"Acceptable" Swirls

[WaspHunter]

In another thread Mike Phillips wrote:

Light swirls will always be an issue to some degree on paint an the most noticeable on black and dark colors.

For us amateurs without electrical polishing equipment, what level of clean should we expect given the proper technique?

For example if we can't see marks a meter away in bright sunlight, should we call it a day and polish/wax the vehicle? I know this question involves a bit of personal preference, but it'd be nice to know what the professionals think about it. It took me an hour to go over my bonnet with Scratch X and DC Cleaner yesterday, and while most of the marks are gone I can still see slight swirling and scratching.

EDIT: I forgot to mention: when I used Scratch X on my rear bar a few days ago, my cloth had a bit of pink on it. Is this normal (my car is red)? I don't see how I could be pulling colour off a clear coat.

[Don]

Re: "Acceptable" Swirls

Originally posted by WaspHunter

For us amateurs without electrical polishing equipment, what level of clean should we expect given the proper technique?

For example if we can't see marks a meter away in bright sunlight, should we call it a day and polish/wax the vehicle? I know this question involves a bit of personal preference, but it'd be nice to know what the professionals think about it. It took me an hour to go over my bonnet with Scratch X and DC Cleaner yesterday, and while most of the marks are gone I can still see slight swirling and scratching.

EDIT: I forgot to mention: when I used Scratch X on my rear bar a few days ago, my cloth had a bit of pink on it. Is this normal (my car is red)? I don't see how I could be pulling colour off a clear coat.

For working entirely by hand, a finish that is 'perfect' from 3 feet (one meter) away isn't bad at all, in fact it's pretty good, especially for a self-proclaimed "amateur." With time and technique, you will be able to shrink the distance to inches (centimeters).

I'll assume by 'rear bar' you mean the bumper or bumper cover. Here in the 'States, some cars still have single stage (non-clearcoat) paint on some plastics even though the rest of the car has base coat/clear coat, so if that is the case with your car, I wouldn't worry about pulling a bit of color.

[WaspHunter]

Thanks for the quick reply, Don. It looks like I'm on the right track then.

Yep, rear bar == rear bumper, and it being plastic gives me some relief from your explanation.

For future reference:
Guards == Fenders
Bonnet == Hood
Boot == Trunk
(Consider that tongue-in-cheek revenge for putting conversions in :P)

[Pete-FWA]

If I may add to what Don said about pink residue on the towel...

Some vehicles painted with tri-coat, such as pearl finishes (base coat, pearl coat, clear coat) have a tinted top coat.

The clear isn't totally clear...it actually gets a bit of color in it.

This "tint coat" will transfer color when polishing.

[Pete-FWA]

Re: "Acceptable" Swirls

Originally posted by WaspHunter

For example if we can't see marks a meter away in bright sunlight, should we call it a day and polish/wax the vehicle?

This is your choice. Obviously, some people couldn't care less about swirls...just look at many vehicles on the road!

Since you care, you're doing the right thing by trying to get it right. What is "right" for you?

It's subjective. What's best for you might be a level above what the next person has ever done. It could be just average to a third party.

How much time can you and are you willing to devote to the removal of finish imperfections? Often, this is a guideline for when people say "enough is enough" or "that looks very good and I'm happy with it."