Shiny, sort of.

Polishing is kicking my butt!  I try to keep posts to this blog light hearted but it turns that polishing may be a dark art, disturbing and unsettling in it's very nature.  I have tried a variety of polishing methods but I'm sorry to report that shortcuts don't exist. 

I finally settled on the Jestco method that I saw demonstrated by Levon at the Restoration Rally in New Mexico.  See here for the instructions.   Jestco actually makes an Airstream polishing kit.

Levon's a funny guy and I'm starting to think that a sense of humor is necessary.   At the very least it helps.  

 I started with the grey rouge bar but had to drop down to the more aggressive black black bar that I got from Caswells.  The grey just wasn't cutting it...... literally.   I'm about 25 hours into it and still learning.  That's a heck of a learning curve!  There's an optimum speed, amount of polish, even a temperature of the metal and air.  I'd share with you what they are but I haven't figured it out yet!   All I know is that some days it goes great and other days I feel like I'm going backwards.    Every single panel seems to have a "sweet spot"  and none are exactly alike.

Today, I started getting little tails of dried polish under where I was working.  What's up with that!  I had to keep stopping and removing them.  Maybe because it was too cold?   I use the rouge pretty sparingly. 

I also  find myself going through something like the five stages of grief  errr  polishing: 

Denial - I know everyone says polishing is bad, but it won't be for me.. after all.I like the detail stuff, some Itunes and the right tools and it'll be great!

Anger - Four hours  today and that's all I have to show for it!! A cloudy mess!!

Bargaining - One more pass, just one more pass and I'll be able to move on. 

Depression -  Okay, it  took me 20 Hours to do this one section, if I continue at the same rate I'll be done uh uh uh   next year?

Acceptance  - Looks pretty good..........from 25 feet away!

I just got a phone call from my sister,  turns out my daughter called her and said " You have to talk my mom down from the polishing tree."    Ha Ha Ha     Sis tried to commiserate with me but since her husband has done all the polishing to date, I'm not buying it.  Hey sis, call me back after you've put in your first 25 hours.

Tomorrows another day and no,  I'm not posting pictures.   I'll post pictures when I'm happy with how it looks,  maybe never.