Combining Pads with Products to remove swirls

[MendhamCarSpa]

I have a DA polisher (PC7424xp) with a blue soft polish pad, a green polish pad and an orange medium cut pad. I have a compound (that doesn't feel gritty whatsoever) and a cleaner-wax that says it removes swirls.. It seems like no matter what combo of pad or product I use, I still end up with tiny tiny tiny swirls! What is the technique to use? because I was sold these two products from a detailing store, from a professional who said they will absolutely work.. I MUST be doing something wrong.. maybe wrong RPM? Wrong speed? Please help!

[Pureshine]

What compounds do you have?
What speed are you compounding at?

[swanicyouth]

Its hard to say, because you aren't mentioning the products you are using. It could be product, technique, or a combination of both.

If they are some type of no name compounds, if you could post a picture someone could recommend some products AG sells that will help.

Do you think the problem is the polish not finishing well, or the polish not touching the original defects?

[MendhamCarSpa]

Hey guys, thanks for the quick responses.. sorry for not getting back to you quickly!

Pureshine: I've tried many speeds but I found that to get the swirls to a minimum I need to keep it on 6, and lower the pressure after a few passes... maybe i should lower the rpm too, to remove the final tiny swirls? could that work? I've never tried it.

Swanci: I find that keeping the surface of the car "wet" with the compound is most effective at cutting, otherwise i feel that the pad is simply scratching the surface... but if i put too much compound on it dries onto the pad and the pad gets a coat of dry, hard compound on it! (can I use water to rinse it off and then return to polishing?) Anyways.... The compound does in fact get the scratches out very well but it always leaves swirls.. you know, normal swirls that aren't too bad but in the bright sun, they are BAD!

My Products:
Malco Body Shop System Heavy Duty Compound Tru-Grit Tru-Gritâ„¢ Heavy-Duty Compound
Malco Amplifier cleaner-polish-wax
Amplifier Cleaner-Polish-Wax

(And just to try them out, but I did not use these today nor do i ever use them much anyways, but i do find that they are effective... yet leave swirls similar to the Tru-Grit above)
Turtle Wax Polishing Compound & Scratch Remover (which is very similar in texture and result as the Malco Tru-Grit)
Turtle Wax heavy duty compound


Pads:
Orange Cut
Green Polish
Blue Soft Polish

Speed used: 6

It seems if I use too little compound, the swirls start appearing everywhere from the pad! (IT seems like i need overly generous amounts of compound for it to work! Then my pad gets caked on compound all over it!)

[AutowerxDetailing]

It sounds like you are seeing micro-marring from the compounds you are using. These are defects imparted by the abrasive particles in the compound itself and will need to be removed with a better quality finishing polish and a softer polishing pad.

When finishing your compounding cycle, slow down to speed 5 or 4 and lighten up the pressure. This will mitigate SOME of the micro-marring you are experiencing. Then step down to a finishing polish and you should be golden.

[Eric@CherryOnTop]

I've never heard of those products but if they use diminishing abrasives you might not be working them long enough to let the abrasives break down enough to remove the marring. How many section passes are you doing?

Sent from my Transformer using AG Online

[Setec Astronomy]

Its hard to say, because you aren't mentioning the products you are using. It could be product, technique, or a combination of both.

He also didn't say what kind of paint he's working on...but see below!

My Products:
Malco Body Shop System Heavy Duty Compound Tru-Grit Tru-Gritâ„¢ Heavy-Duty Compound
Malco Amplifier cleaner-polish-wax
Amplifier Cleaner-Polish-Wax

(And just to try them out, but I did not use these today nor do i ever use them much anyways, but i do find that they are effective... yet leave swirls similar to the Tru-Grit above)
Turtle Wax Polishing Compound & Scratch Remover (which is very similar in texture and result as the Malco Tru-Grit)
Turtle Wax heavy duty compound

OMG OMG OMG!!!!!!!!!

You have a very nice website and I presume you work on some very nice cars given the area...BUT THOSE PRODUCTS ARE DEFINITELY YOUR PROBLEM!!

It sounds like you are seeing micro-marring from the compounds you are using. These are defects imparted by the abrasive particles in the compound itself and will need to be removed with a better quality finishing polish and a softer polishing pad.

This ^

We are trying to get a local meet together: New Jersey Meet up , it might really help to meet and shoot the breeze with some other detailers. Barring that, you need to get some better products. If you don't want to order M105/M205, at least go to Wal-Mart or Target or a chain auto parts store and get some Meguiar's Ultimate Compound and Ultimate Polish, that is going to be 10 times better than that junk you are using.

You might also consider the Meguiar's DA MF system, since you are currently finishing with a cleaner wax. If you stay with the foam pads, it sounds like you only have 3 of them...you need more of each grade, etc.

[Christopher.Brown]

Listing the TYPE of pads you are using would assist others to help you...

ALSO, performing a 10% IPA wipedown between compounds and polishes will help to remove ALL of the residue from the previous process. In this way you eliminate the change of a more aggressive grit ruining the result of a finer polish

[MendhamCarSpa]

When finishing your compounding cycle, slow down to speed 5 or 4 and lighten up the pressure. This will mitigate SOME of the micro-marring you are experiencing. Then step down to a finishing polish and you should be golden.

Thanks I'll try that!
I'll also purchase a finishing Polish or the Meguiar's finishing polish from Walmart.. it seems like this "pro" detailer scrwed me over with bad products. (the Malco products)

Pads: I didn't post the pad manufacturer because it got worn off the velcro and i could not read it. They're waffle pads though.

[MendhamCarSpa]

Oh and Setec thank you for the "nice website" comment.. i personally think my website is way too confusing tho : / lol!

everyone else ..check it out tho, it's almost complete..

mendhamcarspa.com

I was using the products on Mercedes paint and as well a new Hyundai paint