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Elite Veteran
Posts: 681
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas | I know it is good to wax the colored part of your aluminum trailer, but should you wax the extruded sides also, to keep them from oxidizing? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 662
Location: Vanzant, Missouri | Mag & Aluminum Polish or PowerMetal aluminum polish would be the most appropriate product to use. I use the Mothers brand of aluminum polish.No need for waxing. Also have a good buffer. Mine looked brand new after it was done. This was 2yrs ago and it just now needs to be done again..
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Expert
Posts: 2614
| It's actually polishing the extruded and any other unpainted aluminum sections of your trailer rather than waxing.Waxing is for the painted areas.The aluminum polishes will rub off black,and,you'll go through a ton of rags getting it off.I'd use a buffer,and,toss the bonnets when you're finished.you won't have to do it often,as was mentioned,it will last a long time which it should,for the job you'll put in doing it! |
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Regular
Posts: 69
Location: TEXAS | for polishes the best I have found is english custom polishing truckers polish. It makes a big differnce in long term shine when the polish does not have any acid in it. I found that the alot of polishes have acid in then. That is one reason you get a nicer finish faster, but it does not last as long. http://englishcustompolishing.com/usca/general.html Theese guys know soo much about getting stuff shined up there are also links on there site for polishing tips also. One paint I really like the porter cable orbital buffer and usually use 3M, evercoat, or adams. I get the pads for that buffer from adams also. That buffer is also real easy to use, with much less risk of damaging a finish like you can do with a rotory buffer. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 681
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas | Thanks all.. My trailer still looks brand new, but since it's sitting in my driveway.. too wet to put back at the barn without rutting everything up, I thought I'd polish/wax/ whatever it to keep it nice and let me play with it a little more..... This salt air is Hell on everything...Just finished putting a gridwall panel in it and hanging baskets on it.. I like it a lot...Now I can arrange and rearange to my heart's content..Probably one more panel and some more baskets would be just right....I'll try to remember to post pictures.. I wish I had thought to take a before picture to post for comparison.... Now what to do with the 8 corral panels I have stuffed into my rear tack compartment along with my buckets and hay/feed.. Any ideas? I'd thought to mount them on the nose in an upright (vertical) position, but wondered if it'd be too much wind drag.. i don't think my fender is wide enough to hold them all on the curbside and if I split them half and half to the right and left fenders, they would interfere with my dropping my head windows.. I wish they collapsed.....of course a 3 horse slant with a front escape door would have been nice, too..That 3rd stall would have been great for storage..I don't have the power to pull it and couldn't justify a new vehicle (and paying 2 notes) just to pull a bigger trailer than I truly needed. |
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Veteran
Posts: 231
Location: Illinois | Where would someone find |
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Veteran
Posts: 231
Location: Illinois | Where would one find a buffer that has a slower RPM...small in size and doesn't weight 20lbs. THANKS ! |
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Regular
Posts: 69
Location: TEXAS | http://www.tools-plus.com/porter-cable-7424.html buffer I do not know the exact wieght but would bet less than 10lbs. My wife has no complaints running it. And like said above the orbital buffer are very forgiving and easy to use. http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-330-adams-dual-action-foam-pad-kit-w-free-4oz-apc.aspx Adams products are bar none the best. I use the 3m and evercoat when I have alot to do since they can be less. But adams is great, and the only thing that goes on my trucks. buffer pads real nice ones or the whole kit. http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-338-adams-7424xp-dual-action-car-polishing-kit.aspx
Edited by jakefreese 2009-12-05 6:08 PM
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Expert
Posts: 2614
| To polish an all-aluminum mill finish horse trailer,one would probably need a gallon of Adam's polish I would think. |
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Regular
Posts: 69
Location: TEXAS | on an aluminum trailer I would acid wash first if it is real bad then polish, that would knock a substantial amount of crud off. My TW trailer takes about a quart of wax to do. Polish does go further though. I helped a buddy with his polished aluminum Hart 5 horse with dressing room and I think I remember going through 2 quarts, and we acid washed it first. It looked brand new when we were done. |
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Expert
Posts: 2614
| Um-at $15 for 250ml,that could get pretty darn pricey,couldn't it? |
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Regular
Posts: 69
Location: TEXAS | It can but that 250ml goes a long long way also. polishes go much much further than waxes do. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 402
Location: Lockport, Illinois | A quart is 32 ounces. A litre is 1000 ml. or equal to four 250 ml bottles or 33.8 ounces. So at $15.00 a 250 ml bottle, a quart would approximately cost $60.00. |
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Expert
Posts: 2614
| Right.Plus shipping. |
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Expert
Posts: 5870
Location: western PA | There are many marine metal cleaners and polishes that work very well on aluminum trailers. Most can be found here: http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/search_subCategory.do?categoryName=Metal Polish&categoryId=561&refine=1&page=GRID Look under the "cleaning and polishing", then click on "metal polishing". For some reason the whole link doesn't work. I like the 3M and Meguires combination cleaners, deoxidizer and polishes. Anyone with a wood working random orbit sander, can purchase velcro backed buffing pads. Even though these sanders have a high rpm, the length of each orbit is short, which eliminates most of the heat build up found in conventional circular polishers. They are less aggressive and because of their light weight and size, very easy to use. Gard |
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Member
Posts: 11
Location: United States |
Really helpful information. Thanks for suggesting Adam Product. But i haven't see any trailar waxing kit there, so please suggest me a good one. |
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