Pinnacle Swirl Remover, what am I doing wrong?

[Ford Fest]

I'm using a PC for the first time. After clay bar, I'm using Pinnacle Swirl Remover. After making 4-6 section passes I'm getting a lot of white powder residue. I don't recall seeing this in the how to videos.

What am I doing wrong?

[Docpeanut]

Too much product on the pad or using it in direct sunlight or on a hot panel

[Kamakaz1961]

The white powder residue is normal. When you do use the DA, there should be only 3 pea size drops of product.

Spray the pad with spray lubricant or a Quick Detailer (any one will be fine).

That will help contain the dust. Additionally, instead of adding 3 more drops while you are polishing. Just spray the pad and try polishing again. You will be using the excess product from the pad.

If there is too much product and it will not come off the pad, would to clean the pad on the fly with a terry cloth towel. Mike Phillips how to's can show you that. That will help get rid of any excess product.

Any of the aforementioned above can work.

Are you on Speed setting 5? That should be the setting and are you moving SLOWLY? That should be your speed of arm movement with the DA.

[inDetail]

Many things to take into account. Pad type, pad priming, pressure applied, is the pad caked up, surface temp. It sounds like you may be working the polish after it flashes out. When a polish flashes you can look at it on an angle you will see bands of cloudy paint then clear paint. When it flashes it's done it can no longer cut paint anymore.
I hope the description of what it looks like can help. If your last pass was horizontal when it flashes the bands will run horizontal left to right. If your last pass was vertical then the bands will run up and down. If you work past flashing you are dry buffing your paint. Every polish compound will have different working times.

[Ford Fest]

Sorry, I should have included more details. . .

The car is room temp in the garage, orange CCS pad, speed "5"

Maybe using too much product. Watched one video on Wolfgang and used a two lines of product making an x on the pad. Saw another using a few quarter size dots. Which should I use?

[Tato]

I'm using a PC for the first time. After clay bar, I'm using Pinnacle Swirl Remover. After making 4-6 section passes I'm getting a lot of white powder residue.

I don't recall seeing this in the how to videos.

What am I doing wrong?

Hahha sorry but couldn't let this one pass, very funny comment!, and so true...

When we see how-to-videos, generally everything works so nice it makes detailing looks something trivial.

Not only you may be using too much product, how you're priming your pad?

Have you got a pad conditioning brush, so you can brush away pad after each / before each new section?

I also like to clean my pad 'on the fly' using a MF towel, that just means running the polish while pressing a towel over the pad to clean up residue.

Pad conditioning spray (a quick detailer, I've seen some using even spray wax) may leave your pad less 'dryer' from the start, so if you keep cleaning it on the fly like I've said and using the brush conditioning to clean it often, it's likely many of your dusting issues may be gone.

Also, while I'm typing this, I saw many awesome opinions from our friends, you can listen and consider every single word they wrote.

However, from my experience, you're not free from dusting at all, specially when using cutting / heavy polishing products, sometimes, even doing everything right, the product may dust.

This is not a rule.

By the way, if it's crazy dusting, it's likely you need to improve some aspects of your technique.

Good luck,

Kind Regards.

[EVOlved]

Go with a nice combination of all of the above. The two lines you saw are just to prime the pad aka the first use of a new or dry pad. You should only need around 3 pea sized drops for each pass after. And you should be cleaning the pad often with a brush and/or on the fly. And pay attention to the polish it will show you when it is almost worked.

[Ford Fest]

Forgot to buy a brush, I'll put it on the list. I'll also try the cleaning on the fly method as well. I did use the XT conditioner, but had no idea how much to use. Also, what about priming the pad. I'm all ears!

[Tato]

Pad conditioner from what I use is just a fine mist far from the pad, it's not like 'washing the pad' with conditioner before use.

Prior first use of a pad, attach the pad to the polisher and spray a fine mist from some distance directly to the face of the pad.

I may use the towel just after to do the same 'clean on the fly' movement but to 'spread' conditioner evenly to the pad.

Then you start with small drops of product, maybe 4 dime size drops, 6 pea size drops, it'll depend on area size you'll be working.

I may then dab the polisher over surface I plan to work, then do a pass on speed 1 with no pressure and somewhat fast to evenly spread product.

Now, 'crank up' to speed 5 or 6, add some pressure, and start working ~slow in overlapping passes, first up/down, then side to side.

Every time you go a section Up/down for 1 time, that's 1 section pass.

When you do the same are, but now side to side, that's another section pass.

If you're working with enough pressure, speed, and correct arm speed, in 3-5 passes you may see your polish turning ~transparent.

This time (generally after ~4-5 passes), easy on pressure and do last few (maybe 2) passes with just the weight of the polisher.

Remove polish residue with a MF towel.

Clean pad on the fly with either a brush or a MF towel. Search for a Mike Phillips Video showing this so you can know better.

Please, my follow up above is not a rule or the best way to do this. I've put some ideas together from what I generally do so you can grab those ideas and add to what you're already doing.

What works for me, may not be the best for you. Every car finish will need one or more adaptations on technique.

I invite you to try to develop a 'basic' technique first, from what you can adapt from.

If you ever try something different from the start, maybe you will delay very much to achieve a solid technique.

Also, at the end of the day, you'll not know better how to reproduce what worked for you.

I mean, try to play with variables, but not all at the same time.

With practice, you may struggle less until finding what works best for you on your actual work.

Hope that helps a bit,

Kind Regards.

[Ford Fest]

Thanks for the tips!

I'm going to hold off on full paint correction. I feel like I'm rushing it and don't want to do it half *ss. I have a car show this weekend that is 200 miles from home. I think this project should wait until I return. I did clay bar the entire car and did swirl remover on top surfaces. In think it might be best to put a layer of wax on it for now before the trip and start the project again.

Although, not sure what to use to remove the layer of wax when I'm ready to start the project?