Another 2011 Jet Black Aston Martin Rapide Correction by Richie's Custom Detailing.

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imported_Intel486

New member
I used a buffer on my truck yesterday.



Well... It removed the swirls I wanted it to remove but put its own circular swirls in. Yay! Now ppl know I've used a buffer on my truck.



Only the tailgate is in the sun right now and I can see them. I'm about to back the truck up into the light to see the snugtop. I'm scared... Because there is a brown spider somewhere on my truck I can't find to kill :D



Need some tips for getting these swirls out.



I'm using one of the black finishing pads from TOL. I'm using 3m SMR and a Makita 9227. I've been running it between 600 and 1000 RPMs and have been doing a figure-8 motion like someone suggested.
 
Ok just finished drying my truck (see how fast the blotting with a full sized towel can go!)



And then looked at the snugtop under the sun.



Swirls swirls swirls.



Please help!



I know some people here use a direct drive buffer. This is going to be a hard day!



And the spider is still somewhere on my truck!
 
I use a direct drive occasionally (Milwaukee brand) but very rarely. I can try to help out, but can't guarantee anything :)



What type of compounds did you use? Did you use the the polishing pad the entire time? Did you polish/glaze/wax over the top of what you had worked on?



(I HATE spiders, so I can't come down and help!! :D)
 
I used 3m's Swirl mark remover



I used the polishing pad the whole time.



I haven't put anything over the area I buffed.



I was running it at about 800 RPMs.



I've got a spare shoe out there with a towel around it to smash the spider if I see it :D
 
Ok, just taking a few stabs here, and of course it's much harder to "read and tell" vs. "see and show", so take this for what it's worth:



1) Use a slightly more agressive pad if possible, and use the SMR with that pad. Work very small sections, and work the product until it's almost completely buffed off. Just let the weight of the buffer do the work, and try experimenting a little with the speeds. I usually start at a higher speed, and lower the speed as I work on the section.



2) With most of the residue buffed off by the buffer, take a towel and wipe off any remaining residue. Inspect the section for swirls. If you still have light swirls, switch to the polishing pad and use a less agressive product (Meguiars #9 v2.0 or another 3M product).



3) Finish up with your regular Random Orbital and a mild cleaner/polish like PPCL, P21S, etc., then wax as normal.



Notes: You can use a spray bottle with a little water and spritz the 3M SMR while buffing. This can help remove some of the swirls too, as the water makes the product slightly more agressive, but not too much more agressive.



Hope this helps.
 
I concur with Geekysteve, particularly steps 1 and 2. I think the polishing pad probably wasn't stout enough to let the SMR work properly and break down. I think you'r being smart by starting at low speed and gentle pads, but I suspect the problems are coming from not being aggressive enough. I'd use a little more speed, a little more pressuren and 3M SMR again - and work it harder, as Steve suggested.
 
I don't have a Random Orbital...



I don't have a meguiars #9. The only other 3m products I have are IHG and the fine cut rubbing compound which is more abrasive.



I'm going to go try it again on the snugtop and see how it comes out.



What kind of motion should I be using? circular? figure-8?



And I should be keeping the pad at an angle and not flat? correct?



Edit: Carguy posted as I was writing. I'm make move up to my yellow pad just to try it out. Thanks guy. Plz give more tips if you can. I'll be back in a few to tell the results.
 
Ok, redid a section.



This time kept the speed around 1200 rpms.



I level'ed the pad more. didn't keep it as sharp of an angle.



Half way through I misted with water.



Still got some swirls but not as many.
 
hmmmm...you really should try to get some less agressive products, because what you're trying to do is "cut down" the bigger scratches (swirls) to a point where they are almost flat. Then, you'll need to fill in any remaining "valleys" between the swirl high spots with a glaze/polish. This is where the Meguiar's products come in to play.



Normally, I use (in this order) FI-2 (if necessary), SMR, Meg #9 v2.0, Meguiar's Swirl Free Polish, PPCL, Wax.



Regarding no orbital...eeek! That's a tough one. You can do it by hand - don't use the direct drive; but doing by hand is going to require a little extra effort.

As far as motion, I use a front-to-back-to-and-from-diaganol-repeat process...(criss crossing over the area constantly).



Finally, flat vs. edge - I've used a bit of both; there's really not a "one good way" to do it - the whole pad = more heat which accelerates the abrasiveness (sp?), but the edge spins faster which has a similar effect on the abrasiveness.
 
Meg #9 v2.0, Meguiar's Swirl Free Polish



U use both these?



I may end up getting an orbital eventually but can't afford one now.



I have the meguiars polish from their deep crystal system. Would that work?
 
I'm a nutcase perfectionist, so occasionally I use both. Sometimes I skip the #9, other times I skip the SFP...if I have stubborn swirls, I use both.



I wouldn't use the Meguiar's Deep Crystal Polish - I've just never had great luck with it. A bottle of SFP is about $17, and the #9 is about $10.
 
I can get the section I'm working on swirl free except for the parts where I change direction. Seem to have swirls there.



I'm using less product and misting right after I apply it with water. It seems to be working very well. I'm not noticing any new swirls :up
 
Hmmm Meguiars #34 is a pain the arse. I keep using it after I finish running the buffer and it leaves residue if you don't buff it off fast enough that looks like swirls. It has cause me to almost have heart attack twice!
 
I would avoid using the #34 until I've got a coat of polish/wax on top of the surface. Most quick detailers are very slightly acidic (some are more acidic than others) to aid with removing waterspots, and you might be removing some of the fillers that exist in the SMR.
 
Intel i had the same problem once, it's the pads you need a 3M waffle pattern pad, Part #05738 or 05725. I like pad 05738 better, the pads are made to be used with the 3m glazes and swirl removers. They work much better than the Lake country DuroFoam pads.



Hope this helps.
 
Andre', Good, so it might just be the pad?



Where can I get the 3m buffing pad? I don't think pepboys or autozone would have them. Does any place online sell them?
 
Thank you Andre', I'm going to check around locally to see what kind of auto supply stores we have around here. Then if worse comes to worse i'll order some



Ok, this seems like it is going to take longer than planned so I have changed my plans. I'm going to apply Klasse to my snugtop tomorrow. I think I have most, if not all the swirls out. There maybe just a few left I'll try to redo. I'm then going to use Meguiards #26 on everything else. Then I'm going to work one panel at a time until to get all the swirls out of. Then when I'm done with one panel, I'll klasse it and move onto the next.



Hopefully I'll be able to finish in the next week or two. My schedule is about to get pretty full though :(
 
Andre', I was looking at the picture of those pad and they are lumpy!



How do you use them? Do you lay them flat on the surface or angle them?



Are you using them on an orbital or a direct driver buffer?
 
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