how do you know when to stop buffing?

[acn684]

I tried polishing my swirls today off my hood.



I tried ssr 2.5 on a white polishing pad first, no results



then 2.5 on a yellow cutting pad, then no results



2.5 yellow again...this time, a bit more pressure, slower, and then also on speed 6 - got rid of a goog number of swirls, however, left very minor hazing, and some micro swirls



SSR 1.0 on a polishing pad to get most of the hazing and micro swirls out



all steps was - approx 1/2 trunk work area, spread on 3, then up 4 for 2 rounds of passes, then 5 for 2-3 passes.



I dont know if im working the product in long enough...how do u know when ssr is finished in its life cycle?



Also, im getting caked up ssr from the inside of the pad flying everywhere, is there something im missing here?



Oh yeah...theres some linear scratches/ swirls? i have no idea what they are...not swirls cause its straigh tlined, but not scratches cause i can`t catch my finger on it...I couldn`t get those off and there was a dozen or so on my trunk..



Any suggestions guys? also any detailed tip son how to use a pc right? My hands were dying from pain every time i went through one cycle....i`m using 6 inch cw with 5 inch backing plate on 6.5 inch pads.

[imported_Neothin]

I know this really isn`t what you wanted to hear, but you can "feel" when the product is done. I`ve used the PC long enough that I can feel when the product goes from being oily and slippery to when it is starting to dry up. Dusting is the main way to tell. SSR`s like to dust, but there are certain levels of dusting. just a little bit and you`re not done yet. i`d say go for about 15 seconds after it starts dusting and that should be good.



Your PC has a speed 6, use it.

[Atrocity79]

Maybe the videos at this link can help you.



http://paintcare-n-detailing.com/video.html

[acn684]

tried it, they`re not too specific about "dusting" i`m learning so i hope i can get this right soon!



is it bad to go too long after dusting? or do i have some sort of cushion?

[Accumulator]

Generally, I prefer to stop before the product dries, well before the point of "dusting". Dried product and cause micromarring and many manufacturers specifically say to *not* work it dry.



Removing defects by PC can take a long, long time- literally hours for a single panel in some cases. Using 4" pads can speed things up as you can apply more pressure to the PC without it merely "jiggling".



And yeah, use speed 6.

[acn684]

ic...so after i load, how much product per panel of car? I guess as long as i work it in to a point? and then just keep doign it it`ll work?

[Accumulator]

I only use enough product to keep the pad saturated with it. I add more before it dries out on the pad. Generally, you work a product until it starts to look sorta transparent, that`s usually about the point where the abrasives have broken down. But you really have to go by experience with the specific product in question.