Shining up windows and drip caps

[franksshasta]

What's the best method that you have used to shine up the window frames and drip caps?

[Atomic Addiction]

Well, there is no simple one answer to that.

They are aluminum so you want a good aluminum polish. MANY people use MANY different things. There is not one definite polish or one definite technique. We talked about some of those in the Aluminum Polish thread....

vintageshasta.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=paint&action=display&thread=36

I have yet to do mine. It is on my list but I like to know what I'm getting into before I start. Helps me plan better. I have read a BUNCH of Airstream information before getting the Shasta. Like I said they all use different things, different ways.

With drip rails and window frames you will use different tools than if you were polishing a whole trailer. I myself would remove all of them off of the trailer before starting to polish. Polishing is WAY to messy and you won't have the control if they are stuck on the trailer.

You could use a bench polisher and hold the parts up to it. You could use a small pneumatic die grinder or angle grinder with a polishing cone or wheel. You could slug it out by hand using clean soft cloths. That would get old in a heartbeat.

I can give you one piece of advice. Clean all of the parts before you polish. Use mineral spirits to wipe down all of the parts really well before polishing. Any residue or old polish will counter act what you are trying to do and create scratches in your pieces. New polish doesn't like containments and will not work as well for you.

Good luck and let us know if you need more info.

Brian

[sfhurst]

I am really new to this, but for what it's worth here is what I've been doing for the last couple of weeks.

First, mine had many coats of old paint so step 1 was removal of the old paint Next, I used my RotoTool and a very fine wire brush to remove all of the corrosion and give the frames (and drip guards as well) a smooth satin finish. I then used a polish wheel and fine rouge to polish the aluminum. That worked well, but even by the next day they had lost a bit of their shine. So . . .

With this suggestion I might get voted off the island, I primered my window frames and painted them with a very light Corvette silver. The paint is acrylic enamel (Dupli-Color) touch up paint available at any auto parts store. With a clear coat applied they look like polished aluminum, and will look like that for many, many years. I have used this paint on a lot of items that get a lot of heavy outdoor use and it has never failed me.

[joek]

I'll see if I can find that color. Sounds like a good compromise for me. My windows are way too pitted and corroded, I have been trying every trick on the web.

For what it's worth, there are clear coats you can put on polished aluminum. I have used it on a few underhood components on the show car, and it holds up well and sticks on. You do about about 10% of the shine though. The stuff I used is called Glisten and is made by Por15. I have also heard of people who just wax the polished aluminum to keep the shine.

[61shastacompact]

I have attached a before and after pic of my drip caps. I used a metal polish and elbow grease for these.

On my window frames, I had good luck using SOS pads to knock off most of the oxidation and then followed up with the metal polish by hand. Wet sanding with a 800 grit or higher could be used for more troublesome areas as well.

Jim

Attachments:

[sfhurst]

WOW -- those look great! I am just too lazy to put in that much effort, but they do look terrific.

BTW - For its worth, the paint I used was Dupli-Color DSGM340 Silver Metallic

[Atomic Addiction]

Nov 4, 2009 18:55:14 GMT -5 sfhurst said:

With this suggestion I might get voted off the island

Nah... You won't get voted off, it is just punishable by death... thats all. ;)

I am more of the purist sort but I do like to see other options. I'm sure some folks dig the polished aluminum better. Then again. It is YOUR trailer. You can do what you want with it so who cares what they think.

Show us some pictures PLEASE!

[61shastacompact]

The metal polish that I have had the best results with is some stuff I have had for over 20 years and is used in the trucking industry. I did not think that it would still be available after all these years, but a Google search proved me wrong. The polish is called Alumag Chrome Metal Polish and can still be found online.



Cheers,

Jim

[tbkillen]

I couldn't find liquid aluminum polish at any local stores until someone suggested checking at Lowes or Home Depot in the section where they sell aluminum truck toolboxes. Sure enough! That's where it was at. Diamond Brite was the brand. It works great. It's also the best polish for raw brass I've found

[62astro]

If they're off the trailer there is an aluminum cleaner that truckers spray on with a weed sprayer and then hose off to clean aluminum. I don't know that it would work if they're on the trailer because it may eat the paint.

For the record mine are painted too, by the PO. It's some kind of funky pattern in it, kind of makes it look like cast iron.

[joek]

Sounds like maybe they used wrinkle paint.

[Atomic Addiction]

Nov 18, 2009 18:39:00 GMT -5 62astro said:

If they're off the trailer there is an aluminum cleaner that truckers spray on with a weed sprayer and then hose off to clean aluminum. I don't know that it would work if they're on the trailer because it may eat the paint.

Most aluminum cleaners contain acid. You don't want it to come in contact with any paint at all.

Brian

[ajknox]

Would painting with a clear coat after polishing work? Just a thought.....

[Bow_Tied]

Nov 4, 2009 18:55:14 GMT -5 sfhurst said:

First, mine had many coats of old paint so step 1 was removal of the old paint

Please elaborate what you did to remove the paint and was it hard/easy etc.?

Open to all suggestions on paint removal.

[shastavic]

I'm the newbie here...my drip caps have alot of old paint on them, what can I use on them (paint remover?..without harming the aluminum) to remove the paint? I posted this question in another area, if mod wants to remove it or move please do so.

Thanx in advance for any info!

[harrison429]

Bow-tied & shastavic - Mine were also painted and I removed the paint easily with Citristrip.
www.citristrip.com/ I especially like it because it's gentle on the hands and nose (smell isn't overpowering). I've used the product on other things as well so I'm not new to it. The paint came off very easily though like all strippers, it is messy.