Kirkham alum.

[niles]

I love the Kirkham aluminum finish.
It looks like it's burnished. How is it finished and maintained?

thanks

gn

[ST]

It starts by a whole s---load of sanding (one direction) with progressivly finer grits of sandpaper and finished off with ScotchBrite pads.
To maintain you can use any window type cleaner or alcohol.
It ain't as easy as it sounds!

[David Kirkham]

file until your hands bleed
36 grit until you achieve carpal tunnel
80 grit until you scream
120 grit until you go blind
scotch brite until you run out of vocabulary words

Windex

David

[STG]

David,

A while back, I spoke with an airline mechanic who informed me that the jets with "bare aluminum" finishes are actually sprayed with a special clear coat. I wonder if you've checked into this.

Maybe you can ask your guys if those MiGs were clear coated.

[David Kirkham]

I would love to know what clear they used...I'd be using it too!

David

[niles]

David:
thanks for the comments. I assume your final finish is with scotchbrite fine(gray)?

Your and the next comment got me thinking about all the 40/50's Lockhheed's, etc of that era that were highly polished and flown in that polished condition. they obviously had some kind of alum finish to preclud the alum from oxidizing to the dull grey.
I did a quick search and came up empty; BUT, i live near the Pensacola air museum and they have some of the best antique planes(some polished) I've ever seen. I'll go over and search out there chief restorer and see if he can enlighten us in how they do it.

gn

[David Kirkham]

Niles,

Any help would be much appreciated.

We actually finish the car in maroon scotch brite.

David

[John A. Simpson]

Hi David I visited your place in Qctober and got a ride in the black 427 without sidepipes. How are you coming with the aluminum suspension pieces you showed me, are they your regular production items now? Also, are you going to put prices back on your web site. Thanks again for the ride in such a fine example of a totally kick a** car.

John

[Jamo]

These guys are BSing you Niles--it's really easy!

Just give the Kirkhams a certain amount of money, and presto--shes a done!

[STG]

I recall Bob Marsh's story of finding a company that sells/repairs aluminum tankers - oil, gasoline, milk, etc. You know, the really shinny ones you can see yourself in when you're behind thrm on the road.

Evidently, those guys polish aluminum all day long. Come to think of it, those trailers seem to stay shinny, too??

I'll call the air museam in Chino, California and check with them

[750hp]

I bet that "certain" would certainly be a lot if David's descriptive instructions are anything to go by.....

[David Kirkham]

I don't think there is enough money in the world to pay me to polish an big tanker truck...well, maybe.

David

[SuperHart]

Polished aluminum?????? I thought those tanker trailers were stainless steel.

[Bud Man]

David:

You should have said:

Scotchbrite until you look like the Tin Man in the "Wizard of Oz".

Somebody connected constant exposure to aluminum dust to loss of memory, but I can't remember who it was.

Bud

[STG]

RETRACTION ALERT !!!

SuperHart,

Sir, you are obviously correct. The tankers are stainless. Bob's point was that those guys are used to cleaning and polishing, so the idea of getting a large crew to do a replica was appealing.

Question for David:

Do they manufacture polished tanker trailers in Poland? If so, how many Polish polished tanker workers does it take to polish a Polish tanker? For that matter, how many shots of vodka does it take for a Polish trailer polisher to get polished?

[Brent Mills]

What about something like Por 15's Glisten PC or Prelucid?

http://www.porshop.com/porshoptop.html

Pelucid - Rock-Hard Clear Coat - Half Pint
Add tough, incredibly 'deep' clear luster to most any surface with all-new PELUCID™. Pelucid™ is super clear, super glossy, and unbelievably tough! Use it on painted or unpainted steel, fiberglass, wood, and many other surfaces that need a clear luster finish. This tough yet flexible coating dries to a clear-as-water, rock-hard finish that won't crack, chip, peel, or yellow in sunlight, and is actually strengthened by exposure to moisture, rather than weakened like most coatings.



1/2 Pint covers @ 25 Sq. Ft.

Pint covers @ 50 Sq. Ft.

Quart covers @ 100 Sq. Ft.


Pelucid - Rock-Hard Clear Coat - Half Pint Pelucid - Half Pint$14.00


Pelucid - Rock-Hard Clear Coat - Pint Pelucid - Pint$22.00


Pelucid - Rock-Hard Clear Coat - Quart Pelucid - Quart$38.00


Pelucid - Rock-Hard Clear Coat - Gallon Pelucid - Gallon $140.00


Glisten PC - Pint
A Brilliant Two-Component Clear Coating, GLISTEN PC™ is a High Gloss, Rock Hard, Water-clear topcoat designed for spray or brush application over all metal surfaces, including highly polished aluminum and chrome surfaces. Glisten PC will not leave brushmarks, and will dry in less than one hour, but will take 3-4 days to reach maximum hardness.

When Glisten PC is first dry to the touch, it will appear to be very soft. Avoid touching it for several days until it becomes hard and tough. Accidental contact could damage the surface before full cure has taken place. Like many other coatings, Glisten PC is a MOISTURE-CURED coating, which means it is strengthened by exposure to moisture. It will never crack, chip, peel, or yellow, and is very flexible as well.

IDEAL USES: As a protective coating on aluminum wheels, chrome bumpers, marine railings, chrome or aluminum covers, grills, handles, ornaments, lights, etc.

Pint covers @ 50 Sq. Ft.

Quart covers @ 100 Sq. Ft.

[CSX 4039]

Why consider clear coating it at all? Mine is shiny, stays shiny, and it is even softer aluminum than Kirkham's. The nice thing about it is that (within reason) you don't have to protect the finish. If somebody puts their hands on it, or a rock chip or something, you just sand it out. If you clear coat it, then, like paint, you've got something you have to protect. The only place my car has finish problems is the painted meatballs.

[Jamo]

Brett

Assolutely.

[Fast Farmer]

After five years of soap and water cleaning only, I knew it was time to brighten up the brushed finish on our BNL Cobra. My first thought was to use lacquer thinner, as discussed on another thread. The local body shop experts warned me not to use it because of the residue film it would leave behind. I still liked the thought of a cleaner that would evaporate as you wiped away the dirt and grime, plus I definitely wanted to avoid a blackened mess.

My solution was denatured alcohol! I purchased a dish scrubber at Walmart for $1.50 that resembled a sponge applicator from a can of wax, but also had a rougher pad bonded to it. An old t-shirt wiped off the relatively small amount of black reactive material and dirt. I'm really pleased with the result It looks good in the sun and when the sky is overcast, the gleam is back.

Fast Farmer

[Steve R]

The jets I am familiar with do not use clear coat. The skin is made from sheet called Al-clad. I believe it is an aluminum
alloy clad in 1100 pure aluminum. I'll go over to the hangar today and talk to my friends in the sheet metal shop to confirm.
Steven