First PC Use - Swirl Marks Still Remain (pics)

T

tlbig10

New member
I spent 9 hours detailing this SUV and I didn't quite get the results I wanted. Please respond with any hints or ideas that I can try next time to help remove the swirl marks. Granted the truck looked great afterwards but I still saw some swirl marks. For simplicity sake, I'm not 100% up on all the acronyms and which colored pads mean what, so be kind :)



Here's the scenario:



Just bought the PC with the Sonus SFX kit. Here's what I used to detail the White Expedition with light swirl marks:



1. Started with a thorough wash.

2. Clay bared the entire car with Clay Magic and washed it again.

3. I used the SFX-2 pad with Sonus SFX-2 Enhanced Swirl Remover with the PC set to 5. I'd say I was on the side of caution and never applied more than the weight of the PC on the hood of the car and was very light on the sides. I always did the top-to-bottom and left-to-right movement on small areas.

4. Klasse AIO with the blue Sonus Final Finish pad again setting the PC on 5.

5. One layer of P2S1 wax applied by hand and removed with Sonus DAS buffing bonnet.



My questions are: #1 - Was I too easy with the PC? #2 - Should I have used the SFX-1 pad with the SFX-2 Swirl Remover if the swirls remain? #3 - Are there better pads for the job? and #4 - Should I be investing into some different products?



I would say nearly every car I detail has some degree of swirl marks so my goal is to definitely be able to remove these whenever I attack it with the PC. In fact, I bought the PC for this exact purpose - swirl removal. Any insight into my "process" would help me. Thanks.



Before:

IMG_4474.jpg




After:

IMG_4504.jpg
 
i'm also a novice to all this as well but i think maybe you should get the sfx-1, sfx-2 and sfx-3 and use all three in steps with the sfx pads you bought for maximum results.
 
Don't baby the PC, put some weight into it (~10 lbs) should be good. If SFX-2 isn't cutting it, don't be afraid to step up to SFX-1 (if that's more abrasive). White's a hard color to remove swirls simply because it can be easy to get lost in the paint, but just keep practicing.
 
you might not be working the polish long enough, you should work the polish until its almost gone. also on your next attempt you should redo your complete process on one section and see if you like the results or not before doing the whole car.
 
fullvllan said:
you might not be working the polish long enough, you should work the polish until its almost gone. also on your next attempt you should redo your complete process on one section and see if you like the results or not before doing the whole car.
Click to expand...



I can't tell you how important this is. On my car, I know exactly what needs done. However, on any other car, I now figure out what approach is going to work on a small area instead of doing the car and discovering that the process isn't right. This way you can guesstimate how long you're going to have in the exterior so you can budget your time as best as you can if you're doing a whole vehicle job.
 
Like others have said....Don't be afraid to put that Pc in speed 6 and push a little. You might even have to make a couple of passes over the truck.
 
It takes some practice. I've used my PC 4 or 5 times and although I'm getting better I still can't get all the swirls out. I did the car just yesterday and it looks amazing but today I noticed a few (very few) swirls on the hood. and on the rear spoiler. I'm sure I can get them out next time but compaired to how I did the 1st time I used the PC I've improved a ton.



When I polish I apply just enough pressure that the PC boggs down then I let up on pressure just a tad and I also use the 1" a second technique when working in the polish
 
The first few times I used the PC I had the same issues. Once I ran the PC on 6, applied some pressure, moved deliberately slow and used a more aggressive polish/pad combo was I able to remove all the swirls.
 
I took your suggestions and decided to tackle my car on Saturday. The WRX had quite a few swirls but I went at it with the SFX-1 pad along with the Sonus SFX-2 Enhance Swirl Remover. I started on the roof and was kinda goin easy on it again and when I wiped away the residue, I still saw quite a few swirls. I went at it again with a little more aggression, worked in the compound a lot more, and the end result was what I was hoping for. I didn't remove all the swirls, but I reduced them significantly. Though I don't have any close-ups, here are the end result. I followed my same process as stated in my first post except I used some Klasse High Gloss after the AIO. I used that High Gloss once in the past and swore never to touch that stuff until I got a machine. I think it took me 3 hours to remove it my first time. The PC saved my arms this time around.



IMG_4575.jpg




The infamous "reflection" shot:



IMG_4574.jpg




I purposefully shot the plastic stripping to break the image so you could tell it was off the car.



Anyways, the second time around I've become more confident with the PC. Each time I learn new ways to cut down on the time and how to be more effective with the PC. Thanks for your insights.
 
man ispent like 5hrs with orange pad ssr 2.5 then white pad and ssr 1 on my truck and it did get a lot shinier but I dont think i budged a swirl yet.......... i worked it in for a long time and went super slow too......... dunno what i'm doin wrong
 
Nebraskaz71 said:
man ispent like 5hrs with orange pad ssr 2.5 then white pad and ssr 1 on my truck and it did get a lot shinier but I dont think i budged a swirl yet.......... i worked it in for a long time and went super slow too......... dunno what i'm doin wrong
Click to expand...



I am most definitely NOT an expert, but what gave me better results was setting the PC to 5, working a small area at a time, applying more pressure, and just kept working the product into the paint. I think like everyone else says, it's just one of those things that you start to understand with more time on the PC.
 
Maybe channel the power of Godzilla and put some force into it? How many times are you going over your 1.5' by 1.5' section?
 
I'm not a pro detailer these days, but got my start processing trade-ins for a dealer many years ago. They didn't have all the exotic products then they do now -- basically a single speed buffer, one grade of polish, one grade of compound, and wool pads. The paint was harder then though so you could get away with more.



In the intervening years I stuck with the rotary buffer but adopted better pads and abrasive products. For the last five or six years I've settled on Meguiars products exclusively: basically their W1000, W8000, and W9000 8" pads, used with Heavy-cut cleaner, Fine-cut cleaner, Swirl Remover, and Machine Glaze respectively. I haven't run across a fixable problem that these products can't deal with quickly and efficiently.



Well, long story short, I just bought a PC 7424 and some Sonus pads. Yecch. Way too much work for very mediocre results. Plus, the machine is always out of balance and will leave nasty "chicken scratches" if run at too high a speed. And yep, it has the 6" counterweight. I completely understand having to spend two hours removing swirl from a 2'x2' area. The tool just isn't suited to heavy applications. With Meg's heavy-cut cleaner, a W1000 pad, and a rotary at 1500 RPM, a heavily swirled 4'x4' hood would take at most five minutes to bring to nearly finish-quality gloss. Another five with a W9000, Machine Glaze, and 2300 rpm, and you'd have a mirror. You just can't do that with a PC7424.



On the other hand, the PC is good for those tough spots with lots of curves or obstructions, so I'll be keeping it. However, for any prospective buyer, just don't expect miracles with it on paint in poor condition.
 
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