Buffer help needed!!!

B

blackntan

New member
Sup guys,





Quick question for you...



I have a 96 Black and Tan MX-5 that was resprayed about 6 months ago. I let the paint cure correctly, and took care of it right... Last week was the first time I waxed her, and because i'm fairly new to the detailing scene, did it by hand.



My baby is now swirled to hell... :scared



Now I know I did everything right, using microfiber, unidirectional application and removal and all that, and I also know that swirls are just a part of this game, and are unavoidable..



However, I can't stand this new paintjob being all swirled and such...



The accident that forced the respray has also left me a little light in the pockets, so i cannot afford the PC that i've been lusting after..



My questions are this..



Is the pepboys special random orbital 2400 opm worth the $30? Will it help my cause any?? I need something better than hand work that wont break the bank...



Any other suggestions? :sosad



I also have a air compressor setup, so I can use air tools as well..



I've seen the 6" orbital polisher/sander around, and been tempted by it as well..



Any help is appreciated...



Thanks!!



Jared
 
If you have an air compresspor you can get a pc that runs of them. I have seem them in the stores.



What i suggest you do is get a bottle of 3m SMR. see what happends when you apply it. It is better used by machine, but try it by hand and see what happends. Hopefully the swirls are not in the paint, but just laying on top of the paint.

How did the shop paint the car, did they buff the car after they were done. If so the shop may have made the swirl marks, not you. It's just that they finally came out as they have been covered up.

NYD
 
My guess would be the shop buffed the finish and glazed it after. Now that the glaze is gone, presto! Swirl marks.
 
Hey guys,



thanks for all of the good information, however, judging by the respones I got, I think I may not have worded my question as well as i could have..



I know that I am swirling the paint, because the car had not one on it, and I am pretty much watching it happen. You can see the area after the wax is applied, is obviously much shinier and deeper, but in direct light, is also swirled.



What i need to know, is if the $30 buffer will swirl the car the same as I am now. If I use this buffer, will the results still be swirled, or will the machine not add to the swirls that are already there.



I know that I am really stuck with what i've already done, as the PC and it's siblings really can't remove them, but I don't want to add more... At this point, I'm really paranoid about touching my car, as I love the look of a black, non swirled finish...



So, what do you think? Will this machine slow the inevitable? Will a PC slow it more? What do you suggest I do in order to make sure I don't contribute to the swirling of the car any further??



Thanks again for all of the help. this place has already increased my detailing knowledge and interest more than I ever expected possible!! :bow



Jared
 
Its not so much that cheap orbital as it is (or will be) the coarse terry bonnets you will use. A nasty applicator, even if new, can cause major swirling. So that machine won't help much.



I wonder how soft that new paint is. It's hard to believe MF applicators and towels did that much swirling. You also did not mention what products you used. Maybe a problem there too.



Try using a new MF towel as an applicator. Use the mildest product you have and try applying in both back & forth and circular motions. Do this in a small area as a test. I'm wondering if *any* type of applicator or product will swirl this paint.



You might want to talk to your painter to find out exactly what they used and how they prepped the car before giving it back to you. Might be illuminating.



Good luck. Let us know what happens.
 
Thanks for the info.



I am using the following products, in the following order...



IHG

Meguiars Deep Crystal Polish

Meguairs #26



Thats it....



All by hand, using foam applicators, and a MF towel to buff out..



It's not that there is a lot of swirls, or that they're that deep.. Its just that when you go from not having a single swirl, to having loads of really light ones, it's kind of upsetting...



the car being black doesnt help at all..



I thought I was causing them when I was applying/buffing, because of the pressure I had to use to remove the products, and the warnings i've heard about applying the products... Everything was bought new for the job, so they weren't dirty or anything..





It really doesn't look that bad, i'm just a perfectionist...



I was assuming the swirls to be a result of human error, by the pressure, or by the method of applicaton/removal... I am, admittidly, not the best at the hand method, and feel I do apply too much product, use too much pressure, and generally struggle at making it look it's best. Granted, my girl and my friends are all pleased with my hand work on their cars, but you know how it is, never good enough for me.



What I was hoping was that this buffer would eliminate my errors, and therefor eliminate the addition of new swirls.. I would, of course, be using a foam applicator pad, and a terrycloth removal pad...



the paint shop did buff the car after it was painted, and it looked perfect after it was done. No swirls, no blemishes, nothing.. The glaze had to be gone after the first 3 months, as I dawn washed it once or twice, but didn't apply anything out of fear of the soft paint. It was spotless...



I only noticed the swirls in my garage after I had applied everything, and was admiring the depth and gloss of a new coat of black paint...



I dont know what to do... :nixweiss



If anyone has any other ideas about how i could slow this process, and keep her looking new, I'd appreciate it, as winter is coming, and I have some Klasse and soviergn I'm dying to use, but afraid of making things worse.....



Thanks again!! :xyxthumbs





Jared
 
Another question along the same lines...



(sorry if I'm beating this to death....)



I hear that 3m smr is a real PIA to use by hand, if at all possible..



Would any buffer (read, pepboys special) be useful at applying this product? Would it have a similar effect as the PC, obviously not as powerful, but you know what I mean..



This is just as an idea about getting rid of the swirls I already there, the other questions are still more important to me....



thanks again...
 
Perhaps we should put the buffer idea to the side for now and try a few experiments to see what we can see.



Why are you using that Deep Crystal polish? I'll be that's part of the problem. It's too abrasive for new paint. Leave it for a car that needs some TLC.



Next put aside the foam apps (those little discs? I hate those things). Take a brand new, never used for anything, microfiber towel, cut it in half and fold it into a nice little applicator. Go out and buy some Meguiar's #9 SMR and apply it (just a little bit, like a dime sized drop is all) to the paint. Use moderate pressure and a steady cadence, don't be a spazz, just work it in fully back and forth and back and forth and back and forth............ you get the picture, until there is almost none left to buff off. Apply it to a panel where you can easily see swirls, that way you can just as easily see if this is working. Buff off with another microfiber towel.



Just focus on one panel at a time and one product at a time and keep things as simple as humanly possible. When you find a system that works, then use it on the rest of the car.



And don't forget to breathe...................deep breaths, have a drink of water too. Relax..... it will be OK.........
 
blackntan said:
I hear that 3m smr is a real PIA to use by hand, if at all possible..



Would any buffer (read, pepboys special) be useful at applying this product? Would it have a similar effect as the PC, obviously not as powerful, but you know what I mean..
Click to expand...



Not really. In addition to the difference in power, you'd be applying the product with bonnets, instead of foam polishing/cutting pads. The pepboys polisher will save time when it comes to applying and removing paint cleansers and waxes, but it won't be as effective as the PC (with foam pads) for correcting minor surface imperfections.



I would try BretFraz's suggestions first. He knows his stuff....especially when it comes to breathing and drinking water... :)
 
I agree with what bretfraz said, but I do have one thing to add. Dont expect it to be an easy job. It will take some time and you wont get all of the swirls out the first application. You will have to use fast enough strokes to create some heat, and then keep rubbing, and rubbing, and rubbing using medium-heavy force on the pad. Call it overkill but I like to switch to a clean applicator after each panel. When you are using that much force over and over, you don't want to risk inducing more swirls than you take out. :down



I recently did a very sucessful swirl removal by hand on the 850. I first started with 2 applications of #9 2.0 with a MF applicator, then did another application using 3M SMR for dark cars. The 3M product is more abrassive, and takes more effort to work in properly. That being said, I would start out with the #9 and see what that does for you.



Good Luck! :xyxthumbs
 
bretfraz said:


Why are you using that Deep Crystal polish? I'll be that's part of the problem. It's too abrasive for new paint. Leave it for a car that needs some TLC.
Click to expand...



Bret,

I agree with your post except for the part above.

I expected to see #2 FCC by hand as the reason but when I kept reading and saw the DCP I thought that can't be the problem.

It is meant to be used by hand and shouldn't cause any problems.

Just my 2 cents:nixweiss
 
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