Swirls in paint!!!

HitandRunDriver

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I think you'll need something with more muscle to get those swirls out. I'm not sure what sort of results you'll get with swirl X either...I had a tube of this and threw it out when I got my PC 7424 and some Meguiars 105/205.
 

nbk13nw

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Yup. A decent DA buffer would be the starting point. PC, Griots, etc. Then pads and products.

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Grimlock

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I too have some light swirl marks that can only be see with direct sunlight at an angle. I tried using Meguairs Swirl X and their DA that attaches to a drill, using their yellow polishing pad I got zero results.

The paint color is cleaner and shines more for sure but after the wax I still saw the swirl marks.


Remember to try least aggressive products first. Swirl X is fairly abrasive IIRC but probably not so much with the tool you used to apply it. Perhaps start with a PC7424 using an orange pad and M205?
 

nbk13nw

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I second the Orange and M205

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o2sys

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I think I will invest on a porter cable. Should I try the Swirl X again with the proper pad and tool this time?
 

12grabbergt

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Thought I'd jump in on this because swirl removal and paint restoration is one of my interests, especially on black vehicles.
What has been written so far is good advice:
- Porter Cable 7424 is a great entry level DA polisher. Stay away from rotary polishers.
- Meguiars 105 (or Ultimate Compound) with a Lake Country orange pad will remove most swirls but may leave slight marring.
- Meguiars 205 (or Ultimate Polish) with a Lake Country white pad will bring up the shine and add depth.
Finish with a good quality wax or paint sealant.
The Autogeek videos are a good start to get tips on technique.
 

nbk13nw

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What he said. I figured start soft and work it up in abrasive until you get the results needed.

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Grimlock

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+1 on the AutoGeek tutorials. Great place to learn the technique and terminology.

Also, love or hate him, the JunkMan has some informative (and very opinionated) videos on YT.
 

Boaisy

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For videos, I watched AutoGeek, JunkMan, and AMMONYC (who also does videos on Drive /Clean).

For a "product list," this was a basic one I posted in another thread:

http://www.s197forum.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2223263&postcount=254

Pretty much went from this:

18496792569_91877fcff7_c.jpg


18060324444_58acbc963c_c.jpg




to this in 3 days of work:

18062293343_9e456dc5cb_c.jpg


18496206650_1383ddea0c_c.jpg
 
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Boaisy

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Outstanding work, now you will have to work hard to keep it scratch free.

Yeah, pretty much doing paint correction on a black car turns on OCD mode. :) I don't have the car anymore, but in the future, any black cars I get, I'll probably put on a coating then a film, or just make sure it is coated and keep it inside as long as possible.


To the OP:

I just wanted to add the steps in that I took. Refer to my earlier post for the products that I had used.

  1. I washed the car with a cirtus based wash. This strips any waxes/formulas that have been put on the car. Careful not to use to a high concentration of citrus product as it can damage the paint itself. Watch AMMONYC-Drive/Clean videos on washing steps. If possible, I would grab Chemical Guys Citrus Red. I used the Citrus Wash & Gloss, and I believe you may get a better result with the Citrus Red.
  2. Decontaminate with a clay bar, and you can even add IronX into this step. This is very crucial as any road contaminants can mess up the final result. I ended up having an issue on my deck lid (around the faux cap) where it had a rough area after the product cured a couple of weeks. Possibly from a few areas between home and work where they were paving new roads, right after I had applied the coating. I could not get it off after the coating was cured.
  3. This step is kind of optional, but some people will wash the car again after decon. I didn't the first time I did PC, but might do it this next time on my dad's IROC-Z.
  4. Bring the car inside a garage (if possible) and tape off the plastic moldings. Tape off the windows and mirrors. Tape off emblems. Tape off/cover the wheels as well. You do not want to get compound/polish on parts of the car that aren't the paint. It can be very hard to get it to come off. AutoGeek has a video that shows how to prep for PC. Especially tape off any vinyl stripes/decals too. When I used to work at the dealership, our detail guy didn't tape off the stripes on a 09 Roush Mustang. The stripes ended up getting a white haze because of the products that he spread onto it.
  5. If the swirls are heavy, this is where you start off with compounding. I followed the AutoGeek video with the Flex 3401. I believe he did a demo on the hood of a Chrysler 300. I watched the video so many times before performing the work, and was even pulling it up during the work. It has a lot of useful information for a beginner. If you are using the Lake Country Hybrid Pads, the Orange one is what you would compound with.
  6. After compounding each section, wipe the section down with CarPro Eraser. This is an IPA that also cleans up the polish/compounding greases. After the wipe, reinspect the area to see if you need to compound any further. When inspecting your areas, use a light source, such as a flashlight of some sort. Lights mounted to the ceiling will not be enough. I used a ChannelLock LED flashlight, but now I have the FLEX swirl finder flashlight. Without a "direct" light source on the swirls, you may miss some spots, so having some kind of flashlight will help. Swirl finder lights are supposed to mimic the effects of sunlight on the car, which is how most swirls will be noticed.
  7. After you compound the whole car, you can move onto the polishing step. Again, I just followed the AutoGeek 3401 video. If you use something, like the Polish Angel Cosmic Glasscoat system, their primer acts as a polish and prep formula for their coating. If you are using the Lake Country Hybrid Pads, the White ones are used for polishes.
  8. After polishing, this is where you apply your sealant, coating, and/or wax. There are various products, and there are quite a few threads here about each one. AutoGeek has a forums where hardcore guys give their opinions on products as well. Expect most coatings to set for a few hours, with some having a waiting period before it should be outside in the elements. Using the Lake Country Hybrid Pads, Black is used for the finishing steps.
  9. If you want to do coating/sealant AND wax, it is usually best to apply the wax LAST. Coatings need to bond to the paint, and are usually considered a "second clear coat" to the paint. In most cases, they are practically a "permanent" solution, as in, they would have to be chemically or abrasively removed. Sealants are a temporary, long-term protection. Probably won't shine as much as a wax, but it'll last 6 months+ (depending on product and use of the car). Waxes are easy to apply, but have short protection periods (less than 6 months). Generally, a good wax will have more of a "wet" look. If you are to perform a combination of the 3, it would be in the following order: Coating > Sealant > Wax. However, most coatings do not even need a sealant or wax on top of it. One guy explained it on AutoGeek like this (paraphrasing):
    Your wife buys a nice dress (coating) that shows off her nice features, and you buy a large coat (sealant/wax) to cover all of it. Why have the coat cover what is great about the dress?
  10. After curing and the waiting period is all over, take pictures and post them for friends to see (If you can stop staring at your car long enough). :)
 
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themoose06

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I too have some light swirl marks that can only be see with direct sunlight at an angle. I tried using Meguairs Swirl X and their DA that attaches to a drill, using their yellow polishing pad I got zero results.

The paint color is cleaner and shines more for sure but after the wax I still saw the swirl marks.

Meguiars compounds are so so, you need something that will spin relatively fast, the heat combined with the grit will mend the swirls. Try a Porter Cable DA Polisher and some chemical guys v32/34
 

s8v4o

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I've had great luck using 2000 and 3000 grit sand paper and using my polisher afterwards. Works great!!
 

Boaisy

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I experimented with wet sanding on the IROC-Z. It was actually quite fun. Might not do the whole car though, but it was easy for the touch up areas.
 

o2sys

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I wet sanded a small part and even after compound and polish I can't get the haze out. I wet sanded with 3000 then 5000
 

s8v4o

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I wet sanded a small part and even after compound and polish I can't get the haze out. I wet sanded with 3000 then 5000

Jeez, you may need to start lower. Maybe start with a 1500 or 2000 in a small spot. Work up to a 3000. The 5000 isn't necessary IMO. Polishing it with a polisher will clear up the 3000 very nicely.
 

nbk13nw

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I wet sanded my hood starting with 600 then worked up to 3000. Changing direction with each successively increase in cut. Then compounded and polished.

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Boaisy

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Yeah, highest I had used was a 3,000 grit. Most good compounds can take out 1200+ grit sanding.
 

CammedS197

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I used 3M's compounds when I used to paint and buff. Step 1: For black I did 3M's white wool pad with their white top cutting compound at #2 speed on a makita buffer. Step 2: I would go to 3M's yellow wool pad and same thing as white but its softer and less aggressive and kills the swirls, and not a quick process, I do the yellow twice. Step 3: 3M's black foam pad with 3M's black top swirl/polish compound at 1.5 speed on buffer, keeping as flat as I can and slow left to right motions, do in sections and take your time don't use too much at once and buff till compound goes away on its own. I do this twice as well. Step 4: 3M's blue foam pad with 3M's blue top polish compound and 1.5-2 speed on buffer and slow back and forth motion. Now when wiping down with microfiber only straight lines no circles and once you make a wipe switch sides of microfiber or you'll see tiny sand like scratches.

Very anal process for Black and some other dark colors, light colors you can cut steps out. I do not have any videos from when I used to do this, sorry. Any questions feel free to PM.

Wet sanding I do 800-1000 grit with a soft block or paint stick and then 1500 grit to 2000 grit to 2500 all the way to 3000 and 5000 grit.

I use the 3M quick disconnect adapter and then their pads and compounds. So pad swaps were quick.
 

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