[VAC] Spins on Finishing

["Bob Kiger" <bobkiger@xxxxxxxx>]

My inquiries have shown at least two schools of thoughts on finishing the
hull on Vintage Airstreams.  Since it is inevitable that the original clear
coat will oxidize and become dull, you can either accept that as a badge of
experience or attempt to make it shiny and new, which is where the two
schools seperate.

School #1 - Use chemistry . . . sometimes heavy chemistry to strip off the
clear coat.  Bix, Savagran, lacquer thinner, acetone, Jasco stripper,
Aluma-1, Aluminum Jelly and on and on.  Apply the chemicals, wait and then
buff, scrape or rinse off (depending on the product).  Many coats usually
reported as required.  In one case nearly 5 gallons of stripper for a 25
foot unit.

School #2 - Polish and buff off the clear coat.  This seems confusing to
newbies like me.  I want to "strip, before I polish"!  But the net result is
thee same.  Using abrasive polishes like Rolite and special pads on a
hi-tech buffer one can polish (code name abrade) the clear coat off while
segweying into a real waxy polish that will preserve.

Have I missed any major techniques? Both approaches seem to have their
advocates and they are armed with beautiful photos of finished products.  I
am now standing by for action . . . but I'm not sure which way to go.

Bob Kiger aka Cruiser Bob
278 Idaho St. #10
Ashland, Oregon  97520
Phone (541) 201-0916
bobkiger@home.com