Rubbed the right way

There are two parts to the pride-and-polish equation: raising that bright glint and gleam comes only through the patient, methodical application of greasy compounds and whirling buffers. “It can take a day or two to fully bring back a truck’s shine, especially after a winter of driving,” Shaun Linder, a professional truck detailer based in Kitchener, Ont., says as he prepares to gloss up a showpiece Peterbilt owned by BLM Group chief executive Jim McConnell.

Linder operates Spin Fast (519/501-7949), a company that specializes in restoring the luster to aluminum rims, tanks, steps, and checkerplate, as well as paint, chrome, and interiors. He’s been at it professionally for seven years.

“Around April or May, guys get a good look at what the salt, sand, and road grime have done to their metal and paint,” he says. Aluminum takes the worst beating-it’s soft and prone to oxidation, scuffs, and tarnishing.

For Linder’s clients, the pits and dullness are simply a poor reflection of the image they want to project to their customers and truck drivers. But a pro-quality detailing job isn’t all about vanity. “I see small problems on the body, frame, and tanks that could develop into big ones unless you treat them right,” says Linder.

Step one is a serious surface cleaning-removing dirt and bugs. Linder’s secret weapon: Citraclean, a non-toxic, multipurpose cleaner that works equally well on stainless steel and aluminum (it’s marketed in Canada by Lazer Chem of Hamilton, Ont., 1-866/233-2933).

Once the metal is clean and dry, Linder turns to his arsenal of variable-speed grinders and sandpapers. “You start with a grit that’s coarse enough to quickly remove imperfections on the surface,” he says, “and then go over it again with finer grits.” Each successive grit scrubs out the scratches of the coarser one before until they’re undetectable to the eye and the touch.

“I can get out anything using 220 or 320 or 400 grit,” says Linder. “The key is to be patient, work with the grain of the metal, and keep moving so you don’t overwork an area. Above all, don’t use the gun when you can do the job by hand.”

To raise a mirror-finish shine, Linder uses buffers, pads, and sticks of jewelers rouge and other iron oxide-derivative cutting compounds, so-called because they cut away at the oxidized surface of the metal.

“There are probably 20 or 30 colours of rouge on the market, all varying in greasiness or abrasiveness, but four of five primary ones,” says Linder, who buys supplies from JacksonLea, based in Conover, N.C. JacksonLea sells products specifically for aluminum, which can be easily damaged during polishing or buffing so it needs more frequent applications of greasier-than-usual compounds. “The greasier the compound, the more of a cut it has; the drier the compound, the more of a colour it has,” Linder says.

Ultimately, the length of Linder’s job depends on how well you maintain the truck’s exterior. “You can take a Pete with a lot of chrome and do it in six hours, whereas a truck that’s not washed regularly might take 20 hours,” he says.

In fact, Linder spends a lot of time cleaning up problems created by do-it-yourself detailers. “If you’re learning, or rushing though the job, and you’re holding a 10,000-rpm grinder in your hands, you can take a truck and turn it into something that’s going to require a trip to the shop to fix,” he says. “At least you’re trying, but there’s more to it than that.”

Linder says most of his customers have their trucks detailed once or twice a year. He quotes rates on a per-unit basis, including “per wheel, per box, everything separate,” Linder says.

Once you’ve had an expert detail your truck, the shine really is easy to maintain. If you take your truck to a commercial wash bay, make sure it’s well rinsed–some soaps and brighteners are caustic. Better yet, get yourself a good chamois and wash the truck by hand. “Use a mitt on the metal and a soft brush on the paint, use a mild soap, and go up and down with the grain, not side to side,” Linder says.

A gentle wash and wax will give you all the pride you want–while leaving the polish to a pro.


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