Abby gets all the attention

[Lance M]

Her's a very short video of raking the wheel to remove all the old polish and soften up the plies of cloth.

VIDEO0037 - YouTube

Then apply some polish from the compound bar and get to it.

VIDEO0038 - YouTube

[cwf]

Some excellent work, Top!

I have polished a lot of aluminum castings on motorcycles and boats, usually with small Dremel and or loooots of elbow grease. That is a much better approach!

[desertair27]

Last picture looks like I'm looking in a mirror!

Super nice like all your work.

[Lance M]

Originally Posted by cwf

Some excellent work, Top!

I have polished a lot of aluminum castings on motorcycles and boats, usually with small Dremel and or loooots of elbow grease. That is a much better approach!

Thanks. There is a lot of area to cover!

Originally Posted by desertair27

Last picture looks like I'm looking in a mirror!

Super nice like all your work.

Thanks Mike,
It looks good from that angle, but I still have to go over it a couple of times to get it right.

[marzboy]

Nice thank you!!

[perryg114]

That is very similar to how I polish my motorcycle parts. I use a black bar and red bar to polish. The only difference is my buffing wheel is mounted on a bench grinder. I was thinking that most folks on here use a much larger polisher using the flat part of the wheel not the edge. I expect this covers more area but may require more passes to get a good polish. Have you tried different techniques? Your results are good. I don't know when I am going to get around to polishing mine but it is not on my priority list at the moment. I do know I want to get it done as fast as possible when I do get around to it. It looks like a recipe for tendonitis.

Keep up the good work.

Perry

[reinergirl]

Originally Posted by Top

I had my son take a few short videos showing the polishing. Hopefully they are helpful to anyone that is wondering about polishing their trailer. I'm using a nearly worn out 10" yellow treated vented buffing wheel from Caswellplating.com and FORMAX Black Magic compound.

Top

I have some questions.

Why do you go vertically? It was my understanding that the benefit of the Jestco system was that the scratches are vertical and thus easier get out?

Also I see you polish when it warmer, I find if I polish in the upper 80's I get a bronzy color showing up, it comes off with passes at a lower temp but is annoying because it only shows up under certain light so I have to keep going back. Is this because I'm using a loose sewn buf instead of the treated airway wheel? Perhaps I'm heating the polish ?

I certainly can't argue with the superior result you get! Looks great!

I'm also having problems with what I thought was burning thru the alclad
See here http://www.airforums.com/forums/f441...ml#post1334586

Thanks for posting all these. I wish I could go to polishing school at your place!

[Frank's Trailer Works]

I am not Lance, but we practice almost identical methods...
In Texas it always hot so you work with what you have. I do however prefer to polish when it is hot. I have many reasons for why. When it is hot, the bars are like lipstick. I think they cut better but do not know why. It just seems to cut better. The constant sweating also helps keep the oxide from sticking to my skin so it easier to clean off my body. When it cold, the bars take longer time to do their magic.
The reason for vertical lines is that the eye sees them less than horizontal lines. The cyclo breaks them up however....

[Lance M]

Originally Posted by perryg114

That is very similar to how I polish my motorcycle parts. I use a black bar and red bar to polish. The only difference is my buffing wheel is mounted on a bench grinder. I was thinking that most folks on here use a much larger polisher using the flat part of the wheel not the edge. I expect this covers more area but may require more passes to get a good polish. Have you tried different techniques? Your results are good. I don't know when I am going to get around to polishing mine but it is not on my priority list at the moment. I do know I want to get it done as fast as possible when I do get around to it. It looks like a recipe for tendonitis.

Keep up the good work.

Perry

Thanks Perry. Yes, I do also use the wool polishing pads and Nuvite. The wheels and bars do the best at the first cut. After that, the Nuvite with wool pads, and later the cyclo, gives the best final shine.

Originally Posted by marzboy

Nice thank you!!

You are very welcome.

Originally Posted by reinergirl

Top

I have some questions.

Why do you go vertically? It was my understanding that the benefit of the Jestco system was that the scratches are vertical and thus easier get out?

Also I see you polish when it warmer, I find if I polish in the upper 80's I get a bronzy color showing up, it comes off with passes at a lower temp but is annoying because it only shows up under certain light so I have to keep going back. Is this because I'm using a loose sewn buf instead of the treated airway wheel? Perhaps I'm heating the polish ?

I certainly can't argue with the superior result you get! Looks great!

I'm also having problems with what I thought was burning thru the alclad
See here http://www.airforums.com/forums/f441...ml#post1334586

Thanks for posting all these. I wish I could go to polishing school at your place!

Thanks Shelly!
What is referred to as the "Jestco" system in the aluminum trailer polishing world has been around for a very, very long time in the industrial, heavy truck and tank polishing world. It isn't anything new or revolutionary. It is an ol skool method to polish metal. It works best on big, thick chunks of aluminum like truck fuel tanks, propane tanks and rims. It can be a chore to get it to work well and look great polishing a thin layer of aluminum on a sheet. That is why I start with the wheels and bars and move to Nuvite to finish.
This panel had so much pitting, chips and filiform, that I knew I would have to make at least two passes so the first pass was vertical and the second was horizontal. As Frank says below, the scratch orientation vertically lessens the appearance of the lines. They are there no matter which way you go. It really doesn't matter if you plan to remove (or lessen the appearance) of the scratches with a cyclo or other random orbit polisher.
It is hot here, 102 today, but I'm in the shop and not in the sun. It works when it's hot, but I wouldn't try it in the sun when it is this hot. I have three loose cotton wheels. I don't use them. I tried, but they didn't work for me. I can't seem to find a good use for them. Maybe try the untreated (soft) vented wheels.
Yes that looks like undercast in the photos you posted on the other thread. There are many variables that can make undercast. Sometimes it is a dirty wheel, or an uneven overlap, SF/min too high, moving too slow and overheating, breathing too heavily-you name it. The good thing is a wool pad and F7 will usually get it out as Vernon remarked on the other thread. You have to be in the sweet spot all the time for it to be flawless. That is a very difficult thing to do, and I hope to get there someday.
I'm still learning how to polish myself, so when you come to Texas, we can learn together

Originally Posted by 62overlander

I am not Lance, but we practice almost identical methods...
In Texas it always hot so you work with what you have. I do however prefer to polish when it is hot. I have many reasons for why. When it is hot, the bars are like lipstick. I think they cut better but do not know why. It just seems to cut better. The constant sweating also helps keep the oxide from sticking to my skin so it easier to clean off my body. When it cold, the bars take longer time to do their magic.
The reason for vertical lines is that the eye sees them less than horizontal lines. The cyclo breaks them up however....

You are right about that Frank. Three more months of summer!
What you have said and written about polishing is very true, you are making finer and finer scratches until you cant visually detect them. They are there and always will be, but you can't see them when the "reformed" surface is as smooth as possible.

So that brings us up to the tanks-
Solid aluminum like a truck fuel tank. The wheels and bars work spectacularly after sanding and hand wet sanding through 800 grit.

[Lance M]

Here are a few more pics.
The roof remains.


I polished the bumper. It looks a lot better than it used to.


Now it's time to get the roof done with Black Magic, then start all over compounding with Nuvite F7 and finishing with the cyclo, F7 then S. Hopefully I can have her looking good for the Texas Vintage Rally in October.

[Lance M]

We took Abby on a long winter trip to visit my parents for Christmas. It was a long tow. We towed with the Sequoia so we'd have room for the furry felines of the family.
Some trip stats-
Miles-2,230
Gallons of gasoline-244
Fuel cost-$493
9.14 MPG

I know many people would not set out for Minnesota on December 22nd from Texas, but it was worth it to me. Hopefully someday my children will fully appreciate the effort it takes to spend the holidays with family.

I have some better pictures I'll add in a later post.

Here is a pic from the beginning of the last 100 miles on the way to Minnesota.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink

It got much worse after this picture, but we took it slow and made it to my parent's street without problem. Unfortunately, I lost traction going up the hill to my parents driveway and couldn't get moving again. I ended up backing down the hill and making another run at it with the W/D disconnected. This time I made it.
We spent four nights in my parent's driveway. It is nice to have your own home on wheels

[desertair27]

Man your trailer looks great!
Good to hear your trip went well, time with the family is the best!

[Lance M]

[slowmover]

Needed a video of that "tractor pull"!!

Decided to get off the road in OK a few days back as the sun was going down (empty trailer @ 9800-lbs; loaded was 49,900-lbs; near zip traction on Drives) as the only travelers were a few RVers. No truck traffic. West of OKC was a disaster, I was a little east on IH40.

Parked, felt a little like a wuss. Had a French Canadian trucker pull in next to me. Expressed my less than manly feelings about stopping early. Sorry I can't do his accent -- or perfectly reproduce his sentiments concerning iced bridges, ha!

Bet you missed the ED. Cummins and others recommend the use of a winter front up to 40F. Comes off at 41F. Well worth having one. That, and some DIY plumbing underhood to capture hot air near the turbo to keep IAT high is worth the trouble.

The latest big truck - a KW -- has factory fuel heating. Something to add to my CTD with the MOPAR Extreme Duty Filter Kit. Hopefully the ED has this covered. DIY get-by is to carve a styrofoam block.

An Espar or Webasto diesel-fired coolant heater can provide cab heat, and, with a little DIY, to a truck bed with topper. Those who have 'em, love 'em.

What tires on the Sequoia?

[Lance M]

The Sequoia has 255/60/18 XL Kumho Road Venture APT KL51. They are not the best tires I've ever had. They run hot in the summer, have poor traction on ice and snow and they follow ruts in the road.(tramlining) I'll be replacing them with 265/60/18 Michelin Defender LTX M/S in the future.

[Lance M]

Getting new upholstery and drapes took many more years than I thought it would. Turns out we were fine with the original stuff for nine years.
Last fall in preparation for the winter camping season we took Abby to Matney's Upholstery in Bridgeport, TX for new upholstery and drapes. Dan and Stephanie do the best work. I mean, the best!
Before-


After-


One thing that has always been a problem was the pull down shades in the kitchen and bath. I did a little upgrade there with Dometic pulldown shades from Zarcor. I removed the broken plastic shade frame and polished the screen frame. Polishing it was a chore.
Before-

After-

[DKB_SATX]

The updates look great!

[Lance M]

After getting new upholstery and drapes it was time Paul and Ann at A&P Vintage Trailer In Paradise, Texas to install new Zip-Dee awnings. We got both the patio awning and the street side awnings. It made the hot Texas sun a little more bearable.

2010-

2020-


I think next is to replace this old Dometic Fridge with a Vitrifrigo.

[Lance M]

Originally Posted by DKB_SATX

The updates look great!

Thanks David.

[DKB_SATX]

Vitrifrigo leads to batteries and solar...