My Consumer line Product Detailing strategy inquiry

[shortshifter]

Re: My Consumer line Product Detailing strategy inquiry

We tend to agree on this. SwirlX is fairly mild, and an orbital buffer just doesn't have much power at all. Combine the two and you've got a pretty lightweight process that will be easily challenged by issues that a D/A and Ultimate Compound would literally laugh at. In some cases an orbital can do some nice work, but it is easily overwhelmed.

thanks. I'll try using D/A polisher.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: My Consumer line Product Detailing strategy inquiry

Maybe Akimel is correct, i may need a better polisher already here...

We tend to agree on this. SwirlX is fairly mild, and an orbital buffer just doesn't have much power at all. Combine the two and you've got a pretty lightweight process that will be easily challenged by issues that a D/A and Ultimate Compound would literally laugh at. In some cases an orbital can do some nice work, but it is easily overwhelmed.

[shortshifter]

Re: My Consumer line Product Detailing strategy inquiry

Hi. I was using orbital polisher only as stated above.

I actually dont know what are those marks. They are flat and just like water spots. But cant be removed. They maybe overdue stains already due to day-to-day use.

Maybe Akimel is correct, i may need a better polisher already here...

[akimel]

Re: My Consumer line Product Detailing strategy inquiry

What kind of polisher are you using? Is it orbital, dual action or rotary? If it's an orbital, you will probably find that it cannot generate effective paint correction. If you aren't sure which one you have, take a look at these photographs: Machine Photos - DA Polishers - Rotary Buffers - Traditional Orbital Buffers.

Check out these threads:

Please explain Pros/Cons between Rotary and Orbital Buffers

Rotary vs DA Polisher vs Traditional Orbital Buffer

It sounds to me that you are not using the right tool for the job. Orbitals should only be used to apply and remove waxes and glazes. I had an orbital and gave it away. If you want to remove swirls, water marks, and scratches, you need to acquire a dual action buffer or rotary buffer. The latter, so I am told, takes a lot of practice to be used safely.

[Murr1525]

Re: My Consumer line Product Detailing strategy inquiry

That first pic looks like a bit of a divot? They arent rock chips are they? Wont really be able to fix those.

[shortshifter]

Re: My Consumer line Product Detailing strategy inquiry

Hi. I tried again a detailing job. Here were the procedures I did:

1. Wash
2. Clay
3. SwirlX with an Oribtal Polisher only

The car is a 10 year old car. Never been detailed. I started on just a little area. But I did not push through with the job. Because I cant move on to other areas. I find it hard to eliminate the water marks. It seems I need to do a lot more coating I guess. And the white circular spots. I tried several coats of swirlX already. Those spots cant be removed by washing and claying as well. Below are the pics of the defects:





For your comments on how I can eliminate this plus the hard watermarks. Do I need a rotary polisher and more aggressive compound already?

[shortshifter]

Re: My Consumer line Product Detailing strategy inquiry

Hmm.. not sure about the other shops. A rotary should leave some product behind, the last thing you want is to be 'dry buffing', with just the pad spinning on the paint.

Alright. Anyway, I will keep in mind your advice on my next attempt. Thanks very much!

[Murr1525]

Re: My Consumer line Product Detailing strategy inquiry

Hmm.. not sure about the other shops. A rotary should leave some product behind, the last thing you want is to be 'dry buffing', with just the pad spinning on the paint.

[shortshifter]

Re: My Consumer line Product Detailing strategy inquiry

Hi. Thanks.

I am actually comparing to other detailers in other shops. When they are polishing with a compound, they don't actually need to wipe with MF towel afterwards. After using a a rotary polisher, the area is almost clean and shiny. No need to wipe off.

What's the difference with what I'm doing? Is it because of my orbital polisher is too slow to wipe off everything? or SwirlX is lot different from other products?

[Murr1525]

Re: My Consumer line Product Detailing strategy inquiry

What type of towel were you using? A good MF can help.

[Murr1525]

Re: My Consumer line Product Detailing strategy inquiry

You probably figured it out, the SwirlX should be removed before drying.

You may have worked too big of an area, or worked the product to long, which let it dry out. Try to stay to about a 1 foot square.

[shortshifter]

Re: My Consumer line Product Detailing strategy inquiry

Hi. I've done my first paint detailing attempt with my 1.5 year old majestic red car. I was able to successfully remove the watermarks (which is my only problem). But what I noticed during SwirlX application was that, after using my orbital polisher, I find it hard to remove the remaining scattered substance there. I had to wipe it hard. I was thinking if it's my polisher not really doing the cleaning that much. In the meguiars video, after polishing, you can wipe it easily. What I did for the solution was not to take so long polishing it, then wipe immediately before it dry up. That way the remaining swirlx is not yet hard to remove.

Is there any other technique in applying it and when to stop and wipe already?

Many thanks....

[Michael Stoops]

Re: My Consumer line Product Detailing strategy inquiry

alright. thanks.

though I understand why foam, it makes me wonder when will I ever use the wool pad? or I don't need them at all for consumer product lines?

Wool pads are reserved for use with a rotary buffer, and none of our consumer products are designed for use with that tool. You certainly won't use a wool pad on a D/A.

A wool pad provides a lot of cut, but rarely does it leave the paint in LSP ready condition. Wool is mostly used in heavy compounding, such as the removal of sanding marks. It is also used on very heavily oxidized or swirled paint (we're talking seriously hammered paint), especially when the paint is very hard. Again, a rotary buffer will be employed for these situations.

For the vast majority of consumer use, Ultimate Compound with a foam polishing pad is going to suffice for defect removal. You may need a couple of passes sometimes. If the paint is extremely hard or severely marred, you may need to step up to M105, but in most cases you really shouldn't need to.

[Murr1525]

Re: My Consumer line Product Detailing strategy inquiry

Some manufacturers will put what the average consumer wants to see in the box.

As mentioned above, if you dont need it, you dont use it, which is a good thing.

[searle]

Re: My Consumer line Product Detailing strategy inquiry

It is more appropriate to ask if you will have paint with serious problems and hence needing more aggressive work. Pad selection is just one of the variables in changing aggressiveness of finish correction. See Michael's excellent article Lets talk total cut. That thread is aimed at the professional products, but same concept applies to consumer products. Stepping up to more aggressive pad is one option, stepping up to more agressive product is another, etc, depending on the problem you are trying to correct.