Tracing the Source of Swirls

[kdubski]

Hey AG,
I detailed my first car of 2015, it was a black 2008 Audi A4. I am trying to find the source of the "mystery swirls" in the final finish.

My process:
a) chemical guys citrus wash in foam lance, immediately rinse.
b) using 2BW, wash panel by panel with microfiber wash mitt, immediately rinse.
c) sud up car 1/4 of car at a time to use as clay bar lubricant, clay car, immediately rinse.
d) dry with chemical guys waffle weave
e) buff the car with Meguiar's Paint Recondition Creme on MF cutting pad speed 5 on DA.
c) broken down product removed with BRAND NEW MICROFIBER TOWELS

What I am seeing, under bright sunlight, on the DOORS, are superfine upward facing curved swirls. They look like they mimic "handwash" motions, sweeping like a sideways parenthesis ")". Would my process listed above create them? I am worried something I am doing may be causing them cause most RIDS and Swirls are corrected out.

[Scott@IncrediblyDetailed]

So you're trying to finish out with D151 and a microfiber cutting pad on black paint?

What you're seeing is haze from the process. The method is too aggressive to finish out. Take a finishing pad with little to no cut and a polish, 1-2 rotations of the pad per second max, with a little more than the weight of the machine.

It's like sanding with 3000 grit. You have to to another process to remove what you put in when removing the original defects.

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

D151 used as a one step on a mf cutting pad will in fact cause hazing. This hazing will be caused from the aggressiveness of the fibers of the mf pad.

If you want to use D151 as an AIO, pair it with a foam polishing pad or light cutting foam pad.

[aim4squirrels]

Lay down on the ground and have a buddy draw a chalk line around your body. You have now traced the source of the swirls.

As mentioned, the fibers in the disk matched with your product are causing the problem. It's called micro-marring , and it's the result of a very aggressive step to remove bad defects, but the aggressiveness leaves small defects of it's own that need a further refinement step.

Sometimes, you'll hear guys say, "it finishes almost LSP ready." That almost is the big clue that another step will be needed, but it might not need a heavy cut to get the light defects out.

Foam pads are the best finishing material out there currently. Without seeing pics it's hard to recommend a product or pad, but most second steps can be accomplished with an LC white pad and something like M205 or even lighter cut polishes.

[Don M]

Lay down on the ground and have a buddy draw a chalk line around your body. You have now traced the source of the swirls.

:laughing: Too funny, but true


As mentioned, the fibers in the disk matched with your product are causing the problem. It's called micro-marring , and it's the result of a very aggressive step to remove bad defects, but the aggressiveness leaves small defects of it's own that need a further refinement step.


Sometimes, you'll hear guys say, "it finishes almost LSP ready." That almost is the big clue that another step will be needed, but it might not need a heavy cut to get the light defects out.

Foam pads are the best finishing material out there currently. Without seeing pics it's hard to recommend a product or pad, but most second steps can be accomplished with an LC white pad and something like M205 or even lighter cut polishes.


This is why a test spot is so important. If you would have done a test spot, then you would have known that a second step was going to be needed. You DIDN'T do anything wrong, you just skipped a step.

[99monguse]

Since you have the vehicle waxed/sealed..try to eliminate as much physical touching of the paint from drying; use a blower to dry it off then any remaining water, use a good waffle weave and blot it, no wipe!

[kdubski]

Lay down on the ground and have a buddy draw a chalk line around your body. You have now traced the source of the swirls.

As mentioned, the fibers in the disk matched with your product are causing the problem. It's called micro-marring , and it's the result of a very aggressive step to remove bad defects, but the aggressiveness leaves small defects of it's own that need a further refinement step.

Sometimes, you'll hear guys say, "it finishes almost LSP ready." That almost is the big clue that another step will be needed, but it might not need a heavy cut to get the light defects out.

Foam pads are the best finishing material out there currently. Without seeing pics it's hard to recommend a product or pad, but most second steps can be accomplished with an LC white pad and something like M205 or even lighter cut polishes.

HAHAHA! Best response out of them all! Thanks for the humor with the explanation!

[kdubski]

Thank you for the thorough responses guys! Wasn't so hard to figure this out after all. This was a cheap job for me, almost a "favor" for the other guy so it got the results we both wanted for $150. When working on more serious jobs I will keep in mind to do a test spot and pair the pads with something finer!