[VAC] Polishing---Basics

[wescott50@xxxxxxxxx (Bill Scott)]

All of this acid wash talk, and easy way to polish ,...............talk,
makes me laugh and think about wayward children and about teenagers that
think their parents are stupid.   On this list, we have at least a dozen
people that have polished their Airstreams, once or twice or more.  I
have polished four Airstreams and my Bambi twice.  WAM and Ed Emerick
and Tom Howarth, and Roy Lashway have much experience polishing
Airstreams.  Doug Rowbottom also did a fine job, up in Canada.  I'm sure
they will all testify that there is no "Easy" way to do it.  We always
hear about this "New" magic juice that you just spray on , and spray
off, and "Viola",  Bare, Shiney, Aluminum.   Sorry
folks,.............NOT POSSIBLE.  My early experimentation, included
using hydrocloric acid in different dilutions, and it does work, but is
also takes off the "Alcad", or Alclad, pure thin Aluminum cladding  from
the alloy.  The result is not good, and it took extra time to smooth out
the mess the acid made.  Some of us gave advice hoping that the
"rookies", would not make the same mistakes we made, and it would then
be easier and cheaper for them to do the polishing,... the right way.
But,......OH, NO,  they didn't listen, or it appears they didn't listen,
and went right back to Met All, or laquer thinner, or acid, or many
other ways that are exactly the WRONG ways to attempt the Polsihing
Process.  So,...........I say to these teenagers,........fine, use acid,
use met all, use flour, use laquer thinner, and any other procedure with
which you are "comfortable".    Then, when you are
finished,................send us a picture, and a report, on that new
magic juice.   But above all,  please, DON'T listen to your elders,
because, we know that they are stupid.  8^)                        (just
venting)

Bill Scott
61 Bambi
66 Trade Wind