Where Do Swirls Come From?

[TomBrooklyn]

<sub>How do those nasty swirls get in the paint?

What can be done to prevent or minimize them from happening?</sub>

[adamgayton81]

Comes from improper washing and or drying. Here's an article from Mike on removing them.

How To Remove Swirls By Hand
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[adamgayton81]

I looked for one by Mike on what swirls are and where they come from but couldn't immediately find it.

Basically using cheap washing supplies (microfibers, brushes, etc.), mixing supplies from painted surfaces and wheels...this transfers metal particles from wheels into your paint and scratches it. Drying is a big factor by using a non lubricated drying towel and also wiping in circles. There are many factors that introduce swirls and more ways to keep from doing it.

I suggest to grab a couple coffees and couple of beers and sit and just read Mike's how to articles. Also you can watch "Competition Ready" on Velocity...he just doesn't go as deep into detail on it but outlines the basics.


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[Paul A.]

Another factor in addition to those mentioned by Adam is unnecessary pressure when washing and towel drying. A lot of folks think they have to scrub when washing and exert a lot of pressure when washing. That is NEVER a good thing and scratches paint. A good quality soap helps to break the adhesive bond dirt and stuff has on the surface. Plus it adds a good friction layer to remove it. Follow that with gentle, light pressure passes on smaller sections then RINSE.

Another huge factor is not rinsing out your wash mitt after doing a dirty section. Most just dip it back into the wash bucket and never fully remove the grit from the last section or simply pick up previously removed dirt from the filthy wash bucket.

Then finally...drying. The uninitiated use all sorts of drying towels that leave scratches. The old bath towel that made its
way to the garage is grabbed to dry off the vehicle and again, many times, is aggressively used to rub the paint dry.

[Desertnate]

In addition to the most common cause swirls from washing/drying they can also come about any time you touch the paint and are not careful i.e. spot removal of bug and bird droppings and even snow removal.

[Mike Phillips]

Just to chime in....


The simple answer, which is usually the best answer,

Where swirls and scratches come from is how the paint is touched.



Wash your car with a brick and you're going to get some pretty bad scratches.

Wash your car carefully with a new, clean soft microfiber wash mitt using good technique - you'll minimize the potential for putting swirls and scratches into the paint.



Here's the dealio...

1: Most people wash and dry their car MORE than any other thing the do to the car. Think about it. Whether they personally wash it by hand or use some other option for getting the car clean like an automatic car wash or a 100% Hand Car Wash, etc.


2: Besides washing and drying their car, people WIPE their car with some form of something, spray detailers, waterless washes, spray waxes, etc. And then TOUCH the paint with some form of cloth material to WIPE-OFF the product they sprayed onto it.


3: Then once in a while a person will wax their car.


The above three things is a pretty good summary of what the masses do to their cars. Any objections?


Of course, this doesn't include the type of people that hang out here and are "into" detailing their car. I'm talking about the average person.


So where do most swirls and scratches come from?

--> From the way the paint is touched <---

[Mike Phillips]

These two articles will help just about anyone...


How to wash a coated car - The Gentle Approach for Washing a Car by Mike Phillips


How, why & when to inspect your microfiber towels when detailing cars



When it comes to taking care of your car's finish...



The little things are the big things.... -Mike Phillips

[Route246]

<sub>How do those nasty swirls get in the paint?

What can be done to prevent or minimize them from happening?</sub>

I don't think anyone has answered the Title: of this thread, that being where do they visually come from? Maybe I'm off-base here but swirls are not caused by circular scratches.

If you buy Mike's book, he explains this and more very clearly in layman's terms where the swirls visually come from.

Mike Phillips’ The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine Paperback Book
Mike Phillips’ The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine E-book - Download

From page 31:

Cobweb (Spiderweb) Swirls
The terms cobweb and spiderweb swirls come from the appearance of swirls in the paint which can look like a spider’s cobweb. The swirls have a circular or radial pattern to them when the paint is highlighted with a strong focused point of bright light, such as the reflection of the sun or a Brinkmann Swirl Finder Light. The scratches are not actually in circular patterns but are randomly inflicted throughout the entire finish. When you place a strong point of light on the surface, the edges of the scratches (no matter the length or shape) reflect back towards the point of light, creating the appearance of a circular pattern.

[Mike Phillips]

I don't think anyone has answered the Title: of this thread, that being where do they visually come from? Maybe I'm off-base here but swirls are not caused by circular scratches.

If you buy Mike's book, he explains this and more very clearly in layman's terms where the swirls visually come from.

Mike Phillips’ The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine Paperback Book
Mike Phillips’ The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine E-book - Download


From page 31:


Cobweb (Spiderweb) Swirls

The terms cobweb and spiderweb swirls come from the appearance of swirls in the paint which can look like a spider’s cobweb. The swirls have a circular or radial pattern to them when the paint is highlighted with a strong focused point of bright light, such as the reflection of the sun or a Brinkmann Swirl Finder Light.

The scratches are not actually in circular patterns but are randomly inflicted throughout the entire finish.

When you place a strong point of light on the surface, the edges of the scratches (no matter the length or shape) reflect back towards the point of light, creating the appearance of a circular pattern.

Good job super sleuthing!


I wrote that years ago.

[FUNX650]

IMO...

Micro-abrasions:
That's what causes the defilement
of an automotive paint-system's
topcoat film-layer; yep: it's those
daggone micro-abrasions.


Bob