[VAC] Acid use on aluminum

["phil patterson" <patermichael@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

  I have been reading the bits about polishing and wanted to put my two 
cents in. When I polished my 61 Tradewind 3 yrs ago, I tried everything, 
which seems to be normal operating proceedure. For polishing and lasting the 
Rolite seemed to work the best. I found it at the Oshkosh Airshow for 
airplane use. I did a few areas with other polishes to begin with but the 
areas done with Rolite held up the longest. One thing I tried was an acid 
wash, it was specifically made for aluminum, I believe the acid name started 
with an f but I cannot remember the name. I know it smelled exactly like an 
acid that was sold for use in pleping metals for soldering. My trailer had a 
lot of oxidation, the acid attacked it and turned it very bright silver. I 
think it helped to get the oxidation off with the acid but it still required 
many hours of polishing. Now after 3yrs I need to go over it again to remove 
the cloudiness, I am wondering if it would be worthwile to use the acid 
again? Has anyone had experience with it on shiny aluminum? I know it is the 
same thing used to clean aluminum semis.  Also when I was polishing 
originally, I compared a section of the roof that was polished to an 
unpolished section next to it and there was a tremendous head difference 
sitting in the Texas sun in summer.  Phil