First detail

[moeferg]

Well, I received my PC buffer and some accessories and detailed my wife's 2007 Maxima. I started with a good wash and dry, then clay barred the entire car. I really didn't see alot on the clay, but I did notice a difference in the paint.

I taped the car, then I followed that with XMT Fine swirl remover #2 on a white LC pad, then finished with the XMT carnuba finishing glaze on a grey pad. I think it turned out OK, however I have some questions.

I marked the backing pad and tried to watch the rotation and was wondering how fast of a rotation should I see.

Should this same "pressure" be used with the swirl remover and the glaze?

I spread out the swirl remover and/or glaze first then buffed at setting #5. I tried to keep equal pressure on the pad but while going around slight curves it was tough.


It looked great when I finished, however last night in the right light I could see very light, fine swirl marks. Should I have went to the swirl remover #1 next? Any thoughts or tips would be great.

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP!

[glen e]

Swirls don't immediately come out with the first application, sometimes it takes a few applications....you'll get them all out soon. Try meiguirs ultimate compound, truly an all purpose product with a few type pads?

[vet]

Looks good!

[tampatopless]

I think you did better than you realize.

[Mike Phillips]

Well, I received my PC buffer and some accessories and detailed my wife's 2007 Maxima. I started with a good wash and dry, then clay barred the entire car. I really didn't see alot on the clay, but I did notice a difference in the paint.

Sometimes that's how it goes... could be some type of contaminant that doesn't have a lot of color like some types of tree sap mist...

I taped the car, then I followed that with XMT Fine swirl remover #2 on a white LC pad, then finished with the XMT carnuba finishing glaze on a grey pad. I think it turned out OK, however I have some questions.

I marked the backing pad and tried to watch the rotation and was wondering how fast of a rotation should I see.

Slow to medium rotation speed. Depends upon the size and thickness of the pad and whether it's fresh or starting to become saturated with product. Also pads rotate better when used on flat surfaces versus any type of curves.

Should this same "pressure" be used with the swirl remover and the glaze?

No. Firm downward pressure when removing swirls and scratches because you want the pressure to "engage" the abrasives with the paint so they take bites out of it.

For applying a protection product like the Finishing Glaze after doing the correction work you would use a slower speed and less pressure because at this point you're not trying to remove defects/paint, you're trying to spread out a thin layer of wax.

I spread out the swirl remover and/or glaze first then buffed at setting #5. I tried to keep equal pressure on the pad but while going around slight curves it was tough.

Try the 6 setting for removing defects and the 4-5 for spreading out waxes. In the last two Thursday Night Clinics we went over all the steps and the videos are on our YouTube Channel and also here,

Pictures & Videos from Thursday Night Clinics

It looked great when I finished, however last night in the right light I could see very light, fine swirl marks. Should I have went to the swirl remover #1 next?

Swirls and any other below surface defects need to be removed during the first step, this is the point of doing a Test Spot. You test your pads, products tools and techniques, basically everything you're "thinking" about doing to the entire car to one small section and then inspect the results. If you really want to be sure of the results then chemically strip the paint in that area or wash that area with a detergent soap. What you're trying to do is remove any polishing oils or fillers off the paint so you can see the true and accurate results.

Once you dial in a system that removes the defects and leaves the paint looking the way you want it then you simply duplicate the process over the rest of the car and theoretically you will get the same results over the rest of the car.


New to Machine Polishing?

How To Do a Test Spot
(and why it's so important)

[moeferg]

Thanks Mike! I will be doing my truck this weekend....

[swanicyouth]

Get yourself a good light if your working indoors so you can actually see the swirls your trying to remove at the time your trying to remove them. That will help to tell if your test spot is effective in removing swirls. If your working outside, make sure you can see the defects your trying to remove at the time your trying to remove them. Do your test spot with masking tape so you can see a hard line "before" and "after" to see if you have removed the swirls. A hard line created by a piece of masking tape gives the eye a very definate place to look to see if what you just did worked. How it works is, you make a box, or maybe just an "L" shape with masking tape about 18" x 18" on your hood or your trunk in an area we you can actually see the swirls at the time your working. Then you polish inside the lines up to the edge of the tape. When your done polishing, remove the tape and polishing oils and see if you can see an improvement or vanishing of the swirl(s) where the edge of your tape line was. If you can, you know you removed them and then repeat on the rest of the vehicle. It sounds pretty basic, but it does work.

[moeferg]

Thanks, that makes sense....I was working in the garage and the lighting wasn't the greatest....

[moeferg]

bump...