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I need to know a safe way to etch a design onto the front of my aluminum horse trailer

Q. I need a safe way for an average person to etch a large design onto the front of my horse trailer, so whatever I use has to be some sort of a paste so that it does not drip or run as the aluminum is of course upright and unable to lay flat.

Susan Ballard
hobbyist/artist - Grimsley, Tennessee, USA
February 14, 2008

A. Hi Susan,
I'm not sure what kind of design you have in mind for your trailer, but I did a job similar to yours before.
I have a company that produces a cleaner, polish, and a protectant for aluminum. using these products, I first polished the interior of a car hauling trailer to a mirror finish. Next we custom cut a waving checkered flag design from adhesive backed vinal and applied it to the interior. Then we etched the exposed area with my aluminum cleaner. This left the aluminum a flat satin color. Then we pulled the decals off to expose the polished aluminum. Once we cleaned up all the surfaces, we put a couple of coats of my metal protectant over the job to keep it from oxidizing and discoloring.
I hope this helps.

Clint Bland
O'Fallon, Illinois

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