Swirl Removal; What next?

[SolarA853]

I attacked some light swirls this morning with my PC, but most of them are still there. I used an 8006 pad with #9, followed by #26 using a 9006 pad, both at 4.5 on the PC. The surface looks amazing until it's in direct sunlight, then swirls abound. Any advice? Did I not use enough product? Was I too light with the PC? Here's a sample from the hood.

[Mike Phillips]

If the #9 wasn't aggressive enough, I would suggest substituting a more aggressive product like the #83 DACP using a W-8006 foam pad on between the 4.5 and 5.0 setting.

Also, move the polisher slowly over the surface allowing the combination of foam, product, time and pressure to do some work.

A common mistake I see people doing when learning how to use the PC is to move it to quickly over the surface. Also, Overlap your passes by 50% working a section at a time, and then overlap into your sections for thorough coverage and uniform results.

Mike

[SolarA853]

Thanks Mike. I will take your advice and give it another shot. I'm a PC newb, so I'm probably being a little overly-cautious.

On a related note, when you apply product to the pad, how much do you use, or, how much area of the pad do you cover? (if that makes any sense) I have been using the method Barry Meguiar uses in the how-to vid; ie not covering the entire pad, only about 2/3. (again, hoping this makes sense)

I'm Car Crazy, but my wife thinks I've lost it...

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by SolarA853
When you apply product to the pad, how much do you use, or, how much area of the pad do you cover? (if that makes any sense) I have been using the method Barry Meguiar uses in the how-to video, i.e. not covering the entire pad, only about 2/3.
(again, hoping this makes sense)

I'm Car Crazy, but my wife thinks I've lost it...

Hi SolarA853,

I just re-watched all of Barry's videos here,

Barry's Online Clinics

Barry shows the correct method of applying your products to the foam pad when using the PC. This is to apply your product in a circle around the pad. You can also apply your products in a X pattern to the foam pad, but this tends to work better for rotary buffers versus dual action polishers because product tends to build up inside the pad. For this reason, avoid placing your product directly into the center of the pad. Instead, try to apply your product to the outer edges in a circular pattern.

Most people tend to apply more product than they need, so watch yourself and be sure not to apply too much. Barry also says in the Power Polishing Video to run the polisher around the 4.5 setting. To eliminate swirls, sometimes you might want to bump that up to the 5.0 setting for more polishing action out of the polisher. Sometimes that little extra power helps to eliminate stubborn swirls out of harder paints.

Mike