Swirls came back, what did I do wrong? Gonna try again this weekend.

L

leecm

New member
Ok, so I tried getting the swirls out of my hood with swirlx (using a LC 6.5" orange pad), followed by megs deep crystal polish (using black pad) using my PC 7424xp. I followed these up with wax applied with the LC blue pad. I chose these products because they were cheaper and easier to acquire than Megs 105 and 205.



Anyway, I cleaned the car, dried it and clayed the area before I started. After the swirlx application, the text area looked pretty good aside from a couple scratches that went deeper in to the clearcoat than the combo of swirlx and orange pad could cut to. Here's what it looked like after the swirlx-



After using all of the products, I decided the test area looked good, so I did the whole hood. Everything looked good for a couple weeks but now the swirls are coming back. Was there filler in swirlx that was just concealing the swirls? I'm thinking that I should have used an IPA wipedown after using the swirlx.



Few questions



1. Should I go for a heavier cutting pad like a yellow bad and use Ultimate Compound or could I just use Ultimate Compound with the orange pad, since UC alone is more aggressive than swirlx?



2. Would it even be safe to go back over my hood with a more aggressive pad/UC after I've already buffed it once? Will I be in danger of burning through my clear coat?



3. If I'm going to use IPA wipedown, should I just mix one bottle of isopropyl alcohol and match that quantity with tap water in a squirt bottle? Just spray and wipe with a microfiber towel?



4. If it is safe to go over the hood again, should I just pony up the dough and get m105 and m205? That will probably yield better results, no?



Thank you
 

Attachments

  • photo.jpg
    photo.jpg
    84.6 KB · Views: 245
Pony up for #105 and #205. Meguiars consumer products are designed with hand use in mind and typically aren't effective at removing deeper swirls.



There could also be an issue with your washing technique causing swirls. :nixweiss
 
I've thought about the washing technique causing the swirls and, while I do think my washing technique has caused some marring to some areas the swirls are not a product of that. I believe this to be so because the swirls that have come back are consistent with the rest of the swirls on the body that I have yet to detail. They basically have the exact same pattern and look of the original swirls.



I have however scratched my paint a little bit while washing it. I hate that. :( I think I need to wash my mitt more frequently than I do. I try to get too large of an area before I wash the mitt and that leads to me scratching the paint some with abrasives.



I use a two bucket method and a lambs wool mitt. I dry with The Absorber and spot try afterwords with a regular megs microfiber cloth. How important do you think a grit guard is if I inspect the mitt after I dip it in the dirty water bucket and rub the debris away with my other hand?
 
Don't use the Absorber, there is no nap so any dirt you might have missed gets worked back into the paint. Microfiber only, the thicker the better. Grit guards can definitely help keep gunk away from your wash mitt/pad.
 
Ok, I'm about to purchase m105, m205 and a Meguiar's burgundy cutting pad. Would it be safe to go back over the hood area with the cutting pad without burning through the clear coat?



Also, I washed my LC pads with dawn dish soap and put a fan on them indirectly to dry them. They'll be ok to reuse, right?
 
If the swirls came back you didn't remove much clear, that's for sure. Read up on the KB method in the machine polishing forum, that will really help you out.



If you are sure you got all the old product out of the pads, they ought to be okay to reuse.
 
Thank you. I'll be reading up about the KB method. I know this will eventually probably be answered after I do more research, but do I have to use the surbuf pads he recommends or will the pads I already have do the job?
 
leecm said:
Ok, so I tried getting the swirls out of my hood with swirlx (using a LC 6.5" orange pad), followed by megs deep crystal polish



Was there filler in swirlx that was just concealing the swirls? I'm thinking that I should have used an IPA wipedown after using the swirlx.
Click to expand...



I don't know about swirlx, but the deep crystal polish is full of fillers. It is essentially the same product as #7 show car glaze.
 
+1 I thought deep crystal polish was the shiz, then I wiped it with some IPA, then it became another useless product bottle.
 
Scottwax said:
Meguiars consumer products are designed with hand use in mind and typically aren't effective at removing deeper swirls.
Click to expand...



I am going to go ahead and disagree here, but I know what you're saying. In general, you're right. However, Megs products like Ultimate Compound/SwirlX/ColorX can do a fine job when used properly.



In fact, Ultimate Compound is my go to for quick swirl removal work. Does a nice job and finishes down pretty well for daily drivers. I'll top that with Poli-Seal usually and that finishes things up.
 
As the above post says, if you want OTC, get Meguiar's Ultimate Compound.



It's supposed to be very similar to M105, with decent cut. Others have had good success with it. And it's pretty cheap...
 
Dont even bother ordering anything else. Go get Megs UC and use it on your orange LC pad. That will take out everything you will want to take out, and just be careful with your washing. Dont forget Search Search Search.





- LI 85
 
the megs ultimate compound and the orange pad should do the trick.from what i read on here the ultimate compound is the consumer version of the #105 and the swirlx is just like 205.

i spray tinted then cleared an extra set of tail lights on my camaro(off the car lol)and then i used some uc and a 4in orange pad and after about 2 min of polishing they look perfect not a spot from wet sanding them with 1500 then 2k wet paper.



the uc is a very good product and some of the megs stuff has goten better.
 
Thank you all for responding. So, I guess I'll try the Ultimate Compound with the orange pad, since I already own both. Would I be able to follow it up with SwirlX or Megs Deep Crystal Polish on a white or black pad as a finishing polish or would I need to purchase something else?
 
leecm said:
Thank you all for responding. So, I guess I'll try the Ultimate Compound with the orange pad, since I already own both. Would I be able to follow it up with SwirlX or Megs Deep Crystal Polish on a white or black pad as a finishing polish or would I need to purchase something else?
Click to expand...



I'd use Meguiars #9 instead. Assuming UC leaves a nearly LSP ready finish, #9 will amp it up a bit more and it is designed specifically for machine use.
 
leecm said:
Thank you all for responding. So, I guess I'll try the Ultimate Compound with the orange pad, since I already own both. Would I be able to follow it up with SwirlX or Megs Deep Crystal Polish on a white or black pad as a finishing polish or would I need to purchase something else?
Click to expand...



As noted, the DC#2 is a glaze; it fills the residual marring rather than (abrasively/mechanically) removing it. If you want to see the paint's true condition, and/or want the marring to stay gone (at least until you reinstill it when you wash ;) ) then use the SwirlX after the UC, *not* the DC#2.



If you use the #9, note that it'll also do a lot of filling, so things might degrade a bit over time even if you don't instill new marring. But as Scottwax said, the UC oughta leave things *very* nice anyhow.



I wouldn't use the Meguiar's burgundy cutting pad with a mild product either. Just stick with the orange pad for your aggressive step. Similarly, don't use the Surbuff pads; that's only one (very aggressive) variation on the KBM theme, and Kevin himself has said that SurBuffs aren't for beginners.



As the the washing, how to wash without marring is a pretty involved subject to say the least. When you mention wondering whether you're rinsing out your mitt often enough, I get the impression that you're not even *close* in that regard ;)



Quick tips on how to minimize wash-induced marring in the absence of a foamgun:



- Fill the mitt with wash solution and holding it shut at the cuff (rather than wearing it like a glove)

-Whisk it across the paint while the shampoo seeps out; IMO by the time it's empty you're usually overdue for cleaning it and refilling with shampoo

-Do the "whisking" in short, interrupted motions with only enough pressure to keep it in contact with the vehicle; if your marring is over an inch or two long you're doing something radically wrong

-If cleaning an especially dirty area, the mitt might become contaminated enough to cause marring after only a very brief contact with the vehicle; no, the dirt doesn't "travel up the mitt's nap and get safely caught up away from the paint"
 
Yes as many have said if it were me I would stay away from the crystal polish since it is a glaze and will do some heavy filling of swirls and such.



I would use the UC until all the swirls are gone. You will NOT be able to get rid of every scratch(RIDS) but when the majority of swirls are gone than switch it over to swirl-x on either a white or green LC pad if you have one.



This step will not make a dramatic change in the paint but will add that little bit of extra clarity to the paint. After that top it with whatever wax you like NOT crystal polish. Also if you are using a sealant and a wax also put the sealant down first than top it with the wax.



Also do some heavy reading on washing since you can polish all you want but if you re-induce the swirls again every time you wash there is no point in polishing the car...



- LI 85
 
Thank you all very much for your comments and recommendations! I will continue to read about the things you've pointed out that I need to work on.



I'm going to wash my car today as the sun goes down and bring the car in to the garage to detail it. What should I do for the body creases and contours? Think I can get away with using a DA on them? I only ask because I've searched and read mixed opinions.



Here's a picture of one of the areas I'm referring to. This is my is250.



Thanks!
 

Attachments

  • photo1.jpg
    photo1.jpg
    74.7 KB · Views: 65
leecm said:
... What should I do for the body creases and contours? Think I can get away with using a DA on them?
Click to expand...



While there are all sorts of "yeah, but...what if..." possibilities regarding areas of potentially thin paint, IMO there's a greater chance that you'll find the polishing approach underpowered than that it'll be too aggressive.



Unless the car has had paintwork, or has been aggressively corrected in the past, those areas shouldn't be a concern.



That marring shouldn't be all *that* hard to correct with the right pads/products. Looks bad, but not serious, if you get the distinction.
 
Ok, so I think I'm doing something wrong. I use the UC on the orange pad last night and everything looked good under the fluorescent lights in my garage but I didn't end up finishing because it was late. Wake up this morning and the finish didn't look quite as nice. I don't have a sun gun so I shined mag light on the finish and it looked like there was alot of swirling/hazing. Even after using the swirlx on the white pad, this the swirling/hazing seems to be there, even if it is less dramatic.



Am I creating new swirls?? This is very scary/discouraging. :(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top