I'm no "swirlbuster" apparently..

D

dmxsoulja3

New member
Well this weekend I decided to try out my arsenal of new products... I had the entire XMT line, LC white, LC orange, swirlbuster orange pad, swirlbuster polish...and I'm thinking swirls are going to tremble in fear...I was wrong...very wrong. First off I used my foam gun..I think that was the most fun part of the day, I used the DP extreme soap and let me say this stuff foams like crazy..so after I had fun soaping and washing the car up I decide to pull out the PC on my new 07 honda fit...I tell myself I'm only going to do the hood, because if I make it worse then I can always buy a carbon fiber hood. So first up XMT #2 and LC white polishing...I think I went to fast, so I did it over again slowly, and sectioned out the hood and went what I thought to be slow based on information I deducted from reading this forum..I pull out into the sun..and it looks like I have holograms worse than I had before and I"m thinking this isn't possible with the PC..so either I didn't see them prior(which prior was dealer installed light swirling/holograming, one poor wash) or I made the situation worse...I said well maybe the white pad isn't strong enough so I move to the swirlbuster orange pad and swirlbuster polish...nothing..finally I took another white and XMT #1 to try to clean up the hood best I could and hit it with color x and NXT spray wax and to my suprise it actually looked pretty darn good but I know I didn't put a dent in the holograms/swirls for the most part...anyways I was disappointed with my first time out using the pc for defect removal..I was using speed 5.5+ adding pressure and man does the PC get hot when you do that.. Anyways I have a hood that I pulled off another car that got a CF hood and I hope to inflict some damage on it practicing ONR and other various natural disasters and try to polish them out and learn before I mess up my brand new car :( Sorry I wanted to share my frustration :mad:
 
Don't feel bad. Some paints are just too hard for the pc to correct. Personally there is only one speed on the pc for me:



speed 6



Try that.
 
dmxsoulja3 said:
I wish it was the case but I heard that Honda's were really soft...maybe I got the Audi painted honda?
Click to expand...





You still need to try speed 6. It is like using 1000rpm on a rotary instead of 1500rpm.



I did an accord (2004) i think and OC with an orange pad made it swirl free. I also detailed a green 2001 civic that needed some very heavy rotary work.
 
PC has its limitations, but if anything, moderate swirl removal requires the PC to be used on sometimes with multiple passes.
 
Maybe it was dealer inflicted and they used a heavy filler polish...entirely possible.



Or, maybe there were still some oily residue that made it look smudged?
 
I think one thing was maybe the polish break down I'm still so unclear as to what its supposed to look like, and some say well it will start to dust well sometimes it dusted in like no time flat, then others I got some real polish time out of it..so I guess it will take some trial and error just not on my new car :(



The dealer using heavy fillers is what I think...the swirling was minimal when I picked it up is why I accepted it..I washed it one time and honestly I didn't use two buckets but I also never used two buckets I just used my brain when washing on two brand new dark colored cars and never had a problem...so between them waxing it, and me washing it once it looked WAY worse, so maybe it is their washing marks I see.. :( oh well I will get this right.





Can you guys give me some ideas on how I can introduce some real world damage to this spare hood?
 
Another thing..using the PC and trying to put pressure on the head without the handle is a pain.I really wonder how in the world you guys do multiple passes in 2x2 sections on a large vehicle in 6 - 8 hours, I'd be dead .I'm thinking about getting a rotary or even the cyclo the has the handle that allows for pressure from over top..I feel like I'm wasting my time with the PC...it has its uses, but maybe I should since I have spare panel learn with the rotary or cyclo and use the pc for other work...
 
I had that problem with a fairly new car recently. Under halogen lighting, it showed no scratches or marring. As soon as the paint cleaner was applied scratches and light swirling appeared. While it was nothing major, it did take a round of IP on the Cyclo with green pads to clean it up.
 
If anything I wish I would have just bought the Cyclo the handle on the front would make worlds of difference...I'm thinking I'm going to hit my parents up when I go visit them for a "gift" aka the cyclo :) I have litterally so many different products, SSR's, XMT line, etc, all different pads and I know its going to take some trial and error and even if I did figure it out 5-6 speed on PC not only got super hot, but also fatiguing and if I'm going to make a side business out of this one day I need something I can be comfortable using for long periods of time.
 
I'm not familiar with the XMT line but is it possible that you chose a polish that was too abrasive? How about stepping it down and seeing what happens?



I recall a similiar issue someone on this board had. They kept getting more aggresive but all the paint needed was a little bit of TLC.



If I find that thread I'll post a link.



-edit- Here is the thread --

http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=71800&page=1&pp=12
 
Oh yeah. It seems that at least the Acura TL's are being painted with paint that is harder than in the past. It seems to both more resistant to swirling as well as a bit more difficult to polish out.
 
dmxsoulja3 said:
If anything I wish I would have just bought the Cyclo the handle on the front would make worlds of difference.....even if I did figure it out 5-6 speed on PC not only got super hot, but also fatiguing and if I'm going to make a side business out of this one day I need something I can be comfortable using for long periods of time...
Click to expand...



Yeah, if you're gonna use a mild approach (i.e., not a rotary) it'll take a long time, so you gotta have something you don't mind using for hours at a stretch.



The whole user-friendliness issue can be a really big deal for some people. I simply do *NOT* like using the PC, period. After countless hours over many years I'm still not happy with it; the Cyclo, OTOH, is something I really *enjoy* using. You might be the same way...so while the Cyclo isn't exactly cheap, it might be just the right tool for you.



No need for practice panels with the Cyclo, it's not *that* aggressive. I've had newbies, from teenagers to the elderly, acclimated to the Cyclo in a matter of minutes.
 
Thanks for the info, I think really for under 300 bucks you can get the machine and a few pads and needed accessories, so next time danase or autogeek or something has a 10-15% off sale I'll grab one, that handle on the front looks like it will work out alot better when it comes to applying pressure and hopefully I can then be patient enough to polish correctly and still function with my arms the next day :) as the budlight commercials say. My hats off to you mr PC polisher man! haha
 
as in update...in full sun my hood looks decent swirl wise like with the sun spot right down on the hood I see no swirls, but its the buffer trails/hologramming I still see I think. I'm going to keep at this after I get back from my trip also ordered a cyclo i'm tired of the pc
 
Accumulator said:
Yeah, if you're gonna use a mild approach (i.e., not a rotary) it'll take a long time, so you gotta have something you don't mind using for hours at a stretch.



The whole user-friendliness issue can be a really big deal for some people. I simply do *NOT* like using the PC, period. After countless hours over many years I'm still not happy with it; the Cyclo, OTOH, is something I really *enjoy* using. You might be the same way...so while the Cyclo isn't exactly cheap, it might be just the right tool for you.



No need for practice panels with the Cyclo, it's not *that* aggressive. I've had newbies, from teenagers to the elderly, acclimated to the Cyclo in a matter of minutes.
Click to expand...



Love your posts and your honest comments Accumulator

That’s for sure not new to you :)



however how do you manage to use the rotary on small panels like on the bumpers

front and rear? what is your process when hold the rotary on those small panels / areas???



I burned my wife’s bumper with the rotary with a spot 4" pad using a OP! :eek:

but I repaired it with a touch up and will sand paper it tomorrow and polish it again!



Any advice is appreciated Accumulator!
 
Harry Houdini- I'm *far* from an expert with the rotary, only using it as needed (which isn't all that often). On the bumpercovers/other tight spots I too use the 4" pads, but I try to be as gentle as possible (lower speeds, etc) and I'll use the PC/Cyclo if it'll do the job (even if it takes a while). I've played around with the rotary, using the edges/back side/etc. of the beveled pads, but it makes me *very* nervous even at low speeds with gentle products.



I'd rather go over an area numerous times with a very gentle approach than risk damage. And remember that the plastic parts are more fragile than the metal ones just by the nature of how the heat dissipates (or rather, how it doesn't).



And then there are the tight spots that you just have to do by hand anyhow...
 
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