Diamond plate - GRRRRRR!!!!

[Guest]

I hate cleaning it, and I know I'm not alone.

Anyone got suggestions for diamond plate?

How to care for it?

How to get it to shine?

How to clean it?

I almost think painting it would be the way to go.

[DOC22 1]

I've had success with Mothers aluminum polish and Nev-r-dull. They both require a lot of hard work and "elbow grease", but the end result is well worth the work.

[Cutty630 37]

I hate to say it but there is no easy was to clean diamond plate. I found that the mothers aluminum polish is the way to go. Apply with a old t-shirt, work it in real good until it gets real black or dark ( then u know its working). After a little bit (not to long or it is impossible to take off) rub like crazy with a nice towel. Once u have it all off take another clean towel and rub it again it will take off all the left over polish. The only problem is thet u need a large supply of towels to accomplish the job. You can also use a buffer with a pad or a drill with a pad but again, everything gets torn up by the diamond plate. ](*,)

The most important thing is once its clean you have to maintain the diamond plate. Don't let water air dry on it. That is why it dulls so fast, after callls have the crew do a quick wipe down (yea right).

[John Meeker Jr 0]

If you are willing to paint, first clean the dismond plate as mentioned above and the use a clear coat to seal the diamond plate. It is like painting only you are keeping the true look. When it chips or flakes off you can always re apply.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[mstrang1 213]

All the time spent cleaning diamond plate could be better used for training. Diamond plate does not put out fires, properly trained firefighters do.

[mfc2257 464]

Find some old carpet (1/2inch) that has a good glue fiber backing. Cut a piece about 6 inches long by 3.5 wide. Take a scrub brush and cut all the bristles off and apoxy carpet upside down to the bottom of the carpet. Apply Mothers or whatever you use liberally to surface and work it with the carpet. Have someone else follow right away with a good towel to get excess. Buff after drying as ususal.

[x635 4,066]

All the time spent cleaning diamond plate could be better used for training.  Diamond plate does not put out fires, properly trained firefighters do.

Although I absolutely agree with the above statement, I also think that a "clean n shiny" fire truck or engine is part of a professional appearance, and also helps with apparatus maitenence. While cleaning a truck, you sometimes notice something that is broken or about to go wrong.As long as you are not a "parade department" and shining the DP when its a beautiful evening out and you could be training, then a little detailing is OK. But NOT when it interupts training in order to win a parade.

With that said, DP is a pain in the butt to clean. I like that carpet idea, never heard that one before and will have to try it sometime. It sounds like it would work well.

[Guest DADAY]

The stuff to use is applied and with a piece of out door carpet. Then hose it of thats it.

[DMA327 12]

Cleaning the apparatus is a big part of the prode we all have being volunteer firefighters. Over the years my company has prided ourselves in trying to keep our companies rigs as clean as possible. In doing so we have used many different products to try to get the best shine on diamond plate.

Hard as it is, we have found the best way to clean diamond plate is to use a product called "Phase 1" which is applied on with a buffing pad and taken off with a different buffing pad. We have found this stuff to work pretty awesome on our diamond plate which is 20 yrs. old and still has a fabulous shine!

[Remember585 815]

DMA mentions the Phase One - that stuff is great.

But we had our current Engineer use jewler's rouge a few years back, and even though he was black head to toe with the buffer's burn-off - it came out to a mirror finish. Only problem, it didn't hold up for long. The clear-coat idea is something I mentioned recently, and am thinking of trying on the non-walking surfacees.

[CFD320 35]

If the plate your working on is not in great shape, start with a good acid wash. **Find someone who knows what they are doing so you dont turn it all white**

Phase I, Aching Hands, If you get the plate clean enough wax it, souns a bit nuts but it slows down the effects of that crazy gas we can't live without.

[DMA327 12]

Very True REMEMBER585:

But I never a fan of the jeweler's rough bc it took so damn long and like you said the mirror finish didn't last very long. We might have to try that clear coat! :-k

[x648eng119 2]

DMA AND REMEMBER585

IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECTLY, I REMEMBER A FEW YEARS AGO HAVING A METAL CLEANER IN A GREEN BOTTLE THAT I THINK WAS CALLED NOXON. IT SMELT LIKE CRAP, BUT I KNOW IT WORKED WELL ON CHROME AND STAINLESS, I THINK IT WORKED PRETTY GOOD ON DP AS WELL :-k

[Firefighter57 0]

this wont be much help but i know we use this kind of light red colored stuf that works great. i cant for the life of me remember what its called tho.....and this stuf only gets off the crap that is stuck on there, it dont shine

[FDNY 10-75 640]

All the time spent cleaning diamond plate could be better used for training.  Diamond plate does not put out fires, properly trained firefighters do.

Indeed =D>

[Guest rreimund]

Don't get me started. We had a fire company (who shall remain nameless) we were supposed to drill with at the propane tank last night in Valhalla bail on us because they had truck cleanup for an event..

GRRRRRR that really made me mad.... luckily we were able to pull enough guys from our department to meet the minimum number for that drill.