Holograms ?

Looks like ghosting. Do an IPA wipe at 15% and reseal. To avoid in future use better microfiber towels and drop the speed a notch

Ghosting is something that happens when your sealant or wax is applied unevenly, or it's reacting to humidity, etc.

If it's not ghosting, it could be that the abrasives aren't being sufficiently broken down. And/or your paint is being marred when wiping off the residue.

Another issue could be a dirty pad. How often are you cleaning them? Menzerna polishes run on the thick side, and can get gummy pretty quick. I clean mine out after every cycle.

How many passes are you doing on the final polishing steps? What kind of towels are you removing residue with?

Have you tried applying a wax or sealant and then inspecting?

chuckk said:

Here are some pictures of two cars i have done this week. As you can see im not 100% happy with the results. Does this look like small holograms or it's only part of light reflection from my flex swirl light ? I must admit i didn't check them under the sun because i have only used my PC.

Steps were :

hd cut with yellow ccs pad speed 6 firm pressure
Hd polish with white ccs pad speed 6 firm pressure

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After the first two steps, how does the paint look?

chuckk said:

Hd polish with blue ccs pad speed 5 almost no pressure

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This is your final polishing step and if it were me, NORMALLY I would be applying 10 to 15 pounds of downward pressure on the 6 speed setting for the first 3-5 section passes and then reducing downward pressure for the last two section passes and moving the polisher at a faster clip over the surface.

Also, blue is normally a waxing pad and has little to no cut. I'd be using a black pad.

Also, I'm a flat pad kind of guy, not sure if the collapsed cell structure or CCS is the culprit in what you're seeing but one of the reasons I like flat pads is it reduces variables for problems plus they are easier to clean.

chuckk said:

Things ive tried before posting:

SF4500 on blue ccs pad speed 5and 4firm/light pressure
Sf4500 on gold ccs pad speed 5 and 4 firm/light pressure

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Could be these are too soft to remove any defects still in the paint after the first compounding and first polishing step.

chuckk said:

Sf4500 diluted 90% with water speed 4 and 5 firm/light pressure

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I've never heard of anyone diluting Menzerna polishes with water. I've never diluted Menzerna polishes with water. I don't know what the benefit would be to diluting Menzerna polishes with water?

chuckk said:

It seems theres always some kind of holograming no matter what.

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The term hologram is historically a word used to define the very distinct and specific scratch pattern instilled into a surface from the use of a rotary buffer.

I define it that way in all my books, I know most others in the industry define it this way also. You can call it holograms if you want but that's not what I would call it.

Maybe Orbital Buffer Trails?


Too bad you're not close enough to drive here, if you were I would love a shot of finishing out on your car's paint to see what's what.

chuckk said:

Wax didn't do anything really exept giving that deep look.

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So the "lines" you see are still on or in the paint even after you apply and remove a coat of wax or sealant?

chuckk said:

Thanks for taking the time to help me mike it's appreciated.

Yes orbital buffer trails looks to be the real term.

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:xyxthumbs:

chuckk said:

It's definitely my last step that causes the trails because if i rebuff it with a different pattern the trails changes accordingly.

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To me this is a sign of soft paint. In the future I'd suggest switching over to flat pads. Either the LC 5.5" flat pads or the Buff and Shine 5.5" flat pads.

The LC ThinPro or Megs flat pads are also great choices for uber thin pads.


One trick I use when I run into finishing out perfect on soft paint is use a high quality light cleaning one-step cleaner/wax for my last machine step. Some might call it cheating but I don't care. If I need to finish out then I do what it takes.


For a light cleaning cleaner/wax I like the Pinnacle XMT 360 and the 3D Speed.


Here's an article I wrote on cleaner/waxes and it lists different categories and some brands in each category to give you some ideas.

How to choose and use a one-step cleaner/wax by Mike Phillips

chuckk said:

I diluted the sf4500 to try to be less aggressive that's the only reason.

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Nothing wrong with your intent but the SF 4500 is an Ultra Fine Cut Polish to start with, I don't think you need to dilute it with water. It's actually one of the best ultra fine polishes on the market.

Had a similar issue on a black car, the only thing that worked was Meguiars A1216 Liquid Cleaner Wax, the maroon bottle with an LC flat black finishing pad.