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Post by winterwood on Mar 13, 2008 7:11:27 GMT 10
I'm soon to take possession of a Globe Trotter with an aluminum front, rear & roof. Whilst it has been stored under cover in a car port for many years, it is in need of a good clean (especially the interior around the stove area). I tried briefly at the time of purchase, using only water and a rag, but it still looked somewhat dull and flat.
Does anyone have any helpful suggestions??
Winterwood
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Post by Suzann and Matt (Schultzy) on Mar 13, 2008 7:30:49 GMT 10
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Post by winterwood on Mar 13, 2008 7:36:27 GMT 10
Thanks Suzann for your quick reply, would love to know what product Matt used as there is little point in trying to reinvent the wheel.
Winterwood
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Post by Roehm3108 on Mar 13, 2008 16:57:18 GMT 10
I think that if you look under the US airstream site that you would get a lot of info on this subject, as the polish their vans to a mirror finish.
Ray
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Post by exocet on Mar 13, 2008 19:19:45 GMT 10
Hi Winterwood, a very good product i have found which works very well is a product called PURPLE , available at all good 4WD accessory shops, it shines alloy bullbars up like new!
Cheers Exocet
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 13, 2008 20:59:24 GMT 10
Hi winterwood, this topic pops up from time to time on the forum. There's probably as many different ways of cleaning/polishing aluminium as there are days in the year. I know firefighter has talked about a product the truckies use (might be the same as what exocet is talking about).
Just to confuse you further, here are a couple of ideas I've collected off this forum in past research...
Cleaning / Polishing Aluminium vans, Idea No.1
"Re: CARAPARKER`S (GREGGY) VAN
« Reply #5 on Oct 10, 2004, 1:43pm »
________________________________________
Trev and carrots and will
The first thing I wish I had done to strip all the paint of would have been too pressure wash it, but I didn't have access to one!
What I did do was remove carefully all the lichen with a very soft plastic scraper, like those used to apply sign vinyl, then paint stripper and again a plastic scraper, around the windows i used the finest steel wool I could buy, I bought a spindle to fit a stitched poilishing "mop" or buffing wheel to my Hitachi disc sander, It has two speeds which are handy, then after all the paint was removed, including all the tiny spots that only came off with a thumb nail (quite painfull actually) I applied buffing rouge,available in bar for from industrial metalworking supply stores under the name Orion ( a Browny looking colour not quite the red that the name suggests)
Kerosene was used to remove the residue but some can be left on as it helps protect the surface.
Once that was done a final polish with either "mothers mag wheel polish" or "Autosol" finished with a lambswool buff did the trick.
This is not a job for the feint hearted as I had to stop the job for 6 months as I lost feeling in three fingers of my right hand due to the vibration of the sander with the buff on.
trev and carrots I coulld recomend an aluminium brightener (Chemical) from industrial chemical supplies especially if the van to be stripped is an embossed one, like an early viscount etc.Try your best to avoid one containing hydroflouric acid, as in like the plague, as that can burn the flesh from your bones, and that is no exageration!,you have to neutralise it with lime asap if not before,so leave it alone.
always wear all the recomended safety gear especially the correct respirator, but it will reward you with a good bright finish."
Idea No.2: "If you want to make the alloy clean as new, don't waste money on commercial cleaners, just buy a few 2 litre bottles of coke, shake up and spray on, leave sit for a few minutes then scrub while using more coke and then hose off."
Haven't used either of them so I'm just giving them to you for consideration.
Good luck!!
cheers,
Al.
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Post by vintagecaravans on Mar 14, 2008 8:24:07 GMT 10
One other method to bring it up like new and use no effort at all (except opening up your wallet, and it isn't cheap) is to have it soda blasted, it brings the metal up like new, even textured stuff! you can leave your windows and even rubbers all intact and does not destroy them. This method is so gentle they have even stripped a mate of mines plywood caravan, and it came back naked and perfect as the day it was nailed together, and he still had all his glass in the windows. the van was stripped inside and out, I think it cost him about two grand though - OUCH!!!! but just an alternative option for the dollar rich and time energy poor.
Matt
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tonyh
Full Member
"Dolly" 1967 Riviera
Posts: 256
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Post by tonyh on Mar 14, 2008 21:33:49 GMT 10
Hi Winterwood,
A buff and Goddards Glow in a tube - works great and to final polish and keep it looking good is BrightShine - comes in a yellow can with wadding inside - " the moto says - a little goes a long way"
I had a drag ute that had heaps of polished aluminum including full door trims and the complete lid on the pick up bed polished aluminum and a run over was all it needed before each meeting.
Cheers, TonyH.
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Post by bobshannon on Mar 15, 2008 10:43:17 GMT 10
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Post by winterwood on Mar 16, 2008 22:04:07 GMT 10
Special thanks to everyone who responded so quickly to my query. Will endeavour to put all/some of you suggestions in practice, when I pick up the Globe Trotter in about 5 weeks time.
With many thanks
Winterwood
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Post by greedy53 on Mar 17, 2008 19:25:23 GMT 10
i was once a interstate truck driver and had 2 very large fuel tanks and i would buff them up like chrome with a mix 3 parts brasso to 1 part kero for the very oxadised this would get very shiny and a buffer with same kept it shinny
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