New Guy here. Swirl ???

mtnbiker

mtnbiker

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Trying to figure out if I have light , intermediate or heavy swirls.
Unsure which swirl remover to buy. Feed back pleaseIt's never been through a car wash. Always done by hand but these swirls seem to be to symetrical to have been caused by hand. Would really appreciate some of your professional advice. Been a member since last year & I'm really impressed at the knowledge all of you have.
Thanks
 
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mtnbiker said:
Trying to figure out if I have light , intermediate or heavy swirls.
Unsure which swirl remover to buy. Feed back pleaseIt's never been through a car wash. Always done by hand but these swirls seem to be to symetrical to have been caused by hand. Would really appreciate some of your professional advice. Been a member since last year & I'm really impressed at the knowledge all of you have.
Thanks
Click to expand...
To me from that one picture it looks like pretty heavy swirls i say this because from where the sun is shining on that spot the swirls go all around and there is no break in them.Hope you understand what i mean.
 
They look kind of intermediate to me...

They're not heavy or deep looking but also not light, so you need more than a light SMR with at least a polishing pad...

You never know what it will take to remove the swirls to your satisfaction until you do a little testing and that means you need a few products to test with.


Before recommending a Swirl Mark Remover, are you working by hand or by machine and if by machine which type of machine?

I'm actually pushing away from the keyboard for the night, been buffing out the Elky all day and this day's over. :xyxthumbs:

If it has paint... it gets polished...



:)
 
Harleyguy said:
To me from that one picture it looks like pretty heavy swirls i say this because from where the sun is shining on that spot the swirls go all around and there is no break in them.Hope you understand what i mean.
Click to expand...

I would agree with you Adam they are on the heavier side.

To the op, I would suggest getting at least a da,some 5.5 inch pads and the Meguiars 105 and 205. These polish work the best with the da and are very user friendly. If you have any other questions I will be more than happy to get you going in the right direction.
 
I'm actually using a PC but if a DA works better & faster I'm not opposed to getting one. I'm heard lots about the Flex. Would this be even better?
Thanks again
 
mtnbiker said:
I'm actually using a PC but if a DA works better & faster I'm not opposed to getting one. I'm heard lots about the Flex. Would this be even better?
Thanks again
Click to expand...
A PC is a DA style machine a Flex is a forced rotation machine.Before buying another machine do a test spot with some 105 and see what kind of results you get.If you have alot of time try the KBM also .You should be able to get some great results with what you own all ready.
 
mtnbiker said:
I'm actually using a PC but if a DA works better & faster I'm not opposed to getting one. I'm heard lots about the Flex. Would this be even better?
Thanks again
Click to expand...

Just like Adam said stick with your pc, get some 5.5 orange, white, gray or blue pads, 105 and 205 and you will be fine.
 
I already own white & grey pads. Is the orange coarser & should I use it first?
 
mtnbiker said:
Been a member since last year & I'm really impressed at the knowledge all of you have.
Thanks
Click to expand...
All the members who have answered so far are very knowledgeable. I've learned stuff from all of them. Only thing I'll add, you're working with a light color, much easier than dark! At least for me. :)
 
07 z-oh-6 said:
All the members who have answered so far are very knowledgeable. I've learned stuff from all of them. Only thing I'll add, you're working with a light color, much easier than dark! At least for me. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks, but you should never look at it as color. You still have to polish a vehicle the same whether it be a black or white one. Swirls do not know color.

To the op, the orange is a little more aggressive but will be used often with your pc. Trust me you will need it.
 
ASPHALT ROCKET said:
Thanks, but you should never look at it as color. You still have to polish a vehicle the same whether it be a black or white one. Swirls do not know color.
Click to expand...
Good point.

To me, it seems like lighter colors take less steps to get the paint looking nice.

Do you ever do 1 step polish before LSP on a light color(light swirls)?
 
07 z-oh-6 said:
Good point.

To me, it seems like lighter colors take less steps to get the paint looking nice.

Do you ever do 1 step polish before LSP on a light color(light swirls)?
Click to expand...

I do whatever steps it takes to make the paint correct regardless of color. I do not do one steps. If a customer does not want it done correctly then I will not touch the car.
 
I took the liberty to download your picture to my hard drive and then upload it into your gallery here on AutogeekOnline so I could insert it into the thread, (hope you don't mind), here it is...

IMG_3289swirls.jpg



I'll stick to my opinion that it looks pretty intermediate to me as I've see a lot worse in my career... regardless,

Is your PC the first generation or is it the new generation PC 7424XP?

If it's the first generation it will be faster to remove swirls using the 5.5" pads because it will be easier for the first generation polisher to rotate the pad and swirls are removed best when the pad is rotating.

Here's the link to a how-to video that goes over all the steps to remove swirls starting with a light, orange cutting pad on a PC 7424XP, you would use all the same techniques using any PC style polisher.

How to Remove Swirls with the Porter Cable 7424XP



Couple of the other forum members mentioned M105 and M205, here's a few articles I've written on them you might find interesting...

The SMAT Pack - Everything you ever wanted to know about Meguiar's SMAT products...
The Aggressiveness Order of SMAT Products - This might surprise you!


Remember to do a Test Spot no matter which products, pads or tools you use and dial in your process to insure it works in one small are before going over the entire vehicle.

Removing the swirls, then polishing and sealing the paint with a wax or sealant will take you most of a Saturday, I would recommend washing, drying and then claying the paint the day before so the car is clean and dry and ready to start working on first thing with your polisher.

Also, maybe just tackle a few panels your first time as even just buffing out the hood and front fenders, from start to finish will take a few hours and you don't want to get burnt out or rush the job...


:)
 
Are you guys using the lake Country CCS pads or other?
 
I'm using first generation PC.
You guys are great. Thanks again for your advice. I'll post after pics when finished.
 
mtnbiker said:
Are you guys using the lake Country CCS pads or other?
Click to expand...

I come from a flat pad background, starting in the late 1970's when I started using Meguiar's W-1000 and W-5500 Foam Polishing Pads with rotary buffers back when they had an affixed plastic backing plate.

I started using their DA flat buffing pads in 1988 with air-powered DA Sanders because the PC had not been discovered in the wood sanding industry and introduced to the car polishing world until sometime in the early 1990's.

Since coming to Autogeek from Meguiar's I've tried all the foam pads AG carries and when using the right size they all work pretty very well as long as you're also using good technique.

The CCS pads are incredibly popular but so are the flat pads. So be sure do some research and after getting a variety of opinions you'll get a feel for what's right for you.

In the video I linked to I used CCS and the results were stellar.

On the basecoat/clearcoat finish on the 1969 El Camino I used Meguiar's 7" Soft Buff flat pads and the results came out stellar.

The new Surbuf pads work great too!

That's 3 different types of pads that all work great with Porter Cable, DA style polishers.


So get a variety of opinions... I'll be in the office on Monday, if you like you can even give me a call and we can talk shop before you make a choice.


:dblthumb2:
 
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