mel
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1964 Shasta Airflyte
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Post by mel on Jul 6, 2015 11:13:32 GMT -8
Hi, I have been shining 3/4 of a wing up with 0000 steel wool followed by mothers polish. But I am not getting the mirror finish I would like. Are my wings just destroyed too much that it isn't possible to get a mirror finish?? Also I have stripped burgundy paint off them and one of the wings has a little bit left that will NOT come off, I have tried to strip it about 5 times now. Any suggestions? Here are some photos Here is a close up of the paint that won't come off  around the edges there is a line of something that won't come off, and rust by the holes  Here is the best photo to tell the difference between the 2 right now, the one did shine up decent, I was just looking for better   close up
Doesn't look very shiny in this photo
 
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Post by Ross on Jul 6, 2015 12:28:18 GMT -8
From what I have read and understand, in order to get a high shine on aluminum, you have to start with high quality aluminum and one that doesn't have a "mill" finish on it.
Hopefully, someone will chime in, who has more experience with aluminum and polishing metals.
As for getting the last of the paint off.....after I have used paint stripper, I follow up with 0000 steel wool and lacquer thinner. AND even after that, you can still have a faint residue left.
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HeavyD
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Post by HeavyD on Jul 6, 2015 17:01:07 GMT -8
I have hundreds of hours into polishing the metal on my trailer. In hindsight, I probably should have purchased new metal. Regardless, I was able to get it pretty shiny. I found that a two part approach worked for me. I make one pass with a felt pad using a medium polishing compound, looks like a brown stick of putty. This takes a while, but gets most of the heavy stuff off. Then I make several passes with Nuvite metal polish using a wool pad. I start with grade F7 and then switch to grade C. The more passes I make, the better it gets.
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Ten
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70 Shasta 16SC + 1964 Airflyte
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Post by Ten on Jul 6, 2015 17:06:03 GMT -8
Have you tried buffing them? I have been doing all the aluminum on the SC in much the same way. I use a courser grade of steel wool, and it seems to leave decent results. You might try a little rubbing with a #1 coarse wool first, then a gentle rub with 3-aught or 4-aught wool. Polish with the Mothers polish, wipe down then hit it with a buffing wheel in your drill. After gently buffing it out, clean the residues away with Windex. The results are amazing.
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Post by bigbill on Jul 7, 2015 0:01:09 GMT -8
What I think you are seeing is severe oxidation that occurred before the wings were painted, if so you will have to polish that out before you will get the shine you desire. Polishing by hand will be next to impossible you will need to use a power system unless you are willing to spend hundreds of hours rubbing. To get a high shine you have to polish out all surface imperfections. A high shine on oxidized alum is a lot of work. Also you might wish to fasten the aluminum to a piece of plywood larger the the alum by at least a couple inches to allow you to apply more pressure without bending the aluminum and to help keep the buffer from catching on the edge. Never polish on to the edge always polish off the edges.
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mel
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1964 Shasta Airflyte
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Post by mel on Jul 7, 2015 4:51:51 GMT -8
Thank you guys, I guess I need to get to the hardware store for some wheels for my drill |
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Post by vintagebruce on Jul 7, 2015 5:56:11 GMT -8
I kind of went to the "source" and pulled up this thread with FAQs for Airstream polishing. It is worth reading to get an idea about something like the wings as well as tackling a whole camper or polishing a decorative section. I know there are a number of "Systems" out there by professional polishing companies...I did not find it immediately but a series of YouTube or how to videos by I think Nuvit or Nuvite was one that impressed me in the past (impressed by the astronomical number of hours and changes in polishing cloths and grades of abrasives) to get that mirror finish. I can see why clear coat applications became popular once you get that initial finish if that is what you want. Anyway, here is some basic info...the one asking is there a wrong way to polish a trailer is especially interesting, since most of us will ask...what is the best way to polish, while a lot fewer of us will ask...is there a wrong way to polish... vintageairstream.com/frequently-asked-questions-faqs/polishing/ |
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mel
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1964 Shasta Airflyte
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Post by mel on Jul 7, 2015 7:11:55 GMT -8
I kind of went to the "source" and pulled up this thread with FAQs for Airstream polishing. It is worth reading to get an idea about something like the wings as well as tackling a whole camper or polishing a decorative section. I know there are a number of "Systems" out there by professional polishing companies...I did not find it immediately but a series of YouTube or how to videos by I think Nuvit or Nuvite was one that impressed me in the past (impressed by the astronomical number of hours and changes in polishing cloths and grades of abrasives) to get that mirror finish. I can see why clear coat applications became popular once you get that initial finish if that is what you want. Anyway, here is some basic info...the one asking is there a wrong way to polish a trailer is especially interesting, since most of us will ask...what is the best way to polish, while a lot fewer of us will ask...is there a wrong way to polish... vintageairstream.com/frequently-asked-questions-faqs/polishing/Thank you, very helpful |
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