Swirls re-appearing one or two days after polishing?

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nathan007

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I have a very weird issue at the moment, doing a correction polish on my car with messed up sides (previous owner probably used contact carwash or rubbing sand on the panels..)

Keep in mind I am a n00b at this;

Using a Griots G9 DA, with chemical guys Orange (medium cutting) pad, and a combination of sonax cut & finish and 04/06 depending on affected area. The cut and finish provided the best result on my door test panel. Of course i still have some deep scratches but i would say 80% is gone and i'm good with it.
When my section is done (about 5 section passes), I wipe very gently with a CLEAN microfiber. Product is sort of "greasy" when i'm done so it's kind of a pain to remove correctly ( working indoors in about 55-60F with around 60% humidity)

I observe my work, well satisfied of the result (use of different light sources in every possible angle), then clean my pad (shower towel, brush & compressed air), then proceed to next section. -btw big thanks to Mr. Phillips and everyone else for the great info, tips. techniques provided on this site!!

Now, maybe two days later, keep in mind the car is inside the garage, I'm the only one with access, no pets, and i am careful moving around it, i see this;

View attachment 77030View attachment 77031

To make those marks/holograms appear, i need to shine my light in a very wide angle (maybe 150deg?). They were not there when i wiped down and inspected.

Now, what would cause this issue? Looks good one day, not so much one or two later?

I did a test this morning on this exact panel and will keep you updated in the next two days to see if it worked; Chemical guys Green heavy polishing pad with sonax NP 03-06. Did 4 section passes, wiped down extra gently, even did an IPA spray, looked perfect before i left for work. Will check it tonight and tomorrow am.

Any info will be gladly appreciated, my "it;s going to be a fun two days with a few beers" is turning into a nightmare...

Thanks!
 
One of two things...

Have you tried re-wiping the panel? It is possible that what you are seeing is actually smudges from the polishing product not being completely removed during your initial wipe. At the time of your initial wipe, the polishing oils were "wet" enough to conceal the marks you are seeing. After a couple of days, as the polishing oils evaporate, the marks appear. The marks may simply be some excess oils that haven't completely evaporated yet. If this is the case, try re-wiping the panel with a quick detailer and then re-inspect.

The other possibility is that you simply did not polish enough to completely remove the defects but the polishing oils were masking the defects. Just like in the first case described above, as the polishing oils evaporate, the defects re-appear. If this is the case, then you will need to repeat your polishing process.

I'd try the quick detailer wipe first, then based on the results decide if you need to re-polish.
 
Something else came to mind after I re-read the original post.

What type of lighting are you using while working? Whether it's a missed high spot while applying a coating, or not completely knocking out swirls while polishing, I think those issues all came down to being able to properly see the surface. Like you, I'd spend hours in the garage working on one of our cars. Once done it looks great and I strut into the house feeling a great sense of accomplishment. The next morning, I back the car out into the sunlight or the natural lighting of a cloudy day, I see the flaws I missed the day before...and the profanity starts flowing.
 
Thanks for the replies!

I'm using a few different models of LED lights that I normally use for mechanic work in the garage, all around 5k+ color (it's all i got) If I play with angles it may look good or bad. I mostly can determine if I did something good or not, it just takes time hehe.

The polishing oils evaporating is a good lead, tough I tought that wiping with an IPA solution (60water/40iso) would do it. Later today I will be able to check the test area with softer pad/polish and see what i'm up to.

And yes, i tried rewiping the panel, it's definitely not left over product :(
 
nathan007 said:
Thanks for the replies!

I'm using a few different models of LED lights that I normally use for mechanic work in the garage, all around 5k+ color (it's all i got) If I play with angles it may look good or bad. I mostly can determine if I did something good or not, it just takes time hehe.

The polishing oils evaporating is a good lead, tough I tought that wiping with an IPA solution (60water/40iso) would do it. Later today I will be able to check the test area with softer pad/polish and see what i'm up to.

And yes, i tried rewiping the panel, it's definitely not left over product :(
Click to expand...

You might consider using a dedicated panel wipe. Diluted IPA will not provide any lubrication.
 
Yes , thank you, i ordered some and waiting for it , in the meantime i do with what i have access to.

It would seem a combo of maybe left over marks and mostly pad choice would be my issue. Here is a pic of my test spot about 24 hours later with a quick ipa wipe.View attachment 77033

Marks gone, and you can clearly see the difference in shine (looked already way better than i started with, but now, whoa)
 
I think the better question is, are they the exact same swirls that were there before, somehow re appearing? As crazy as it sounds I had that happen once and this was after wetsanding and polishing to perfection. The next morning it started with a little patch of haze and by afternoon it grew bigger. Within 2 days the entire hood looked exactly like it did prior to wetsanding and compounding with Meguiars D300 w/microfiber pads. Insane.

I experimented with some Megs #7 since the paint was so dry on the verge of complete failure and after 5 polishing cycles using a Blue finessing pad the #7 brought it back to perfection. I put sealant over it and it lasted about a week… I gave it another quick compound and sealed it again and never saw the defects again. I’ve never told that story beyond the people who physically helped me with the process in real life, and if they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes they probably wouldn’t have believed it, but it’s true. Lol.

I’ve only heard of the same swirls coming back one other time. Your case might be the 3rd.
 
The IPA panel wipe should have a final dilution rate of only 10 to 15 percent (12 oz water + 4 oz 70% IPA). Too high of a percentage can harm the clear coat. It's also important to use distilled water and not just regular tap water in the mixture. What kind of microfiber towels are you using? I would only be using ones that have a 70/30 blend just to be on the extra safe side.
 
What's you tool speed, arm speed, and pressure like?
 
Good morning!

thanks alot for your replies, I have the pleasure to tell you I found my issue! Hope this might help a beginner some day!

first; my ipa was 40% iso to distilled water, and I use chemical guys MIC506 (70/30) microfibers. I ordered a dedicated panel wash prior to do my coating but will receive it only tomorrow. I only sprayed specific areas so it was not my issue. Tool speed was 5 with moderate pressure (no scale to be this specific, but just enough to let my pad have reasonnable rotation) .


My issue;

*Originally was using too harsh of a pad for my paint, which left marks. First it made a huge difference vs the condition of the paint, but my second combo of a green heavy polishing pad made it WAY better.

*Volvo Black Sapphire paint is way softer than i ever imagined. I marked the clear with my knee while sitting on my work stool and turning around wearing corduroy pants. (tight garage 11x22..). I did introduce swirls because of over wiping (noob spatter and bad product);

*Check your product date! The Sonax 03-06 I was using for my final pass was dated 2017. Which could explain why it was so hard to wipe off. The new bottle of 04-06 I just bought comes off so easily vs the other, it is not a joke.

Conclusion; Since time is running out for my work, i found a very great compromise; Green heavy polishing pad with sonax EX 0406; I still have RIDS but my swirls and holograms are gone. I would say 80+% of defects are gone , and shine is great. I will learn to be happy with it. I also figured it was easier to see my defects and turning off the lights in the garage and only use my lighting pen. Here's a picture of my driver door condition. (left side is done). Leaning everyday!! And again, a big thanks to everyone on this forum for sharing knowledge.

View attachment 77034
View attachment 77035
 
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