Hi Patti, Chuck here in California. I have polished several Airstreams. No,
it's not necessary to start with the compounder. It depends onwhat condition
the skin is in. I always start with the least abrasive compound, and work up to
what is necessary to achive the mirror finish. If you have oxidation, pits,
scratches, you will need to compound. If you try to do it all with the cyclo,
you will probaly spend your golden years still polishing. The secret to
getting the nice finish is to take your time, use alot less polish than you think.
I use the compounder, with 3 dots of polish about the size of a M&M. Then
working on a about a 1 foot square, compound first in a downward motion, then
across the same area left to right. After I have done about 6 square feet, I
repeat the process with the next grade of polish, and repeat and repeat. If you
go to PerfectPolish.com. they have the whole process.
Good Luck,
Chuck