How Do You Polish Around Letters?

[JohnG]

This is probably a dumb question. I figure that you have to do it by hand, but can you still achieve the mirror finish by hand. I don't want to have to pull the letters off so what's the trick?
Also what about polishing around window frames and the nameplate and other items on the trailer, are these all done by hand?

[bjond]

I took my Globetrotter letters off by cutting a hole in the inner skin and removing the spring clips on the pegs of the letters.

I use a block of hard form (packing material) to hand polish around windows, the door etc where the buffer won't work. I have been disappointed with just polishing by hand as the result leaves finger swirls. Use sweatshirt or microfiber cloth over the foam to polish with. Cotton towels will leave scratches.

[Rog0525]

Originally Posted by Herb Spies

I took my Globetrotter letters off by cutting a hole in the inner skin and removing the spring clips on the pegs of the letters.

How did you patch those holes?

[JohnG]

I really don't want to remove the letters. I would much prefer just going with the exta sweat and working slowly around the letters. Will this block method work in such tight areas as the letters?

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by JohnG

I really don't want to remove the letters. I would much prefer just going with the exta sweat and working slowly around the letters. Will this block method work in such tight areas as the letters?

Dremel with a polishing wheel?

Aaron

[JohnG]

Originally Posted by wahoonc

Dremel with a polishing wheel?

Aaron

I tried a Dremel but it didn't seem to work very well either. I don't think you can apply enough pressure to get a good result with such a small and lightweight tool. I'm only in the first stage of polishing the nose area right now. I'm using the first step of the Rolite system. I want to get this area polished up and then repaint the letters before I install the rock guard over the front windows.

Finishing the trailer off to a mirror shine will make the letter areas on the front and back look really bad if they can't come out to a good shine also, but I don't expect the high quality shine that will surrond them.

I though of cutting them off and doing the work, but I'm not sure I like the idea of riveting them back on and not sure I could get them straight again.

[Mflanery]

Did you ever solve this problem

[outofcontrol]

Originally Posted by Mflanery

Did you ever solve this problem

Not sure if you noticed, but this post was from 9+ years ago.

FWIW: I removed my letters to polish under them. I figured that I'm spending 200+ hours to polish, what's another 15 min?

-Kevin