Meguiars Swirl Remover #9? Does it fill or remove?

[imported_Faceman]

Hello,



A couple of quick questions for you experts about Meguiars #9, if you have a few minutes to answer them, I would be grateful.



1) Does the SMR physically remove swirl marks, or does it "fill" them in.



2) Is it also a paint cleaner - or would I also need to use something like Meguairs Body Scrub or Medallion Paint Cleaner?



Thanks again,



face

[VetteToVair]

It removes them to some degree and then fills in what is left.

[MnRiverman]

It actually removes them for the most part.



And you most likely won`t need to use a cleaner before hand.

[imported_Intel486]

Originally posted by Faceman

Hello,



A couple of quick questions for you experts about Meguiars #9, if you have a few minutes to answer them, I would be grateful.



1) Does the SMR physically remove swirl marks, or does it "fill" them in.



2) Is it also a paint cleaner - or would I also need to use something like Meguairs Body Scrub or Medallion Paint Cleaner?



Thanks again,



face



Just to let you know we usually use SMR to refer to 3M`s Swirl Mark Remover. Meguiar`s #9 we usually just use #9.



#9 actually will remove swirls from the paint. I believe it also does have fillers but not as much as 3M`s SMR.



Paint cleaners are really just mild compounds so it really isn`t a paint cleaner. You can use something like Meguiar`s Dual-Action Cleaner Polish, Pro`s DUZ-all, Pinnacle Paint Cleansing Lotion, etc. (not sure what 3m has higher up in abrasiveness)

[MnRiverman]

Originally posted by Intel486





#9 actually will remove swirls from the paint. I believe it also does have fillers but not as much as 3M`s SMR.







I thought it was the other way around that #9 had more fillers than SMR.

[Jngrbrdman]

Originally posted by adg44

I thought it was the other way around that #9 had more fillers than SMR.



Not from my experience. SMR fills a lot better than #9.

[MnRiverman]

Originally posted by Jngrbrdman

Not from my experience. SMR fills a lot better than #9.



Interesting... maybe that`s why they call it a polishing glaze. :p

[imported_COEX-PILOT]

I was under the impression (and from personal experience) that both 3M and #9 mostly fills with little removal of swirls.



To remove swirls, you need to remove paint. That takes some effort and typically a machine.



Do the test yourself as see. After using either product, spray and wipe down with the 50/50 alcohol mix. If the swirls are gone, great! If not, then you just filled them and the 50/50 mix removed the filler.



I could be wrong, would not be the first time.

[iceman]

Would SMR and #9 be considered more or less interchangeable then? If so, which one is the more economical one to use, easiest to apply and buff, gives the best results, etc?

[imported_Intel486]

Originally posted by COEX-PILOT

I was under the impression (and from personal experience) that both 3M and #9 mostly fills with little removal of swirls.



To remove swirls, you need to remove paint. That takes some effort and typically a machine.



Do the test yourself as see. After using either product, spray and wipe down with the 50/50 alcohol mix. If the swirls are gone, great! If not, then you just filled them and the 50/50 mix removed the filler.



I could be wrong, would not be the first time.



The problem here is most people don`t know what "swirls" are. Swirls are the fine lines left by a rotary used with a compound. Those marks are what these products like Meguiar`s #9 and 3m`s SMR are designed to remove. I`ve used those products to remove them and I use a bottle of Denatured alcohol to check my work to make sure I remove them.



Most vehicles have lots of towel marks on them. Also called cob web swirls on here. They are the lines that orbital around the reflection of the sun, etc. These marks are deeper than swirls caused by a rotary w/ a compound. It takes a compound though to remove them. BTW, compounds can be varrying degrees of abrasiveness so don`t freak out about not wanting to use a compound. There are ones designed for 1500 grit marks and ones designed for 800 grit marks. Make sure you get a mild compound for these marks.