I just need a simple answer please (BMW Alpine White)

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

I bought the porter cable 7424xp as everyone suggested along with some lake country pads to remove some swirls.

It didn't work!

I used Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Medium-Cut Cleaner with orange pad and Meguiar's M9 Mirror Glaze Swirl Remover with white pad.

#1 Medium Cut Cleaner is pretty old technology and if you read the back label it states it's for use with a rotary buffer only. #9 is a Fine Cut Polish and won't do anything if you don't get the swirls and scratches out with the first step.

Here's an article I wrote on the topic of wrong product to tool issues which actually come up quite often...

For Use with Rotary Buffer Only - Read the Directions

Thanks guys, really appreciate the help.

I picked up a 8oz M105 and Meguiar's DMC5 5" DA Microfiber Cutting Disc at a local store to try it out(30 bucks), I am surprised they actually worked, a lot of swirls were removed but still a few deep ones left.

This is normal, read this article,




RIDS - The Definition of RIDS and the story behind the term...



RIDS = Random Isolated Deeper Scratches

RIDS
Random Isolated Deeper Scratches. These type of scratches come from normal wear & tear and there is no pattern to them. RIDS are like Tracers in that they are deeper scratches that show up after the shallow scratches have first been removed through a machine or hand buffing process, usually with a compound or paint cleaner. After the shallow swirls and scratches have been removed, any deeper scratches that remain will now show up like a Sore-Thumb to your eyes because there are no longer thousands of lighter, more shallow scratches camouflaging them.

Am I using the right pad? it was suggested by the local store

Wow! A Salesperson that's in-the-know!

and I wonder if there is an better option for the pad to get 100% swirl free.

Thanks

If the car is a daily driver, then keep in mind all the factory UV protection is in the clear layer of paint.

The more clear paint you remove the lest UV protection to last over the service life of the car. Remove too much clear coat and this happens...

The Clearcoat Failure Photo Gallery Archive



Also, if the car is a daily driver, chances are good you will get more swirls and scratches into the future, so at some point it's a good idea to remove the majority of the shallow swirls and scratches as your car's paint will look GREAT! and then learn to not let a few deeper scratches bother you.

Or... remove all of them and then always wash and dry your car very carefully and do everything you can to avoid putting scratches back into the paint.

 

[shingo43]

Thanks for answering my questions Mike, you just made my life much easier. I feel like addicted to detailing now

 

[t5er]

I'm gonna give a different answer. When I first started with the DA I didn't get the results I wanted. I went back to buy new products like the Meguiar's MF system, again It didn't work. Went back and bought 105/205, again it didn't work.

I didn't need new products, I needed a new technique. SLOW arm speed and increased pressure was the key. Also DO A TEST SPOT before you tackle the whole car.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Thanks for answering my questions Mike, you just made my life much easier.

I feel like addicted to detailing now

Join the club.... lots of great people already belong...

I didn't need new products, I needed a new technique. SLOW arm speed and increased pressure was the key.

When working on car paint the most important factor is abrasive technology, after that it's technique.

You can have the best technique in the world but if you're using junk abrasive technology it doesn't matter how good you are because the abrasive particles being pushed against and over the paint are not doing good work.

To your point though, when using any tool, for the most part, a slow arm speed is vital as you need to give all of the below TIME to affect the surface before moving the polisher forward.

Abrasive technology
Downward pressure
Pad type
Tool/pad action

If you move the tool too fast over the surface the pad and abrasives are basically just skimming over the paint and nothing gets done. That is paint is not removed and thus the surface is not leveled.

Also DO A TEST SPOT before you tackle the whole car.

Probably the most important thing no matter what the tool, product, pad or project.

If you cannot make one small section of paint look good you certainly are not going to make the entire car look good.