What am I doing wrong :( Holograms after using a rotary buffer

Chatelaine

Chatelaine

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What am I doing wrong - Holograms after using the rotary buffer


Alrighty here's my issue.

Lately I've been noticing on some of the black cars that I'm leaving behind a ton of holograms. Where the light refracts and I can see my polishing track.

I used Menz SIP with L. Cut pad
Then PO85RD with M. Polishing pad
Then Meguiars Show Glaze #3 by hand
And wax

Should I be using Final Finish or maybe Nano polish instead of 85RD or after 85RD.

This was on a SLK 350, I tried taking pictures but they didn't show up. I just saw them after she drove away. So I called her back and am going to fix it.

Then I noticed it on this hummer! I'm getting him to come back too :(

02-1.jpg


Drivers door.
 
Re: What am I doing wrong :( Holograms

PO85RD + M Polishing pad isn't strong enough to remove the holograms left behind by Menzerna PO85RD + Cutting Pad.

A couple of things that might help you.

Try using a light cutting pad with SIP instead of a cutting pad. A cutting pad might just be to rough for the paint you are doing. You should only be using it for really rough paint.

Be sure to completely break down SIP when using the cutting pad and you might just be able to switch straight to PO85RD + Polishing pad to clear up the haze. Otherwise, yes, you might need to use Final Finish or Nano.
 
Re: What am I doing wrong :( Holograms

I would go SIP, 106FA and then 85RD to jewel the paint up. So most likely w/a white pad, grey pad and then a blue pad.
 
Re: What am I doing wrong :( Holograms

What polisher are you using?
 
Re: What am I doing wrong :( Holograms

loudog2 said:
I would go SIP, 106FA and then 85RD to jewel the paint up. So most likely w/a white pad, grey pad and then a blue pad.
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Hmm you'd use 106 before 85? I'm looking at both my bottle of those side by side and they look identical. What's the difference?

And I hear this "jeweling" term used around but have never found anything about it on the internet, can you clear my muddy waters?
 
Re: What am I doing wrong :( Holograms

Chatelaine said:
Hmm you'd use 106 before 85? I'm looking at both my bottle of those side by side and they look identical. What's the difference?

And I hear this "jeweling" term used around but have never found anything about it on the internet, can you clear my muddy waters?
Click to expand...
106FA has a cut of 2.5, 85RD has a cut of 1. So 106FA will more likely remove more than 85RD. 85RD is used for jeweling, it has a low cut and shine up great.
 
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Re: What am I doing wrong :( Holograms

Where do you get this info? The bottles don't tell you, I'd love to know exactly the cut differences between them all!
 
Re: What am I doing wrong :( Holograms

The problem is not with the polishes you use, is the way your work with your makita. When you edging with the makita you live some buffer trail that cause those holograms but if you will try to work on your polishing skills, flat pad not edging you will be fine. I am not saying you dont know how to handle a rotary it is just the extra attention for these small details.
Hope that will fix your problem.
 
Re: What am I doing wrong :( Holograms

Eliran said:
The problem is not with the polishes you use, is the way your work with your makita. When you edging with the makita you live some buffer trail that cause those holograms but if you will try to work on your polishing skills, flat pad not edging you will be fine. I am not saying you dont know how to handle a rotary it is just the extra attention for these small details.
Hope that will fix your problem.
Click to expand...

I totally agree. I've recently switched from 6.5"ccs pads to 8" 3M pads and noticed my angles can easily get out of control!

I'm practicing a new technique on a carrera right now, I'll post some pics up after in a couple hours, see if I can get it right the first time haha
 
Re: What am I doing wrong :( Holograms

Chatelaine said:
Makita
Click to expand...

Trying to create a 100% swirl free finish on a clear coated black vehicle using ONLY a direct-drive rotary buffer is hard to do.

Sometimes it has nothing to do with how GREAT you are at using a rotary buffer, sometimes it has to do with the paint itself, (something out of your control), as some paints are easy to polish swirl free while others are impossible.

This is another reason the dual action polishers have become so popular as they will insure a swirl-free finish when used after a rotary buffer.

Switching from a rotary buffer to a dual action polisher is switching from a direct drive machine that is rotating a pad in a circle to a machine that has a clutch and is oscillating the pad, which is making circles inside of a larger circle.

I alway do a test spot to one small area of the vehicle and make sure I can make one small area look perfect or swirl-free with my products and process of choice before going over the entire vehicle as going over the entire vehicle only to find out your products and process of choice isn't working can be kind of depressing.

Also, you need to finish with a finishing foam pad and a light finishing polisher for the last machine polishing steps, this is in essence what jeweling is.

Jeweling is a new term on the Internet for what guys with rotary buffers have always done, we just never gave it name except the finishing step, or the last finishing step, or the last machine finishing step with a rotary buffer etc.

Besides all of the above, it's vital that everything be surgically clean including cleaning your pads often, a pad washer works best for this but a pad cleaning brush can be used also.

:)
 
Re: What am I doing wrong :( Holograms

Thats probably the problem. Will look forward to those pics.
 
Re: What am I doing wrong :( Holograms

I have had similar problems in the past, and yes, the random orbital is your best solution. Especially if the paint is super soft, finishing with a rotary is almost impossible. Changing to a DA for final steps really helps cut down your time and get the finish you want.

I like to use the 3M ultrafina and pad combo on the rotary for soft paints like Mitsubishis and typical Hondas. But on our S2000 we could not get it hologram free to our standards via rotary. There simply was no way we could have done it without a DA. We used the Porter Cable with a finishing pad with the Ultrafina polish and it worked good.

DSC00701.jpg


DSC00711.jpg
 
Re: What am I doing wrong :( Holograms

So what step in the process would you recommend I use a Porter cable?
85Rd?
 
Re: What am I doing wrong :( Holograms

Ok I finished the front end, just having trouble getting a good quality picture. I have very basic camera knowledge and this low light indoor stuff is hard

IMG_0614.jpg
 
Re: What am I doing wrong :( Holograms

From that picture it looks perfect the true test will be outside in the sun.Yes you can use the Pc with the 85rd
 
Re: What am I doing wrong :( Holograms

Chatelaine said:
Ok I finished the front end, just having trouble getting a good quality picture. I have very basic camera knowledge and this low light indoor stuff is hard

IMG_0614.jpg
Click to expand...

holy crap thats awesome! looks like melting vynal!
 
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