SMR - what exactly does this do

[jsoto]

newbie here. what exactly does SMR do. Reading up on past threads show that it removes swirl marks, etc but my questions is how does this do this.



On reading one thread, for example, the PC was used with SMR until the swirl marks dissappear. SMR is a very fine grit compound so -



1) Does this stuff break down and fill in the scratches and the swirls



2) Does this harm the clearcoat in any way



3) By using SMR, will it remove any microscopic layer of paint on my car in any way.

[2k2blackWRX]

Swirl Mark Remover does exactly what it says, it removes swirls using diminishing abraisives and it has some oil fillers in it.



The meaning of diminishing abraisives means that as you work it in it becomes finer and finer till there is no haze and it leaves a nice shine.



A SMR WILL remove clearcoat but it removes VERY LITTLE, im talking a microscopic level of clearcoat here.



So in the end a SMR



1. WILL Fill in swirls and remove them if used correctly but not scratches



2. Harms the clearcoat in that it removes a minor amount



3.See above.



Bryan

[samiam513]

there is litle to worry about while using smr unless you know you have little clear left.

[MX racer]

I have a 1997 car w/ black paint. Of course I`m very picky about it, but it seems like it`s very fragile (scraches easily). Maybe it`s just me, but could this mean my clear coat is thin? I just got a PC and was going to order the CMA kit tomorrow. What are the chances the clear coat is thin? Also, I`m not sure, but I think it might have been repainted, but I`m not totally sure on that. I don`t think the orig owner was totally honest with me :mad:

[Taxlady]

tblythe, if you really want to know if it is repainted there is a very expensive machine that can measure the thickness of the paint. When I had an independant inspector check over my car before I bought it, it was one of the things he checked. It cost me Cdn$70 for the inspection. He knew ahead of time what kind of car he was going to inspect, so he had looked up how thick Volvo paint is from the factory. He confirmed what the dealer told me about the hood and front fenders having been repainted.

[imported_Intel486]

Originally posted by 2k2blackWRX

Swirl Mark Remover does exactly what it says, it removes swirls using diminishing abraisives and it has some oil fillers in it.



The meaning of diminishing abraisives means that as you work it in it becomes finer and finer till there is no haze and it leaves a nice shine.





Does 3m SMR have diminishing abrasives? Can anyone confirm this? I`m not so sure it does. Some of Meguiar`s heavier stuff does but I don`t think Meguiar`s #9 has diminishing abrasives. I`ve used it with a finishing foam pad and hardly worked it down to get rid of light swirls and it produced a brillant finish and did not leave any swirls of its own.



I think if it is a swirl remove it would already come with microfine abrasives which do not have to be broken down.



Maybe we should contact 3m to get this confirmed and Meguiar`s. See if their swirls removers have diminishing abrasives. If they don`t, then we don`t have to worry about working them down.

[samiam513]

tblythe ,one reason your car could seem to scratch easily is becasue it is black. If it were white you might not think the same. Just because black shows scratches and swirls easily and white doesn`t.