[Dale]

Hi Fred,

If it’s scratched, you’ll probably have to go a little further than polish. I’ve not done it, but Dale J may jump in here, he has had lots of practice.

[Don]

It will take a couple of different grades of rouge and buffing wheels on a electric buffer. Takes know how to do it right and a lot of time. If you have some better auto body shops in your area, they may can help you.

[Archived]

Polishing out visible scratches from stainless is not difficult, but it is a multi step process and requires a degree of care.

Start by sanding the scratches, with a grit appropriate for the depth of scratch. I would guess nothing coarser than 400 or 600 grit to start. Work up through at least 1000, and even better 1500 or finer. Keep in mind heat is to be kept to a minimum because if the panel gets too hot it is going to buckle or warp.

After sanding polishing with rouge either one step or progressively finer rouges puts the final polish on the panel. Again, when buffing use an appropriate buffing wheel and avoid heat on the panel. I use various speeds, usually around 3000 RPM on an 8 or 10 inch wheel and white rouge after sanding with 1500 grit.

If you are not patient and careful you can screw up an entire coach, especially if the panels get hot because with their light gauge they will easily buckle. But if you take your time and work outwards from the repaired area to blend the repair it is very rewarding. If in doubt seek the services of a professional that has a demonstrated ability to do good work on a coach. Folks who specialize in aluminum wheels may have no skills when it comes to polishing panels.

If you are doubtful about the process start out polishing a stainless part like a bay door handle or a section of bumper because they are thick enough so they will not distort if you start putting too much heat into them. I had a small dent in a bumper on a coach and I literally beat it out from behind, sanded it smooth with a belt sander and then used progressively finer sanding grits and the final polish. Stainless is very forgiving and tolerates mistakes which can be repaired as long as you watch the heat. Go for it.

[Susan]

Hey Jon, you forgot to tell him the best part.

All of the fun he is going to have while doing this.

[Fred]

Well now you’ve done it. All of us that do our own work never ever reveal how dirty or greasy or cut and scratched we get working on our buses. And worse……people that do not yet own, but aspire to own a Prevost see us as rather elite folks that not only have never gotten our hands dirty, but wouldn’t know the business end of a screw driver.

I hope you realize how much spin we need to put on this to reverse the damage you have done.

I hope all you fine folks reading this thread realize the photo above is an Eagle owner. When I work on my bus I wear a suit, white shirt and a tie. I own a Prevost.

[Bob]

Boxcar and Jon, Priceless!!

Fred,

Can you get some good detail close up photos of the areas?

[Don]

Have s drawer full of them! Old jeans also. I ck jeans for grease spots before wearing out to dinner.. Life is good! No Prevo Proud Here.. Just couldn’t resist..sorry! We all have our own way—some of us are just down and dirty. Bob

[Archived]

Jon and Boxcarokie….LOL post

[Archived]

Somebody had to say it, otherwise our image goes to hell.

Truth be told I have my own washing machine in the shop. Di won’t wash my shop clothes in hers. Although I have the good laundry soap, I use Simple Green full strength as pretreatment and still my clothes when they are clean look like Okie’s.

[Archived]

Sorry I am so late responding, I took a nap this afternoon and I just woke up. I dreamed I was a catalytic converter under a Dodge Ram pickup in the panhandle of Oklahoma, somewhere near Boise City. When I woke up I was plumb exhausted.

Lookin back on it all, I was destined to be an Iggle owner. My first tattoo was an Eagle on my forearm, my granddaughter always asked me what it was, and I told her a chicken hawk. The wife and I we searched in earnest, high and low, for a good pre-owned Prevost (that is fancy talk for a used model as I understand it) and we even found one, way down there in the Phoenix area.

I crawled over that thing like a Monkey on a jungle gym with my flashlight, looking for the out of the ordinary things and of course … Rust. The salesman told me that it was previously owned by a retired American Airlines Co-pilot and me being an honorably discharged tail-gunner from Viet Nam, I figured we would be a perfect match.

So off we went to the bank, this is where we met the financial sales specialist which is two steps up from the guy that sweeps the floor in most city banks. He shuffles all of our papers two or three times, looks me and the Mrs. over real good, kind of repositions himself in the chair and then says …. “I am sorry, but I do not feel that we can justify or approve this loan for the Prevost Liberty with the system on top of system redundancy model with copper pipes and four point two miles of rope lights today.”

Of course, I was plumb devasted by all this, and I said to the man, “But sir, why is this happening? Can you tell us why it is that we are not getting the loan?”

He shifted a little in his chair again, sort of uncomfortable in this situation I suppose … and then he said … “Well son, you are just too damn good looking to be a Prevost Owner” and then he said the meeting was over.

I had not felt that badly about something like that since the first time I contracted the Asian Flu and they stole my bicycle from the bike rack behind the school cafeteria in 1958. And here I had just got back from Target on buying spree for Glenn Miller Big-Band Era CD’s and a brand new yellow T-shirt and everything.

Life is so unfair ….

BCO

(by the way I know the business end of a screwdriver … Its the Ice Cubes that get in my way)

[Darrell]

This is better then TV! thanks for all the advise guys. I’ll take some pic’s and post them in the next couple of days. I think I will be able to do this if I go slow, like Jon said.

[Gerald]

See what you started Fred? At least you got some advice before this thread went all to hell. Notice I did not say “good” advice.

[Archived]

Take your time, there is believe it or not, a rythmn and a process, once you get the knack of it … It all comes together.

BCO

[Archived]

A auto paint supply shop should be able to supply you with compound and polishing wheels to match. In Evansville we also have a Truck wheel /rim dealer that has the polishing bars and buffing wheels to match each compound/grit. They have charts showing what finish you get with each compound(color-grit) to mirror finish. As mentioned if they are in fact scratches you can feel with your fingers you may need to start with wet/dry sand paper first. I would use highest grit # 200 up (finest) that would do job. Higher the better 1000 would be great. less actual polishing in the end. My self I don’t polish till reaching 1500 grit finish. I find this faster in the end Time wise. The final product will stand time well. I do avoid acid wash products when cleaning and use a self waxing/spot free wash I use on my boat also. Get dirty! Bob

[Dale]

These are hard to see I know, my iphone is not
the best at taking photos (notice how I blame the camera!).

The first picture is on the door panel itself
and the second picture shows the fine line scratches by the bay door lock. I’m
not sure how I did the first one but the scratches on the second picture are
from my keys touching the stainless while opening the lock. I’m very careful
now when I unlock the bays. All the scratches on the bus are fairly small and
superficial but it would still be nice to “clean” them up.

Thanks again for all the great info on this fix!