Compounding -just cloudy, not shiny--help!

[Bobo12]

I've been compounding my trailer for the last month or so. Actually I started with the Cyclo and F7, and it seemed to be doing the job (except for one cloudy area). Then I ran into clearcoat problems, stripped that, and now I'm having a heck of a time getting any panel to be shiny. Parts of it are shiny, but not all.

I switched to the 1/2" drill with wool pad hoping that would help. It's much, much faster, but I still have about 50% of the areas looking cloudy.

By the way, I did the toothpaste test to ensure the clearcoat is gone.

I'm confused. Some posts say to hand polish (I tried, no luck!). Some say to wet-sand (kinda scared to do that), acid wash (hmmm?), G6 (I don't want to have to wait for it to arrive), Mother's, Southern Shine......Too many options.

What have you tried that definitely removed the cloudy areas?

[uwe]

Make sure the clear coat is stripped completely.
Make sure your buffing pad is clean, or at least raked and ready to go.
Use a compound that is courser than Nuvite C
Take your time, some metals simply will not polish as easily as others.
I have some areas on adjoining sheets that look totally different, until the last step of the polishing process, when you're using the cyclo and S.
Oh, don;t get confused over all the different methods. If you stick with the instructions from perfectpolish.com, then you will be close to success, with very few exceptions.
Best wishes!

[Safari Tim]

One thing that can't be stressed enough is going slow.

When compounding you use very little amounts of polsih, like a couple of fingerprints worth, then go about 1 inch per second or slower. Make sure you are using a low speed drill.

Also depended on the condition of the aluminum, you may have to go over the same area multiple times. I had bad filform corrosion and had to go over the same spot over 10 times.

Good luck! don't forget to take pictures!

[53flyingcloud]

Bobo12,
It really boils down to technique, technique...let the metal talk to you..You'll know what I mean later as you really get into it.
It's also important to understand how the different grades of compounding chemicals work and, when to switch over to the next grade as the work progress. For example, you don't wanta start out using S grade when you should be using G6, etc..
As SafariTim said, use lil dabs of the chemical and, do a small section at a time. The speed of the drill is important..try going real slow at first to allow the chemical a chance to breakdown the crud you want to remove. (If the surface starts showing up as black, then it's working as it should..)
Be sure you do this when the Airstream is not in the direct sunlight. It's really important that the temp of the skin be within the proper range..
I'll be watching your progress reports..
Tim is an excellent teacher..pick his brains~

53FC
Good luck..

I hope you don't mind if I join in here. I also am compounding using a very slow speed drill (500 rpm) and F7 and it really doesn't seem to be doing too much. I removed the wide blue stripe around the Excella which left a gray shadow and that isn't coming off at all. Any sugestions? Should I be compounding with G6? All my materials are from Perfect Polish, wool bonnets etc.

[Bobo12]

For one cloudy area, I stripped it 3 times to be sure I really removed all of the clearcoat. I've compounded it 3 times also. Each time, the cloudiness doesn't improve. Can I make the cloudiness worse by going over it again and again?


What is coarser than Nuvite C? I'm using F7.

Will any cloudiness improve when I move on to the S stage?

Can't polish today --rainy all morning, now it's sunny and about 90!

Thanks for your advice!

[uwe]

I think you're fine with the F7. G6 is also supposed ot be a bit more gritty than C. Just keep going, nice and slow.
Can you post some pictures of the problem area?
Thos with more experience in polishing than me might see a relevant issue, while I am merely trying to keep you motivated.....