Very Discouraged

**PKing688** · 07-13-2007, 09:22 AM

Hi all,

I`ve been on this forum for a while and I just really got depressed this week because of my work on my own car. I usually maintained silver cars so I guess I never saw anything in them. But, my own car is a Metallic BLACK 98 Audi A6 and I polished it last week.

Wash

Clay

SSR 2.5 Orange pad

AIO Orange pad

Meg`s NXT wax

Meg`s 26

I pretty much wanted to give up on detailing when I saw the results in the sun. There were still albeit less swirls and TONS of straight line holograms. I guess the holograms were from using a bad applicator for the wax?

Anyway I don`t have any sun pics I`ll try to get some up. But, i REALLY don`t know what I am doing wrong. I think that I just didn`t do enough passes just one each. So, please help me get out of this rut.

**Setec Astronomy** · 07-13-2007, 09:28 AM

What is a "straight line hologram"? Anyway, Audi paint is notoriously hard, and SSR2.5/orange isn`t really that aggressive. I`m presuming you`re using a PC...getting bad swirls out of black will probably be a pretty tough road.

**chutney** · 07-13-2007, 09:32 AM

IMHO the holograms are caused by the combo AIO and the orange pad. A white pad would have been a more appropriate choice. The orange is much too aggressive for AIO.

Best thing is too polish your car again using SSR1 and a whithe pad followed with AIO (white pad or by hand).

**PKing688** · 07-13-2007, 09:38 AM

Yeah I was thinking that it may be that chutney, but I wasn`t really sure that the AIO/Orange would do that. I should have broken out the white pad.

**imported_smprince1** · 07-13-2007, 09:48 AM

Don`t get discouraged .... like anything detailing takes practice and learning skills just like anything else. I have been doing this a few years and still I`m learning all the time.

It`s always a good idea to view your work in the sun or appropriate lighting before applying your final polish and LSP. This will make sure the paint correction is at the point where you are satisfied.

Can you add some photos of what you are describing? Many here are willing to help.

**velobard** · 07-13-2007, 10:09 AM

From everything I`ve heard about Audi paint, it`s usually one of the hardest to correct. Yeah, it`s possible you got too aggressive, but I wouldn`t be surprised if you didn`t get aggressive enough. I presume you`re working with a PC? If so, I seriously doubt you got too aggressive. You can step things up a big notch if needed by either A) a rotary or

a 4" pad on the PC.

**imported_bpfoley** · 07-13-2007, 10:10 AM

honestly I would ditch the PC. I have a black VW and the PC takes forever for correction. It does however work great for gloss enhancing and wax application, but then you just have shiny swirls.

For my paint I used IP and a yellow pad and found that it may take more than one pass. Not to mention these passes the machine is moving very slow, 1 inch per sec or so. This takes forever. Then I found I can finish with FP and orange. FP with white made no real discernible difference.

I am interested in the UDM, but have not heard any real reviews on its corrective abilities, people seem to focus on vibration, ergonomics etc. I plan on getting a Harbor Freight rotary and see where I end up. Maybe I just need to get some of the more expensive Menzerna products, but those prices seem a little ridiculous for a weekend hobby as the wife would say.

**PKing688** · 07-13-2007, 06:42 PM

I put these pictures up with great fear of any response.

**imported_Puckman** · 07-13-2007, 07:27 PM

From the first and last pics I would be cutting it down a little more. Maybe more passes with the same combo or cranking up a little on the aggression scale. Like already mentioned, I very very rarely get by with just one pass of any combo (even with my rotary) on swirls like that. You need to work a little more to cut down that marring IMO.

Keep pluggin`...

**imported_themightytimmah** · 07-13-2007, 08:25 PM

Did you do it with a rotary? I find that I often get holograms like that from oily products that aren`t completely wiped off (NXT falls into that category). Wash it thoroughly, dry and quick detail, and see if they persist.

For the swirls...well as an enthusiast you are probably best off getting it better and better each time, and getting it perfect over 3-4 sessions and 6 months or so. It tries one`s patience to completely correct an Audi via pc.

**PKing688** · 07-13-2007, 10:36 PM

Yeah I am using a PC, but I guess this should be excellent training. I think I need to order some Menzerna, but I already have some yellow pads.

On a side note how important is it to keep a pad moist?

**Thomas Dekany** · 07-13-2007, 10:56 PM

what do you mean by moist?

Where do you live?

**PKing688** · 07-13-2007, 11:02 PM

Illinois by Awahl63 or whatever his nick is.

**imported_Jakerooni** · 07-14-2007, 07:49 AM

From what I`ve seen there your not doing things just right. Do you have a rotary? I`ve never understood why people try to get swirls and scratches out with a foam pad.... it makes no sense to me at all. I`m sure with enough time and effort a few people can get them out. But to do it properly get a wool or synthetic fiber pad. Use your compound of choice. go to town with the proper tools and then after you get all your scratches and swirls out. (at a much much quicker pace mind you) then you follow up with a wax cream and a new pad.. and then if really needed switch over to a foam pad with a glaze or foam pad polish. I`d say in all my detailing over the many years I might have used a foam pad less than 1% of the time. to me they are more of a waste of valuable time than anything. you can achieve the same or much better results with alot less effort using the proper tools.

**imported_Puckman** · 07-14-2007, 09:26 AM

RE: Pad Moisture

I don`t moisten my pads before use nor do I refresh any moisture to my pads during use with sprays or anything like that. Just my practice however I have read some folks like to moisten before and during pad use.

The polishes I use, in my opinion, contain enough "moisture" to continue to work the product and allow it to break down. I think the benefit of adding spritzes of "pad conditioner", "quick detailer" etc. is to slow down the abrasive breakdown and let you work it a little longer. I don`t alter the normal working time of the polish I`m using beyond what the manufacturer specified.

Again, I know some like to moisten pads either before first use on first panel or during buffing but I just add polish and go with frequent brush cleanings in between to clean out the pads. When the pad I`m using fills up with product after a few to several panels off it goes and a fresh pad goes on. If you feel the first pad before you toss it into the soak bucket it`s plenty moist.

I should add that I`m in FL and the humidity might be a factor for me. For someone in the hills of say Colorado or other very dry environments it might be different.