Holograms ?

[chuckk]

Here are some pictures of two cars i have done this week. As you can see im not 100% happy with the results. Does this look like small holograms or it's only part of light reflection from my flex swirl light ? I must admit i didn't check them under the sun because i have only used my PC.

Steps were :

hd cut with yellow ccs pad speed 6 firm pressure
Hd polish with white ccs pad speed 6 firm pressure
Hd polish with blue ccs pad speed 5 almost no pressure

Things ive tried before posting:
SF4500 on blue ccs pad speed 5and 4firm/light pressure
Sf4500 on gold ccs pad speed 5 and 4 firm/light pressure

Sf4500 diluted 90% with water speed 4 and 5 firm/light pressure

It seems theres always some kind of holograming no matter what. Usually when i see streaks of light like this with my flex light it's a bad sign.

No matter what steps im doing im always slow with my buffer...
Thanks

[maxsmobile]

Looks like ghosting. Do an IPA wipe at 15% and reseal. To avoid in future use better microfiber towels and drop the speed a notch

[chuckk]

Thanks for your input. The blue corolla isn't that bad but the black STI is killing me...ive done mine in the past but this one is even softer. I had never heard the word ghosting before and i looked it up but i don't think it's my issue.

If i repolish the section the pattern in the holograms changes also so it makes me think it's related to my technique. I just can't believe im getting some kind of holograming with a gold pad and sf4500. Water polishing also doesn't help...in fact it's slightly worse.

[dlc95]

Ghosting is something that happens when your sealant or wax is applied unevenly, or it's reacting to humidity, etc.

If it's not ghosting, it could be that the abrasives aren't being sufficiently broken down. And/or your paint is being marred when wiping off the residue.

Another issue could be a dirty pad. How often are you cleaning them? Menzerna polishes run on the thick side, and can get gummy pretty quick. I clean mine out after every cycle.

How many passes are you doing on the final polishing steps? What kind of towels are you removing residue with?

[Mike Phillips]

Have you tried applying a wax or sealant and then inspecting?

[chuckk]

Ghosting is something that happens when your sealant or wax is applied unevenly, or it's reacting to humidity, etc.

If it's not ghosting, it could be that the abrasives aren't being sufficiently broken down. And/or your paint is being marred when wiping off the residue.

Another issue could be a dirty pad. How often are you cleaning them? Menzerna polishes run on the thick side, and can get gummy pretty quick. I clean mine out after every cycle.

How many passes are you doing on the final polishing steps? What kind of towels are you removing residue with?

Pads are kept clean using on the fly technique. Im doing 2-3 slow pass. Removing the residue with autoglym red microfiber.

[chuckk]

Have you tried applying a wax or sealant and then inspecting?

Wax didn't do anything really exept giving that deep look.

[Mike Phillips]

Here are some pictures of two cars i have done this week. As you can see im not 100% happy with the results. Does this look like small holograms or it's only part of light reflection from my flex swirl light ? I must admit i didn't check them under the sun because i have only used my PC.

Steps were :

hd cut with yellow ccs pad speed 6 firm pressure
Hd polish with white ccs pad speed 6 firm pressure

After the first two steps, how does the paint look?

Hd polish with blue ccs pad speed 5 almost no pressure

This is your final polishing step and if it were me, NORMALLY I would be applying 10 to 15 pounds of downward pressure on the 6 speed setting for the first 3-5 section passes and then reducing downward pressure for the last two section passes and moving the polisher at a faster clip over the surface.

Also, blue is normally a waxing pad and has little to no cut. I'd be using a black pad.

Also, I'm a flat pad kind of guy, not sure if the collapsed cell structure or CCS is the culprit in what you're seeing but one of the reasons I like flat pads is it reduces variables for problems plus they are easier to clean.

Things ive tried before posting:

SF4500 on blue ccs pad speed 5and 4firm/light pressure
Sf4500 on gold ccs pad speed 5 and 4 firm/light pressure

Could be these are too soft to remove any defects still in the paint after the first compounding and first polishing step.

Sf4500 diluted 90% with water speed 4 and 5 firm/light pressure

I've never heard of anyone diluting Menzerna polishes with water. I've never diluted Menzerna polishes with water. I don't know what the benefit would be to diluting Menzerna polishes with water?

It seems theres always some kind of holograming no matter what.

The term hologram is historically a word used to define the very distinct and specific scratch pattern instilled into a surface from the use of a rotary buffer.

I define it that way in all my books, I know most others in the industry define it this way also. You can call it holograms if you want but that's not what I would call it.

Maybe Orbital Buffer Trails?


Too bad you're not close enough to drive here, if you were I would love a shot of finishing out on your car's paint to see what's what.

[Mike Phillips]

Wax didn't do anything really exept giving that deep look.

So the "lines" you see are still on or in the paint even after you apply and remove a coat of wax or sealant?

[chuckk]

Thanks for taking the time to help me mike it's appreciated.
Yes orbital buffer trails looks to be the real term.

It's definetly my last step that causes the trails because if i rebuff it with a different pattern the trails changes accordingly.

I diluted the sf4500 to try to be less agressive that's the only reason.