Questions after first time using polisher

[FlawlessMustang]

I bought the Porter Cable 7424XP, 4 inch and 5.5 inch Hydrotech pads, and the Wolfgang TSR 3.0, Finishing Glaze, and sealant. This was my first time using a polisher, but it was very easy to get the hang of After I washed, clayed, and taped the trim, I started with the Total Swirl Remover on the top of the trunk of my 2012 black Mustang. After completing the top of the trunk, I moved to the roof, then on to the hood. After only doing these three sections, I had ran out of time, and had to apply the sealant before going home. If I remember correctly, the TSR on those 3 sections alone took 4-5 hours. The paint sealant only took long enough to spread around the car and wipe off. After doing this process, I have a few questions:

1. How long does it normally take you to use a swirl removal product on a vehicle? I was doing about 6 section passes per section which was about 16x16 (a little larger at times).

2. Due to the shape of my hood, I decided to use the 4 inch pad as I can maneuver it much better than the 5.5" pad. After finishing the hood, the 4" cyan pad had a concave shape in the center of it. Could it have gotten too hot? What would cause this shape in it? I used the 5.5" on my trunk lid, roof, and part of my hood before moving to the 4" for only my hood.

3. I skipped the finishing glaze due to time. I still have swirls after using the total swirl remover with the cyan pad. If I had time to use the finishing glaze with the tangerine pad, would it help cut the swirls down?

4. While I was doing my hood, I went brain dead for a minute and lifted the pad off while it was still spinning Needless to say, it threw swirl remover everywhere. There are white spots on my hood that would not buff out with a microfiber. Does anybody know how I could get these white spots out?

5. There was also a lot of white speckled particles that were coming off from the cyan pad with the TSR. It seemed like a dust, but the particles were much larger than dust particles. They would usually wipe off with just a soft wipe with a microfiber. Any ideas?

6. After the process was over, and I was washing my pads, the crimson pad that I used with the paint sealant was soaked in paint sealant. Apparently I used much more than was necessary (lesson learned). I squeezed out as much of the sealant as I could, washed with hot water, sprayed XMT cleaner on it several times, and repeated that whole process several times. Will it be ok to use this crimson pad if I still have paint sealant in it after washing it?

7. How long does it normally take you to wash, clay, tape, use a swirl remover, finishing glaze, and a paint sealant? I know I will be faster next time, but it took me about 10 hours to do everything minus the finishing glaze and minus the sides of the car.

I would also like to note that while using the swirl remover, I was applying the product to the pad in a circle or X shape pattern after each section pass. I would clean on the fly with a terry cloth after about every 2 section passes. If I hadn't washed the terry cloth, could it have contributed to those white dust speckles on the car?

I tried to take a few pictures throughout the process, and I would like to post a thread describing my process, products, etc., so I may try to get that up this weekend if I can find enough time away from work and school.

Thanks for the help!

[ihaveacamaro]

Let me try helping as much as I can

Originally Posted by FlawlessMustang

1. How long does it normally take you to use a swirl removal product on a vehicle? I was doing about 6 section passes per section which was about 16x16 (a little larger at times).

Totally depends on how "hard" the paint is. Harder paint is harder to correct (take swirls out) and vice versa. Although the up side is, due to the inherent nature, harder paint is also hard to put swirls in.

Originally Posted by FlawlessMustang

2. Due to the shape of my hood, I decided to use the 4 inch pad as I can maneuver it much better than the 5.5" pad. After finishing the hood, the 4" cyan pad had a concave shape in the center of it. Could it have gotten too hot? What would cause this shape in it? I used the 5.5" on my trunk lid, roof, and part of my hood before moving to the 4" for only my hood.

not sure about this. Maybe a picture would help? But I think that the pad would be fine to use again.

Originally Posted by FlawlessMustang

3. I skipped the finishing glaze due to time. I still have swirls after using the total swirl remover with the cyan pad. If I had time to use the finishing glaze with the tangerine pad, would it help cut the swirls down?

If it's a true finishing glaze, then it shouldn't be able to correct any swirls. However, it can fill some of those swirls and make them less noticeable.

Originally Posted by FlawlessMustang

4. While I was doing my hood, I went brain dead for a minute and lifted the pad off while it was still spinning Needless to say, it threw swirl remover everywhere. There are white spots on my hood that would not buff out with a microfiber. Does anybody know how I could get these white spots out?

Clay or detailing speedy towel. Clay is BOGO (buy one get one free) now and it's a real good deal!

Originally Posted by FlawlessMustang

5. There was also a lot of white speckled particles that were coming off from the cyan pad with the TSR. It seemed like a dust, but the particles were much larger than dust particles. They would usually wipe off with just a soft wipe with a microfiber. Any ideas?

Could be dust from the TSR

Originally Posted by FlawlessMustang

6. After the process was over, and I was washing my pads, the crimson pad that I used with the paint sealant was soaked in paint sealant. Apparently I used much more than was necessary (lesson learned). I squeezed out as much of the sealant as I could, washed with hot water, sprayed XMT cleaner on it several times, and repeated that whole process several times. Will it be ok to use this crimson pad if I still have paint sealant in it after washing it?

I would think about throwing it into a bucket of dawn (one good squirt per 2 gallons of water is my ratio) overnight. Sealant is durable and an overnight dawn treatment won't hurt. Takes forever to dry though!

Originally Posted by FlawlessMustang

7. How long does it normally take you to wash, clay, tape, use a swirl remover, finishing glaze, and a paint sealant? I know I will be faster next time, but it took me about 10 hours to do everything minus the finishing glaze and minus the sides of the car.

Sounds about right. I have yet to do a full car, but that's right about what members post for a full external detail.

Originally Posted by FlawlessMustang

I would also like to note that while using the swirl remover, I was applying the product to the pad in a circle or X shape pattern after each section pass. I would clean on the fly with a terry cloth after about every 2 section passes. If I hadn't washed the terry cloth, could it have contributed to those white dust speckles on the car?

I think you are using WAY too much product! Mike Phillips recommends priming the pad and then using 3 DIME (not pea) shaped dots on the pad for each section.

Originally Posted by FlawlessMustang

I tried to take a few pictures throughout the process, and I would like to post a thread describing my process, products, etc., so I may try to get that up this weekend if I can find enough time away from work and school.

Anything helps!

Originally Posted by FlawlessMustang

Thanks for the help!

Hope I helped

[glen e]

use laundry detergent over dawn...rinses easier

[Disciple]

Here's a thread I did after my first experience the other day man. This might help you out.

My first paint correction.

I found the WGTSR really dusty too, and I built up so much heat in my pads from pushing so hard on the polisher that I lunched 2 of those cyan pads on a small hatchback.

As for cleaning the pads, I bought some of the DP powder stuff. It dissolves in a bucket of water. I put hot water in and followed the instructions for the amount of powder to put in, let them sit for about 15 minutes or so, then rinsed them out with really hot water and they came up pretty good. After that I let them air dry on my grit guards.

Any of those spots should polish out.

I prefer to seal the car by hand. I use a 5" Meguairs MF applicator pad. I find it much easier. I can usually do the whole car in like 15 mins or so, then clean up while it's drying.

[Buckskincolt]

Originally Posted by FlawlessMustang

1. How long does it normally take you to use a swirl removal product on a vehicle? I was doing about 6 section passes per section which was about 16x16 (a little larger at times).

About 6 to 8 hrs for an average car.

Originally Posted by FlawlessMustang

2. Due to the shape of my hood, I decided to use the 4 inch pad as I can maneuver it much better than the 5.5" pad. After finishing the hood, the 4" cyan pad had a concave shape in the center of it. Could it have gotten too hot? What would cause this shape in it? I used the 5.5" on my trunk lid, roof, and part of my hood before moving to the 4" for only my hood.

You used only 1 - 4" pad for your entire hood? How often did you clean it? Also with some of your other statements I'm going to say you used to much product. To much product creates heat and does this to pads. Less product, cleaning pads more often and have more pads to swap out is the answer here.

Originally Posted by FlawlessMustang

3. I skipped the finishing glaze due to time. I still have swirls after using the total swirl remover with the cyan pad. If I had time to use the finishing glaze with the tangerine pad, would it help cut the swirls down?

Probably not much. The other poster who said it will not correct and fill is incorrect. The WG finish glaze is a fine polish not a filling glaze so it will correct a little but not fill. It's only real capability is to take away haze and give a much deeper gloss.

Originally Posted by FlawlessMustang

4. While I was doing my hood, I went brain dead for a minute and lifted the pad off while it was still spinning Needless to say, it threw swirl remover everywhere. There are white spots on my hood that would not buff out with a microfiber. Does anybody know how I could get these white spots out?

When this happens you need to stop everything and wipe it off while it is still wet or it dries on your paint. You might try removing with more TSR on a MF cloth, maybe an IPA wipe, or possibly clay.

Originally Posted by FlawlessMustang

5. There was also a lot of white speckled particles that were coming off from the cyan pad with the TSR. It seemed like a dust, but the particles were much larger than dust particles. They would usually wipe off with just a soft wipe with a microfiber. Any ideas?

Again, how often did you clean your pad? How many pads did you use? How much product did you use? This sounds like caking form to much product and not keeping your pad clean. The product and the paint removed from buffing will build on the pad, if not cleaned often then you will get this effect. Also if you aren't careful you will also get the same issue with concaving you have on you 4" pad.

Originally Posted by FlawlessMustang

6. After the process was over, and I was washing my pads, the crimson pad that I used with the paint sealant was soaked in paint sealant. Apparently I used much more than was necessary (lesson learned). I squeezed out as much of the sealant as I could, washed with hot water, sprayed XMT cleaner on it several times, and repeated that whole process several times. Will it be ok to use this crimson pad if I still have paint sealant in it after washing it?

Paint sealants are very hard to clean from pads. I clean them the best I can, dry them to get all the moisture out, LABLE them and use the same pad agin for the same product.

Originally Posted by FlawlessMustang

7. How long does it normally take you to wash, clay, tape, use a swirl remover, finishing glaze, and a paint sealant? I know I will be faster next time, but it took me about 10 hours to do everything minus the finishing glaze and minus the sides of the car.

A lot depends on how hard the paint is, how bad the damage is and other factors. I'd say average is 10-12 hours for a complete job for me.

Originally Posted by FlawlessMustang

I would also like to note that while using the swirl remover, I was applying the product to the pad in a circle or X shape pattern after each section pass. I would clean on the fly with a terry cloth after about every 2 section passes. If I hadn't washed the terry cloth, could it have contributed to those white dust speckles on the car?

If you have gotten lint from the Terry cloth on the pad not only could it have contributed to the speckles it the lint could also have added swirls to the paint. The Terry cloth need to be clean and free of lint.
Also from you above statement. An X patern of product on a pad that has been primed is way to much product IMO. On the 5.5" pads I'll use maybe 3 dime sized or a little small spots is all and on a 4" pad I only use 3 pencil eraser sized spots of product. This is what caused most of your issues, Way To Much Product. Also to much product reduces the cut of the pad and also over weights the pad causing the polisher to have more problem spinning it.

One thing I see a lot is people try to over use pads and do not have enough pads to do a complete job. You also need to clean the pad after every section but if the pad is overloaded it won't do much good.

Hope this helps!

[ihaveacamaro]

Originally Posted by Buckskincolt

Probably not much. The other poster who said it will not correct and fill is incorrect. The WG finish glaze is a fine polish not a filling glaze so it will correct a little but not fill. It's only real capability is to take away haze and give a much deeper gloss.

Woops didn't know this OP, buckskincolt is way more knowledgeable than I am so believe his word over mine lol

[Nicholas@Autowerx]

Originally Posted by Buckskincolt

Paint sealants are very hard to clean from pads. I clean them the best I can, dry them to get all the moisture out, LABLE them and use the same pad agin for the same product.

I label mine too. Trying to clean paint sealant out of a foam pad is a battle you will not win.

[FlawlessMustang]

Thanks for all of the info!!!! I was cleaning the pad with the terry cloth after about every two 16"x16" sections. I didn't feel that I was using too much swirl remover, but I may have. I will use 3 drops next time I do a vehicle and see how that works out. I know I used way too much sealant.

I used one 4" pad on all of my hood because the factory hoods on newer mustangs have a lot of creases, so I did not feel that I could get it very good with the 5.5" pad.

I initially bought three 5.5" cyan and three 5.5" tangerine pads. I also bought one 4" cyan, one 4" tangerine, and three 4" crimson pads. I used one 5.5" cyan pad on the top of the trunk, roof, and a couple of sections on my hood. I then switched to the 4" cyan pad and finished out my hood.

[Bunky]

Originally Posted by FlawlessMustang

Thanks for all of the info!!!! I was cleaning the pad with the terry cloth after about every two 16"x16" sections. I didn't feel that I was using too much swirl remover, but I may have. I will use 3 drops next time I do a vehicle and see how that works out.

It is quite common to use too much. The problem is it will build up, dry out, and start dusting plus your correction results will suffer. The safe approach is to clean the pad often and switch pads, 4 to 5 pads, to work at top polishing efficiency.

If you kiss the paint with the pad after you have worked a section and a lot of liquid polish comes out, you probably have too much polish in the pad.

For diminishing polishes, you can over prime pads. I start with 2x-3x the amount I would typically use per panel. An underprimed pad can be fixed, an over primed pad usually leads to shorter pad use (gets caked, etc).

To get dialed into the polish / work area, apply about 3 daps then spread at low speed. If you start noticing it does not cover the paint, you can a little bit more so adjust on the fly.