Swirl Removal

[AJC1987]

I have a polished metal grey 08 accord coupe. It has some light swirling in the paint and I would like to remove that. Is it possible to remove this by hand polishing? If so, what swirl remover do you recommend? After swirl removal I will be using the Wolfgang Souveran kit. Any recommendations will be appreciated....

[rider9195]

It is possible to remove light swirls by hand. But it will take some elbow grease and lots of time. Meguiar's Ultimate Compound and Ultimate Polish work well by hand.

Have you considered purchasing a dual action polisher?

[AJC1987]

I have considered it but do not feel like dropping a couple hundred bucks on one right now

[rider9195]

It will be the best $130 you spend for detailing! You can use it to remove swirls, polish your paint, apply and a sealant and a wax. Or slap a carpet brush attachment on it and scrub your carpets.

It is definitely worth the money if you have it.

But check out these threads:

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/31475-removing-scratches-hand.html

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/20257-man-versus-machine.html

[bullitt 736]

I have considered it but do not feel like dropping a couple hundred bucks on one right now

You will by the time you're done

[AJC1987]

Ok, you guys talked me into it...... Which polisher do you guys recommend? And which polishes to go with it?

[cleanmycorolla]

Ok, you guys talked me into it...... Which polisher do you guys recommend? And which polishes to go with it?

Griots 6" and Megs205 or Wolfgang Twins

[rider9195]

I recommend the Porter Cable 7424 XP. It has served me and others for a very long time. Pick up a 5 inch backing plate, with some 5.5 inch LC flat pads. Two orange, two white, two black.

The Wolfgang Twins would be a great start for someone new at machine polishing. I would read and watch the threads and videos that Mike Phillips puts out before you turn the machine on.

[Mike Phillips]

I have a polished metal grey 08 accord coupe. It has some light swirling in the paint and I would like to remove that.

Is it possible to remove this by hand polishing?



One of the first articles I wrote when I left Meguiar's and came to Autogeek was this one,

Man versus Machine (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/faq/20257-man-versus-machine.html)


I'm very meticulous in my detailing work and my writing work and I documented thoroughly how long it took me to remove the swirls, polish and wax on half of a car hood and then do do the same by machine to the other half and there's a huge difference in the time.

And when I did the hood by hand, I mean I polished it to perfection by hand, not simply wiped a sponge over the paint and called that swirl removal.

In order to actually remove swirls out of a clear coat finish you have to really have some skill and expertise because it's harder than most people think.

I taught hand techniques for removing swirls at Meguiar's for 7 years for all the people that didn't own a polisher and without exception, when 20 to 30 people stood by and watched how hard I had to press, how fast I moved my hand and to such a small section of paint, they all wanted to buy a machine because they could see for themselves that trying to remove the swirls by hand to an ENTIRE car was going to be a lot of work and a lot of time.


Also, just to note, after each time I would show how to actually move your hand to remove paint, that is how to correctly use a compound, polish or abrasive paint cleaner by hand, most people would say something like,


"I've been doing it wrong all these years"


It looks like this from an article I have on wetsanding,

The Rule of Thumb (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/wet-sanding-cutting-buffing/25042-rule-thumb.html)

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/722/RuleOfThumb.jpg


Here's an excerpt...

Show Car and Perfectionist Sanding and Polishing
For those of you wanting to do perfectionist sanding and polishing, first make sure you're getting paid well because you can sand right up to an edge but removing your sanding marks has to be done carefully and this means it will require you to invest more time into the project.


How to sand right up to an edge and remove your sanding marks by hand
There is a fix for the issue of sanding right next to an edge or a raised body line and that's by carefully sanding and then using Meguiar's M105 Ultra Compound by hand to remove your sanding marks. Another way to remove sanding marks next to an edge or to a raised body line is to use Spot Repair Pads on a rotary buffer using a technique I call Edging.

Because M105 is aggressive, (rated at being able to remove #1200 Grit Sanding Marks on fresh paint), and recommended for use by hand, you can easily remove sanding marks by hand if you're willing to put a little passion behind the pad (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/23568-put-little-passion-behind-pad-mike-phillips.html).

There are a lot of compounds that can be applied by hand to remove sanding marks, but it's the ability of the super micro abrasive technology, (SMAT), used in M105 that gives it both its' cutting ability and the ability to polish out clear and glossy that makes M105 Ultra Compound a good choice for carefully rubbing out sanding marks right up to an edge or a raised body line by hand.

Note: The blue line you see in the pictures below is vinyl tape applied over the top of a body lines on the hood of this 1969 El Camino to make it easier to see and protect them. You can also do this with the edges of a panel.


In these pictures I'm removing sanding marks out of the paint by hand and my hand is moving at light speed as I'm pushing down very hard.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/834/RemvovingSandingMarksbyHand01.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/834/RemvovingSandingMarksbyHand02.jpg




:)

[Mike Phillips]

It's not that hard, in both of these live broadcasts I show a 15 year old boy how to machine polish

Live Broadcast Video - 1965 Plymouth Valiant - Extreme Makeover (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/pictures-autogeek-s-car-week/49293-live-broadcast-video-1965-plymouth-valiant-extreme-makeover.html)

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1436/1965Plymouth034.jpg




And in this one I show a 21 year old girl how to machine polish

Video & Pictures: 1965 Fastback Mustang - Gtechniq EXO Show Car Makeover! (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/pictures-autogeek-s-car-week/53807-video-pictures-1965-fastback-mustang-gtechniq-exo-show-car-makeover.html)

Trista working with the rest of the team to machine polish this 1965 Mustang Fastback 2+2
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1511/TristaBuffingFortheFirstTime001.jpg


Trista removing swirls on a show car...
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1511/TristaBuffingFortheFirstTime002.jpg



And in this one I show a 80 year old man and a young lady how to machine polish...


Video and Pictures - Two 1967 Camaro's - Show Car Makeovers! (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/pictures-autogeek-s-car-week/51175-video-pictures-1967-camaro-ss-1941-plymouth-coupe-show-car-makeovers.html)


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1465/CamaroNight001.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1465/CamaroNight002.jpg


PLUS you have everyone on this forum to help you along the way...
:)

[AJC1987]

I just ordered the Griots 6" polisher and the wolfgang "duo"... cant wait to give it all a try.

[civdiv99]

Noob weigh-in here:

I sprang for a DA (GG) just to maintain our and grown daughters' cars. My regret is I didn't do this YEARS ago.

You are in for a real treat. Spend the shipping time reading everything in, on, and around this forum.

[DaveT435]

I just ordered the Griots 6" polisher and the wolfgang "duo"... cant wait to give it all a try.
Did you enter the code for the 15% off??

[AJC1987]

I did, I dont think the Griot polisher comes with any pads, which do you guys recommend I purchase?? I want to remove light swirls basically and apply a finishing polish and paint sealant.

[AJC1987]

I ordered the Lake Country Flay pads. two orange, two white, and two grey.... are there any links in this forum that show the wolfgang "duo" process via machine polishing???