Removing swirls

[Mike K]

I'm having difficulty in determining where best to make this post, so I would like to start with an appology if this question doesn't belong here.

I have now detailed quite a few cars with a PC and a couple swirl removing products SSR2, Pinnacle Advanced Swirl Remover, with my PC and a LC orange pad. I have worked with great patients and a small area for quite some time repeating the process, adding pressure and lightening up on the pressure... all to no avail. Now these swirls are not scratches nor that deep, and I realize I could go up in Pad for cut, but I would think I should see some progress of diminishing swirls, but not.

So I'm thinking of advancing to a rotary (probably Makita) which will let me take advantage of products like Meguires Fine Cut or something like that made specifically for rotary's.

Because of my fear of burning the paint and ultimately my question, can you start out at lower RPM's on the rotary that equate to the aggressiveness or lack there of, of the PC and work up in RPM's as more exoperience is acheived on the rotary.

I can really use some guidence and advice here. My addiction for the perfect finish is driving me, and I wonder if I'm at a jucture where acceptance is a beautiful thing, certainly better than a car polished clean of its pigment!

[Scott P]

I saw from a pevious post that you are in Rochester. Maybe you can swing by in a week or so and I'll see if I can help. I have many products, pads and even a rotary. I'm sure there is something we can do.

[Mike K]

Thanks Scott. I think we tried to contact each other before, but since we have both been on the go missed.

Hope to touch base with you soon.

[Polished60]

I too have run into the same situation. I just can't get the swirls and fine scratches out of my truck. Its really shiny but quite swirly as well. They aren't even the really deep swirls that really stand out. I'm wondering if the yellow LC pad would help get the ssr 2.5 working a bit better. I picked up 3m's sratch/swirl remover today so maybe I'll give it a whirl tommorrow. Is a rotary what we need?

[NYV6Coupe]

Mike K: when you talk to / meet with Scott, ask him if he still has any of the 8" tufted LC pads that can be used with a rotary.

I found them to be an excellent intermediate step between foam pads on a PC and wool pads on a rotary. Almost no chance of burning the paint with these tufted pads & I think they'll give you the correction-ability that's lacking with the PC.

[raikko77]

i would like to know also what to do, i picked up Mother`s swirl remover, and tried a bit of it of the hood....didn`t see a difference at all.

[J.J.]

If you're not seeing any correction while doing the following:
1. Using cutting pads (orange or yellow)
2. Using SSR 2.5 or Similar
3. Working in small areas

Then you should:
1. Move slower across the paint
2. Make sure/ ensure the product is being broken down fully

I've never seen these products fail to improve the finish of an automobile. If done correctly, it is my opinion that the above product and pad combination will improve the swirls and paint finish (notice: I didn't say completely fix). It may take more than one pass on some hard finishes (Audi comes to mind) but there is always a dramatic improvement on most finishes.
JJ

[Mike K]

I haven't seen Scott yet, I just haven't been able to break away from the office. He is a few miles from the office and about 25 miles from my home. I haven't re-done my car since my last post, and I'm looking to try my hand at it again. I really feel I did everything right the first time. I went over a small area repeatedly, and the finish was to a luster so I think I did break the product down, since there was very liittle MF buff off and yes I went slow. And as one of the previous comments I've seen in this link, my swirls too are very light, since the car is only 3 months old. The only washing it gets is from me 2 bucket, 2 grit gauards, one in each bucket of course and Wolfgang wash with sheepskin glove. The dealer in their preping put the swirls in.

So if after my seond attempt I will take Scott up on his offer and keep everyone posted. I'm hopeful that the final chapter to this story is "Really When you think you did it right, you didn't...go even smaller area, go over a few more times, and go slower". What I really believe the final chapter will say is "Buy a good Rotary" Ah who knows.

[J.J.]

Well, if it makes you feel any better, I bought a rotary too. I bought the one from Harbor Freight though. Very inexpenssive and adequate.

JJ

[Bell]

The PC, nor the Cyclo which has more power than the PC, will not level paint like a rotary will. Simple fact. Reason being is that heat and friction are needed to abrade away a micro layer of paint. So you are not removing the swirls or scratches but rather you are removing the layer of paint where these swirls/scratches reside.

IMHO SSR 2.5 is best used with a rotary and either a med. polishing pad or an orange power pad. Keep the rpm's under 1500 and the buffing temperature under 177 degrees, afterall you are buffing on plastic. Two other lproduct lines that I believe are better than Meguairs or the SSR line at leveling paint is Menzerna and Optimum. I have recently been using the Optimum wool and foam buffing pads and they are better than the Lake Country pads I have used for years in the past. They have a super fine finishing pad with 100 ppi.

Give the rotary a try.