Attacking the swirls

[JackdaMak]

Hey guys... specifically the detailers

So I am trying to take my clean car look to a new level by getting rid of the swirls in the paint (ya know the ones that can be noticed haloing around light sources reflected in the paint like the sun or street lamps). I read up on the internet and it seems that the swirl reducer compounds or polishers is the way to go with some kind of applicator pad followed by a wax or sealant.

Went and got some light to medium polisher (cause it recommended to start light and work to heavy if the swirls don't go away) and also and applicator pad set and tried the polisher on a small area on the trunk. Swirls are still there. :? I just rubbed the polish in until just a glaze was left on the surface with a back and foth motion and then wiped it off with a soft microfiber towel then waxed on top of that. I didn't want to go any further with another application or with heavier abrasive level polisher cause i'm scared of messing up my paint trying too hard to make it better.

So is there anything that I am missing and what's the next step... or is it kind of unrealistic thinking I can get rid of the swirls this late in the game for my car (I've never polished b4 only waxed and clay-barred)?

THANX

[.RJ]

So is there anything that I am missing and what's the next step... or is it kind of unrealistic thinking I can get rid of the swirls this late in the game for my car

I've never been able to get swirls completely out - just reduce their appearance, and I've used a random orbital buffer and medium compound stuff. You can probably get them out by going with more aggressive polishers, pads and buffers but you risk damaging the paint if you get it wrong so I've never tried that. Most of the time you cant see them... so I'd just leave it alone

[flintster55]

Sorry for the late reply jack, but unless you have a bionic arm swirls are nearly impossible to get out by hand. Just to put it into perspective, usually you buff a 2x2 ft area with a buffer for a good two minutes to work in the polish completely. And my buffer on average does ~2000 orbits (similar to the motion you make with your hand) per minute. So if you say you're doing 1 movement per second with your hand, then you are way behind a buffer (2000 vs. 60) and a buffer never gets tired like your arm.

But other than that, you're pretty much right on. Always use the least agressive polish first so you don't take away more clearcoat than necessary and you would follow up with a good wax or sealant to help protect the paint from future swirls. The sad thing is swirls are gonna come back. They're just a product of washing and drying your car because of the contact with the paint. The best thing you can do is minimize swirls to begin with by using good wash equipment and making sure its always clean so you aren't rubbing dirt and grit against the paint when you are washing, drying, etc.

But if you have any other questions let me know. And as I said in the other thread you're more than welcome to either one of my buffers anytime as long as I have them up here.

[ultimagtrlover]

What car do you have and what color is it. I'd like to see the car in person and then suggest a process from there. Check-out my website and you will see what I can do. With many cars though, it is tough to get 100% swirl-free.

[Nis01]

Back from the dead. Learn me on some orbital usage. I recently got my hands on an Orbital Polisher and I used it on the miata. Paint is in decent shape, quite a few light swirls and some minor mars but nothing terrible. I used basic paint cleaning products as well as a light swirl remover and finished up with a wax/sealant. The car looks 1,000 times better but I was wondering if using the "cutting" pad would help reduce the swirls and real light water spots that show up on the white paint. I used the "polish" and "finish" pads but was afraid to step to anything more aggressive. It states that it is for oxidation/scratch removal, neither of which I really have on the car. Worth a try or cause more harm than good? What speed do you normally run on the orbital? I found setting 3.5 to work the best for me to put a thin layer over the panel I was working on. Also, do you normally use the orbital to take the polish off as well as on? I found doing it by hand seemed to work best for me but perhaps I was just overlooking something. Thanks in advance.

[flintster55]

What kind of orbital is it? Some have more power than others. Swirls are really tough to get out with just an orbital but it can be done. The rule of thumb though is to use the least agressive pad and polish that you can to keep from taking away too much clear coat. So, use a polish and pad, back the car out in the sun and if swirls are still present then go up just one step. You can either use the same pad and more aggressive polish, or use a more aggressive pad with the original polish. Try that next step up combo and then check for the swirls again. I have a Porter Cable 7424 and a UDM (Ultimate detailing machine) which is like a big brother to the PC. Even with the UDM, it takes a good 2-3 minute per panel working the polish on speed 6 to really do much to swirls. Of course start on a lower setting but once you have the polish spread evenly you can crank it up. Don't be afraid to put some pressure behind the buffer either. Light pressure (don't bog the motor) helps the polish heat more and make it more effective. As far as removal, I usually just do it by hand. Just make sure to use some plush microfibers and not much pressure when you take the residue off so you don't create any new swirls. Hope that helps and let me know if you have any other questions.

[Nis01]

Thank you for the information. Yea, its the PC 7424. I never really bumped it up above 4 for the speed so I may end up playing with that a bit more before changing out the pad. I'm leaving the car as is for a while, probably the first time its had a decent coat of wax on it in quite some time.

[Ole]

I think you should just sell me the car (99 Miata) and get one without swirls.......