Re: [VAC] mirror shine?

[wescott50@xxxxxxxxx (Bill Scott)]

Hi Jim, .......Mr. Belize, with the most beautiful wood floor, I've ever
seen.  So the fairies stole your buffer and drank your
beer,.............what did you expect.

Several people in the VAC have experimented with making their own
polish.  If you will go to any truck stop, or truck accessories store,
you will usually find polishes of different kinds.  Many truckers are
crazy like us about keeping their rigs polished.  Jewelers, and other
metal finishers also carry the "Rouge".  At some truck stops, you can
get the rouge in green, orange, white and brown, and black.  The
different colors indicate what metals and degree of "cut".   The tripoli
in orange, green and white is good on aluminum.  The orange and green is
coarse enough for some cutting ability. The white is very fine and
should be used as a final finish.  Here's what some have tried;  Take a
green bar and a bottle of the green liquid, mix in  microwaveable
plastic bowl, either by cutting the bar into small chunks, or breaking
it into smaller chunks.  Then microwave on high for 2 or 3 minutes.
Check the bar, as it melts, mix it with the liquid into a paste.   You
will have to be careful with the mixing, so as not to overdo it.  Some
people have added, WD-40, as an emulsifier, and some have used a little
kerosene.  Add that later, when the bars have melted, and don't use
much.   The green paste has worked well with heavily oxidized aluminum.
The orange and white have also worked well.  Over all, after you buy the
ingredients, mix them and add the kerosene additive, and a little water,
you will have a close copy of what you can buy commercially.  You can
experiment with it, if you chose, but I have found that the Rolite
products, and now the Nu-vite products  work very well, and the AP-300,
is a very fine "final" finish, that drys with a hard surface to delay
further oxidation.  I don't think the tripoli bars and rouge bars will
make it any "easier".   It might be a little cheaper, if you mixed your
own.  The big secret in polishing, is to use a good polish sparingly,
and more than anything, have lots of clean, or new pads for your buffer.
When your buffer pad loads up on the black oxidation residue, you must
replace the pad with a clean one.  I found that a little dish detergent,
and some "TSP", from any hardware store, in a bucket will clean the pad
very well.  You can then spin the pad dry, and leave in the sun for
final.  Wool is best for cutting, and cotton pads work best for the
final mirror finish.  If you use that "built like a tank, 12 pound
Milwaukee," and use it with skill and clean pads, very few swirl marks
will be noticeable.  We did see an electric buffer of the roller drum
type, in Bismarck, but I'm not convinced of its final performance,
versus, say a rotary pad buffer , or the Clyclo.   I think you can get a
very decent and fine mirror polish with your Milwaukee variable speed
buffer.   My new Makita variable speed buffer at only 6 lbs, and running
at slow speeds, about 2,000 rpm, did a fine job on my LP tanks and on
WAM's 66 Trade Wind.   Don't wipe off the residue when it turns black.
Just continue to polish, and the pad will spin off the residue as it
begins to dry.   Some people  buff until it gets all black, then stop
and wipe it clean, using solvent.  That is a mistake, because that stops
the final finishing stroke.  Let the pad do that work, of spinning off
the residue.  Continuing in that mode, you will soon see a mirror
finish, and you should be able to read a business card, in the
reflection, from about 2 feet away.  You will certainly be able to see
all your teeth, in that great big "Smile".

Good Luck.

Bill Scott
61 Bambi, VAC & WBCCI #3221
1VP & Membership Chairman , WDCU
http://www.servintfree.net/wbcci-dc/