swirls/holograms seen on gel coat

[master_photog]

Hello, I'm a new user of my DA 7424xp machine and while out on the water this weekend I noticed a good amount of swirls.

I'm pretty certain this isn't in the gel coat and it's just a matter of application/user error of my PC 7424xp.

What I used was the Meguires #20 polymer sealant and a white polishing pad, but for some reason, the swirls are very evident.

I'm just curious what tips you have for:

1 - getting rid of the existing swirling of the #20 polymer

AND

2 - avoiding the swirling in the first place

Thank you!!

[AutowerxDetailing]

Pics would be helpful. The products you mentioned shouldn't have instilled swirls into the surface unless it was dirty or something was trapped under the pad while buffing.

[TomG]

Silly question...did you clay first?

[Mike Phillips]

Hello, I'm a new user of my DA 7424xp machine and while out on the water this weekend I noticed a good amount of swirls.

I'm pretty certain this isn't in the gel coat and it's just a matter of application/user error of my PC 7424xp.

What I used was the Meguires #20 polymer sealant and a white polishing pad, but for some reason, the swirls are very evident.

I'm just curious what tips you have for:

1 - getting rid of the existing swirling of the #20 polymer

AND

2 - avoiding the swirling in the first place

Thank you!!

If the gel-coat was oxidized it's probably a mixture of the M20 and loosened dead, oxidized gel-coat residues still on the surface.

Take a hand applicator pad, apply some M20 to the surface, use wet or heavy and see if you can re-liquefy and remove whatever's on the surface in one small area, about 16" squarish or so.

If this work then you can do it by machine, just use the product what I call heavy or wet.

Also, don't buff to a dry buff. You should always see a liquid film on the surface as your buffing.

For anyone else reading this, if you are working on dry, oxidized gel-coat, it will absorb the liquid out of your product and make buffing gummy. Always use a product heavy or wet when working with a one-step cleaner wax on a neglected surface.


To the OP

If the surface is not oxidized or dried out, then my guess too slow a speed setting and buffing too long. Crank the polisher up to the 6 setting, only buff a small section like 20" squarish or so, don't try to tackle too large an are or while our off in the back 40 buffing the product in the other areas will be drying.

Working a smaller section keeps your product on the surface liquid longer with less drying.

[master_photog]

Good advice, after reading this, I was doing a couple things wrong. I think I was using too slow a speed and working a larger area on my final buff. Although I was trying to remember the DVD that I purchased with my 7424 about final buffing/polishing and I thought it mentioned to slow the buffer speed and it's ok to work larger areas. I'll have to re-watch that DVD and take better notes.

[Mike Phillips]

Good advice, after reading this, I was doing a couple things wrong. I think I was using too slow a speed and working a larger area on my final buff. Although I was trying to remember the DVD that I purchased with my 7424 about final buffing/polishing and I thought it mentioned to slow the buffer speed and it's ok to work larger areas. I'll have to re-watch that DVD and take better notes.

AFTER you have machine polished paint using a dedicated machine polishing process the surface of the paint will be clean and smooth and at that point you can use a slow speed and tackle huge areas because all you're trying to do is spread a finishing wax out over a perfected surface.


You didn't say if the gel-coat was oxidized or not so I did something I don't like to do and that was to take into account that gel-coat, (polyester resin), oxidizes easily, especially on "things" normally stored outside and I assumed that at a minimum there was at least light oxidation on the surface.

If the above is accurate (and it might not be), but if it is, then using a cleaner/wax like M20 Polymer Sealant on an oxidized surface isn't the same as what I explained and demonstrated in the DVD which was applying a non-cleaning wax to a surface previously polished and prepared for the wax.

If there is light oxidation at a minimum, then you want and need the higher speeds for the POWER to make use of the small amount of cleaners in the M20 product to work them against the surface and remove the dead, oxidized gel-coat AND smooth the surface over to restore gloss, clarity and shine.

You'll get better results using a higher speed and working a smaller section.

The above is all just a guess because you haven't shared the condition of the gel-coat surface.

If the gel-coat surface is like brand new, that is clean, clear and shiny, then you still want to use at a minimum the 4.0 to 5.0 speed setting on a PC because those are the speeds that will keep the pad rotating and oscillating under even light pressure but if the surface is in excellent condition then you could tackler larger areas.


Still don't buff to a dry buff... you want to leave a wet film on the surface to dry and then wipe it off after it dries.

One characteristic about M20 is that it dries fast and is INCREDIBLY easy to wipe off when used correctly, so if it's not wiping off easy then something is wrong somewhere.

It also leaves a very slick surface, next time you wipe some of it off, feel the surface and tell us what you think.

[master_photog]

This is a clean, brand new finish and have since done what was suggested in your first post Mike...and that is to work in a smaller area and to bump up the speed and not buff to a dry finish, but rather leaving a wet film. This has worked wonderfully and YES, the M20 leaves a VERY NICE slick surface after wiping off.

Much appreciate the help!!

[Mike Phillips]

This is a clean, brand new finish and have since done what was suggested in your first post Mike...and that is to work in a smaller area and to bump up the speed and not buff to a dry finish, but rather leaving a wet film. This has worked wonderfully and YES, the M20 leaves a VERY NICE slick surface after wiping off.

Much appreciate the help!!

Excellent, excellent excellent...


Thank you for the follow-up and I'm really glad to hear everything is working as expected now.

So how about a picture of the boat when you're all done?