Removing Swirls

[muscleknight]

I recently had someone dent my door. The detail guy at the bodyshop told me to remove swirls is to get some foam window cleaner without ammonia or acids and to use a microfiber towel to apply. He said it would take the swirls right out. He said it would also remove wax and so you would need to apply wax right after. Anyone heard anything like this?

 

[Less]

Foam Window Cleaner? What's that?



If it's just one spot on your door that's swirled, I would get some Megs Scratch X and a foam applicator and go after it.

 

[imported_JoshVette]

I don't know, but that doesn't sound right to me.



Acid on the paint?? not a good combo.....:bolt



Try some rubbing compound and a good rotary buffer followed up with an orbital to remove any hollograms caused by the rotary.



Claybar first, typically the total process will take me all of 8-10 hours and I've done it a few times.:waxing:



Josh

 

[muscleknight]

I use a good polish followed by a good wax. I was just relaying what that guy told me. He told me he had tried it and it worked. I was just wondering if anyone else had heard of using anything like that to remove swirls. I was kinda surprised when he told me that.

 

[coupe]

its not at all possible

 

[Accumulator]

muscleknight- I've used a foaming window cleaner (ZEP-40) to remove/compromise LSP but it sure didn't affect any marring.



To remove marring you need mechanical/abrasive action. This isn't something were a solvent-based approach is gonna work...here's how I'd think it through: how could it work without causing some new kind of paint problem? If some solvent softened the paint enough to take out surface defects (it'd have to dissolve/soften the paint quite a bit), you'd have a whole new batch of headaches; it's not like you could exercise sufficient control to avoid causing new problems like "brushmarks" from rubbing it with the MF or maybe even wiping all the paint right off the panel. It'd be like trying to fix a problem in a watercolor painting by wiping it with a damp sponge.



Anyhow, most of today's autopaints are mighty resistant to solvents (even paint thinners) once they've cured. I've wiped factory bc/cc paint with lacquer thinner, mineral spirits, and other such stuff with no effect at all.



It can :angry me when a supposed "pro" tells people stuff like this. You were right to be surprised when he told you that, sounds like your BS-meter is working

 

[coupe]

I get myself into trouble when i meet people like this, i dont hesitate to call them out on the spot.

 

[David Fermani]

Try some rubbing compound and a good rotary buffer followed up with an orbital to remove any hollograms caused by the rotary. Typically the total process will take me all of 8-10 hours and I've done it a few times.

Compound swirls out? :soscared: There's no way compounding with a rotary and then going straight to an orbital will make things better in any way. That's the complete opposite way to remove swirls. Did you forget about 3 steps in between? :grinno:

 

[sQuashed]

I don't know, but that doesn't sound right to me.



Acid on the paint?? not a good combo.....:bolt



Try some rubbing compound and a good rotary buffer followed up with an orbital to remove any hollograms caused by the rotary.



Claybar first, typically the total process will take me all of 8-10 hours and I've done it a few times.:waxing:



Josh

The scariest advice Ive ever read here at Autopia.

 

[Prairie]

Maybe it was a joke...maybe.

 

[awahl63]

The scariest advice Ive ever read here at Autopia.

Hahaha yeah I had laugh hard at this comment and the original post.

 

[Accumulator]

Well....there are *compounds* and then there are *COMPOUNDS*. As with "polish", "glaze", etc. companies use the word to cover a pretty broad range of products. 3M PI-III Rubbing Compound 05933 isn't all that much more aggressive than a lot of "polishes", in fact it's milder than some I've used.



On some hard clears (e.g., Audis...*my* Audis, this is first-hand) it takes something like the 05933 to remove nasty swirlmarks, the kind of swirls that were inflicted by a rotary..sometimes you need it just to remove holograms. The 05933 leaves things almost ready-to-wax and a quick follow up with a milder product gives a nice final finish so I don't care what they call it (though yeah, the term "rubbing compound" in the generic sense is sorta scary, reminds me of the Dupont or TW stuff in the metal cans).



As old-time member NeoPrufrok found out on his hologrammed/swirled black A4, sometimes you simply cannot fix "minor" problems without aggressive products, and I don't see anything wrong with using a rotary for the initial work. I often do it with just a PC/Cyclo, but it takes me a lot longer than it would if I got out a rotary for the first passes.

 

[coupe]

If your talking about real COMPOUNDING then there are alot of steps involved, especially when working on hard clear.



Look what my compounding and polishing steps where on this audi:

http://autopia.org/forum/click-brag/91863-98-black-audi-a4.html

 

[Jim L]

This bodyshop guy is real something........ why don't you try any product that has polish + glaze 1st if it doesn't work then I think you gotta go through the hard work claybar, rotray buffer, coating and the final touch.........