Washing and waxing and maybe polishing compound.

[mhorowit]

In an unusual flight of fancy, I'm thinking of washing the beast, possibly using some polishing compound on it and maybe some wax.

Any reason not to 409 the major problem areas, then wash with dishwasher soap and water?

You have a favorite polishing compound to remove oxidized paint? Automotive stuff OK?

Waxing - any to avoid? favorite application method? (just got a cordless drill, so those fluffy pads are looking real good!)

- Mike

[jgerard]

Re: Washing and waxing and maybe polishing compound.

Regular old dish soap has a built in degreaser. Automotive car was soap does not. Dish soap will remove wax from the paint also. Be cautious with other types of degreasers, they might soften or stain your paint. Simple Green seems ok on most finishes. I would recommend a paste type wax and to apply it by hand then remove it with the buffer. BE CAREFUL NOT TO BURN A HOLE IN THE FABRIC WITH A BUFFER!!!!!!!! seen it done before. Good luck and don't forget to take some advill before you start to keep the pain to a minimum.

Jason
N43643

[Guest]

Re: Washing and waxing and maybe polishing compound.

Hi Mike,

I have had good success with Mother's California Gold past wax. AutoZone carrys it.

I use two electric buffers, both are those cheap slow speed, low power orbital buffers.

I got one from a friend who no longer wanted it. It's about 6" diameter and I use it to apply the wax. It's very low power and slow so it has very little chance of damaging the dope finish except on corners where higher surface pressure might be applied. I crumble a chunk of the past wax and smear it on the buffer pad or directly on the surface then use the buffer to apply it.

I do a few square feet untill the first part begins to get dry enough to buff it off then use the second buffer to remove dry wax and polish. The second buffer cost me about $20 at WalMart and is about 8" or 10". Both buffers have terry cloth covers.

This has been the easiest method I've found so far (other than getting someone else to do it!).

These buffers are slow and low power, I have not ever had a problem or fear that I would damage anything unless I pressed real hard on a corner where the buffer pad rested on just a small area like a trailing edge or a tail feather leading egde, so far so good.

I wouldn't use a drill motor buffer fearing it would easily do damage.

I have to occassionally use a strong cleaner to clean my T-craft. They allow jets at our airport (imagine that) and they seem to leave a black soot/film behind that stains the dope and is tough to get off or out. Sometimes I use a degreaser to remove these stains and prefer that method over abrasive polishing compound. I would not use polishing compund.

Also be careful about the contents of the cleaner/degreaser. I have seen some that contain butyl and as I recall that may be a solvent (or perhaps retarder) for dope, memory is a little fuzzy on this.

Hope this helps, Dave.