Swirls aka Fine Scratches
06-10-2008, 10:29 AM
#32
Senior Member
Join Date: 09-13-2006
Location: USA
Posts: 378
i don t think that a sparkily car is a one time thing. it took me weeks to get my fiberglass (black) bed cover on my elcamino the way i wanted it... once there easier to keep up. don t forget the show n shine for daily maint.
01-16-2011, 12:13 PM
#35
New Member
Join Date: 12-19-2010
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 13
Well, I wanted to add that there is a difference between masking swirls, and removing swirls. When you glaze or wax over a swirled area, you are filling in the swirls, not removing them. Once the product washes away, the swirls return. The only effective way of removing swirls is to properly machine polish them away.
Proper machine polishing is very difficult. If done incorrectly, buffer trails are left behind, which are as unsightly as the swirls themselves. Here is an example of buffer trails on a Ferrari 308 that I recently polished. The car was previously polished incorrectly, and buffer trails were evident upon arrival...this picture of the rear deck was symbolic of the entire car when I arrived:
After properly polishing the car, here is an after:
to be continued....
Proper machine polishing is very difficult. If done incorrectly, buffer trails are left behind, which are as unsightly as the swirls themselves. Here is an example of buffer trails on a Ferrari 308 that I recently polished. The car was previously polished incorrectly, and buffer trails were evident upon arrival...this picture of the rear deck was symbolic of the entire car when I arrived:
After properly polishing the car, here is an after:
to be continued....
01-16-2011, 12:22 PM
#36
New Member
Join Date: 12-19-2010
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 13
Here, you can see buffer marks on the trunk lid of this Jag, that was improperly polished.
Here is the right side of the trunk lid, after I corrected:
One of the biggest culprits of swirls is improper washing. This black Jag's owner had a mobile washing service wash weekly at his office. Here is how it looked after only a few months of having this done:
This is after I properly polished:
To be continued...
Here is the right side of the trunk lid, after I corrected:
One of the biggest culprits of swirls is improper washing. This black Jag's owner had a mobile washing service wash weekly at his office. Here is how it looked after only a few months of having this done:
This is after I properly polished:
To be continued...
01-16-2011, 12:26 PM
#37
New Member
Join Date: 12-19-2010
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 13
Whenever you machine polish a car, you do remove some clearcoat. It is very important that you make sure your detailer has the proper tools to ensure that they are polishing safely. Here is a picture of us measuring paint thickness, so we know exactly what we have to work with before polishing:
Lastly, Here is a picture of my HHR. Feel free to ask me any polishing questions you may have, as I have done this for many years:
Lastly, Here is a picture of my HHR. Feel free to ask me any polishing questions you may have, as I have done this for many years:
01-16-2011, 03:09 PM
#39
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-05-2008
Location: Akron Ohio
Posts: 5,464
Weekend is very correct on what he states. Hmm is that a smudge on the quarter of the HHR? ......Just kidding it looks great!
When working to clean a surface up many think that on product like Ice is a do all deal.
When repairing or proper polishing one has to keep on had levels of polish. Each level of polish is like a different grade of sand paper. You only want to use the one as agressive as the damage requires.
The real mistake is few after polishing finish with a glaze or swirl remover. One must do all the steps to get a perect finish in the end.
Great Polishing really is not any great seceret. It is something that just takes the right tools, grades of polish and practice. It is a skill like most other we all can learn but like many few really take the time to learn the proper ways to deal with it.
It is kind of like the deal with changing brakes. Many people can change the pads but few do the job properly or completely.
Often it is good to learn on old cars with damaged paint that really is in bad shape. You may never get it perfect but often it will improve the car and if there is some mistakes you did not kill the paint. One of my first jobs I learned a lot on was a old low mileage Maverick. It was faded to a no gloss finish. By the time I was done it look as if it just left the show room. I only burned on spot lightly. The owner was thrilled to have a shinny car again. The odd thing was about 5 years later the car was crashed and I found it in a junk yard. It may have been totaled but it was still shinny.
I also recomend to most a good orbital buffer like a Porter Cable 6". Most here will not need the work of a larger regular buffer and the obital is great for light clean up work and generally is near impossible to buff through a paint. Don't bother with the cheaper oribital buffers as most are not variable speed and often do not give good results. Also you need to change pads and the others seldom have easy to change pads.
I have owned black vehicles for over 30+ years. I daily drive them and show them. One can learn a lot on these vehicles. Black paint care is not a job it is a career.
When working to clean a surface up many think that on product like Ice is a do all deal.
When repairing or proper polishing one has to keep on had levels of polish. Each level of polish is like a different grade of sand paper. You only want to use the one as agressive as the damage requires.
The real mistake is few after polishing finish with a glaze or swirl remover. One must do all the steps to get a perect finish in the end.
Great Polishing really is not any great seceret. It is something that just takes the right tools, grades of polish and practice. It is a skill like most other we all can learn but like many few really take the time to learn the proper ways to deal with it.
It is kind of like the deal with changing brakes. Many people can change the pads but few do the job properly or completely.
Often it is good to learn on old cars with damaged paint that really is in bad shape. You may never get it perfect but often it will improve the car and if there is some mistakes you did not kill the paint. One of my first jobs I learned a lot on was a old low mileage Maverick. It was faded to a no gloss finish. By the time I was done it look as if it just left the show room. I only burned on spot lightly. The owner was thrilled to have a shinny car again. The odd thing was about 5 years later the car was crashed and I found it in a junk yard. It may have been totaled but it was still shinny.
I also recomend to most a good orbital buffer like a Porter Cable 6". Most here will not need the work of a larger regular buffer and the obital is great for light clean up work and generally is near impossible to buff through a paint. Don't bother with the cheaper oribital buffers as most are not variable speed and often do not give good results. Also you need to change pads and the others seldom have easy to change pads.
I have owned black vehicles for over 30+ years. I daily drive them and show them. One can learn a lot on these vehicles. Black paint care is not a job it is a career.
01-22-2011, 11:42 PM
#40
New Member
Join Date: 01-22-2011
Location: Kenosha
Posts: 13
Weekend is very correct on what he states. Hmm is that a smudge on the quarter of the HHR? ......Just kidding it looks great!
When working to clean a surface up many think that on product like Ice is a do all deal.
When repairing or proper polishing one has to keep on had levels of polish. Each level of polish is like a different grade of sand paper. You only want to use the one as agressive as the damage requires.
The real mistake is few after polishing finish with a glaze or swirl remover. One must do all the steps to get a perect finish in the end.
Great Polishing really is not any great seceret. It is something that just takes the right tools, grades of polish and practice. It is a skill like most other we all can learn but like many few really take the time to learn the proper ways to deal with it.
It is kind of like the deal with changing brakes. Many people can change the pads but few do the job properly or completely.
Often it is good to learn on old cars with damaged paint that really is in bad shape. You may never get it perfect but often it will improve the car and if there is some mistakes you did not kill the paint. One of my first jobs I learned a lot on was a old low mileage Maverick. It was faded to a no gloss finish. By the time I was done it look as if it just left the show room. I only burned on spot lightly. The owner was thrilled to have a shinny car again. The odd thing was about 5 years later the car was crashed and I found it in a junk yard. It may have been totaled but it was still shinny.
I also recomend to most a good orbital buffer like a Porter Cable 6". Most here will not need the work of a larger regular buffer and the obital is great for light clean up work and generally is near impossible to buff through a paint. Don't bother with the cheaper oribital buffers as most are not variable speed and often do not give good results. Also you need to change pads and the others seldom have easy to change pads.
I have owned black vehicles for over 30+ years. I daily drive them and show them. One can learn a lot on these vehicles. Black paint care is not a job it is a career.
When working to clean a surface up many think that on product like Ice is a do all deal.
When repairing or proper polishing one has to keep on had levels of polish. Each level of polish is like a different grade of sand paper. You only want to use the one as agressive as the damage requires.
The real mistake is few after polishing finish with a glaze or swirl remover. One must do all the steps to get a perect finish in the end.
Great Polishing really is not any great seceret. It is something that just takes the right tools, grades of polish and practice. It is a skill like most other we all can learn but like many few really take the time to learn the proper ways to deal with it.
It is kind of like the deal with changing brakes. Many people can change the pads but few do the job properly or completely.
Often it is good to learn on old cars with damaged paint that really is in bad shape. You may never get it perfect but often it will improve the car and if there is some mistakes you did not kill the paint. One of my first jobs I learned a lot on was a old low mileage Maverick. It was faded to a no gloss finish. By the time I was done it look as if it just left the show room. I only burned on spot lightly. The owner was thrilled to have a shinny car again. The odd thing was about 5 years later the car was crashed and I found it in a junk yard. It may have been totaled but it was still shinny.
I also recomend to most a good orbital buffer like a Porter Cable 6". Most here will not need the work of a larger regular buffer and the obital is great for light clean up work and generally is near impossible to buff through a paint. Don't bother with the cheaper oribital buffers as most are not variable speed and often do not give good results. Also you need to change pads and the others seldom have easy to change pads.
I have owned black vehicles for over 30+ years. I daily drive them and show them. One can learn a lot on these vehicles. Black paint care is not a job it is a career.
Scott..
Last edited by Starbukfan; 01-23-2011 at 12:12 AM.