]

Originally Posted by beckybillrae

Shiny floors, shiny walls......I think you should call it DONE! So sad all your shine is getting covered, but it all looks fantastic!

Thanks Becky, I think my interior is shinier than my exterior!

[HiHoAgRV]

Finn looks like TROUBLE... ;o)


The floor looks great. My epoxy'd floor sat outside for 4 weeks with no ill effects. In 100 years my Overlander might be a decomposed pile of bad axles, rotted cherry and corroded aluminum but the floor will still be solid. Epoxy rules dude!

[Air Cruiser]

Shelly, that epoxy'd floor looks really nice! I'd love to do something like that, it would really stop the worrying about floor rot if a leaks occurs, but at the same time, I believe I've read on here somewhere that if you're planning to install Marmoleum flooring (which needs a luan board layer), you can't do anything like that. Although I've wondered why the installers couldn't just use heavy-duty staples or screws of some type to adhere the luan to the subfloor, as I imagine the problem with the sealant on the subfloor is that it doesn't allow them to use a glue to adhere the luan to the subfloor.

I realize you said, I believe, you are going with cork, but does it require the luan base? Do you recall reading anything about Marmoleum flooring and needing to be careful about subflooring sealants?

Your girl is really coming along nicely and you are doing a great job. It appears as tho you and I are of the same theory -- do it right in the first place and you don't have to spend time and money going back and fixing later, or something to that effect.

Deb