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First time Detailing...a little dissapointed

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  • #1

    First time Detailing...a little dissapointed

    Hey Guys.

    Just finished a 12 hour detail on my car. My process is below

    Wash
    Clay
    Swirl X
    Deep Crystal Polish
    Nxt Tech 2.0 Wax

    The reason I am a little let down is that I still have swirl marks in the paint. Don't get me wrong...the car looks wet and really nice, I have the pictures to prove it....but I couldn't get rid of the swirls. It's a dark grey 2010 Nissan Maxima...I don't know if there paint is incredibly hard or what. I even tried some scratch X with no luck. I don't want to do ultimate compound....I think I am too much of a noob and will ruin the paint. So for now...I have the swirls. I might take it somewhere professionally because I think they are out of my league.

    Anyway...if someone can tell me how to post images on here, I would love to show you guys my work.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: First time Detailing...a little dissapointed

    Could be the paint, or the depth of swirls needing a stronger product, or could be technique related. Or all 3... most everyone has trouble removing scratches/swirls the first time, or couple times, it takes some practice and patience to do well, esp by hand.
    2017 Subaru WRX Premium - WR Blue

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    • #3
      Re: First time Detailing...a little dissapointed

      I would suggest this. The next time you do a complete detail. Focus on one section at a time. Get your technique down. When satisfied with the one section, move on. If you are doing this by hand. A lot of times it is a persons technique. Don't give up we can help.
      quality creates its own demand

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: First time Detailing...a little dissapointed

        Stick with it. Doing it well is a learning process. Pay attention to guys like Murr, JA and the Meguiar's staff guys and you'll have a quick learning curve. They are all very accessible if you have questions.

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: First time Detailing...a little dissapointed

          First of all, I assume you are working by hand?

          You have to remember that Swirlx is an extremely mild cleaner which is why it unofficially took the place of DC1 Paint Cleaner. Of course, mild is only a relative term as for some paints this could be a moderate cleaner but in general, it is very mild. As Murr said, some swirls may have been deeper than others which is why some are still there. Working by hand is not something you pick up in a day, it is an art and is especially difficult on today's tough clear coats.

          Also, Ultimate Compund will not harm your paint, especially by hand. It is different from the old style compounds of Turtle Wax, some 3M and even some Meguiars (such as M01, M02, M04, M84, M85). These compunds will usually not finish off to a refined finish by hand. Ultimate Compund in almost every case will not leave any self-induced swirls as it uses a different technology, SMAT. If you search around here you will find what it is so i will not use up more space to explain it. I believe Tuck91 has a sticky in Detailing 101 about the proper use of SMAT products by hand.

          The swirls are not out of your leage. With a little passion, a foam applicator and some Ultimate Compound, I am confident that even a noob can take out the swirls. You need to have patience. Remember, in order to remove a scratch, you must remove a microscopic amount of paint (or clear coat in this case). Do not be scared by this idea of removing paint because it is necessary to remove scratchse and the amount of paint removed by hand is inconsequential even if done almost everyday. You may need 3,4,5,6... applications in order to remove the swirls.

          Here is something important to remember, if you are afraid that a product is removing too much paint, but when you remove the product from the surface and the swirls are still there then you have not removed any paint. It is a very difficult process at times and a 12 hour detail may not be sufficient time to remove all of the swirls. I recommend a panel a day; make each panel perfect one day at a time following the entire process on each panel.

          Final thoughts, use a foam applicator (do not use terry cloth or microfiber as you are only learning and foam applicators have no cut themselves and offer a lot of room for learning) as terry cloth or microfiber can inflict swirls if used too aggressively, and if your fingertips are not providing adequate pressure or surface area to work on then try the "palm technique." Not sure if thats what it is called but its the way I found to work the best.

          Palm Technique (if you will)- center the face of your palm on the applicator as this allows more surface area of the pad to be in contact with the paint. This seems to give more cut. It also appears that I can apply greater pressure allowing for easier removal of swirls.

          Each time I try using my fingertips for the ever fought after "passion", I find more swirls being induced than removed. I know this should not be happening as the product (Swirlxor UC or Scratchx) does not contain anything that would scratch the finish. These have been my recent observations.


          Remember, patience is a virtue. GOOD LUCK!
          Tedrow's Detailing
          845-642-1698
          Treat Yourself to that New Car Feeling

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: First time Detailing...a little dissapointed

            Originally posted by coopers23 View Post

            You have to remember that Swirlx is an extremely mild cleaner which is why it unofficially took the place of DC1 Paint Cleaner.
            SwirlX is not an extremly mild cleaner, its actually even more aggressive than M83.
            Nick
            Tucker's Detailing Services
            815-954-0773
            2012 Ford Transit Connect

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            • #7
              Re: First time Detailing...a little dissapointed

              Thanks everyone for your replies. Can anyone tell me how to post my pics to the site as well? Not really savy with the forum stuff either.

              Some clarifications.....

              I was using an older Meguiars G100 DA. I had a polishing pad for the swirl x and a finishing pad for the DC Polish. I did start the swirlX in the sun...which might have been a problem. The paint wasn't hot though....it was very early morning. I went over it a couple times just on the hood and trunk....didn't really see anything. I don't know if the new DA will make a difference.

              Thank you for the advice on Ultimate Compound Cooper. Do you think I can get better results with the DA if I use it? The DA with the Ultimate Compound won't cause any damage....will it?

              Lastly...I would love to show you guys what I did....Im extremely tired...and would love some feedback. I did get some deep shine and depth on the door panels and have the pics to prove it.

              You guys have been awesome...thanks for the encouragement and I will let you know how my next detail goes.

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: First time Detailing...a little dissapointed

                jkk7479 its not really good to work on direct sun light try to work on the shade. Also working with a DA is much easier than by hand and it wont harm your paint because its designed not to. Also use the SwirlX until you have a fine layer of it that you can remove. If im not confused i believe it has that dimishing abrasive technology so work it out until a fine layer is left then remove with the MF.

                Post up some pics, here you go:
                How to article, to post pics in the message.
                Working with photos on discussion forums - Car Care Forums: Meguiar's Online
                http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30856
                How to start a new thread, insert a picture, sign-up for a class, etc.
                Ryan's Auto Detailing, S.A
                Mobile Auto Detailing Company.
                Dominican Republic.

                Passion for Detailing, do it with love.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: First time Detailing...a little dissapointed

                  well, great job on getting out there and trying it out, it is how you will learn.
                  What happened to you is exactly why Meguiars preaches do a TEST area all the way down to wax or LSP. So if you are not satisfied with your results do some more polishing or move up on the aggressive scale.
                  The new DA is not really going to clean paint better than the original, it just has some more features if you will.

                  Now all things being equal UC with a polishing pad on a DA should not damage the paint as that is very difficult to do with a DA/polishing pad combo anyway.

                  When you said you didnt see anything on the trunk what do you mean, did not see swirls or improvement.

                  If you used swirl x on speed 5 on a polishing pad and it did not remove your swirls on your paint you could try 2 -3 applications if still nothing by all means you can step up to UC. That would be the next logical product for use on a DA.

                  If you use UC follow that up with DC polish that you have as UC is described as a cleaner only.
                  2007 2500 SILVERADO HD BLACK
                  2008 Tahoe White
                  Beaufort,S.C

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: First time Detailing...a little dissapointed

                    When you said you didnt see anything on the trunk what do you mean, did not see swirls or improvement.

                    If you use UC follow that up with DC polish that you have as UC is described as a cleaner only.[/QUOTE]

                    Thanks bud....I meant I saw no improvement. I am going to take your word for it that UC will not hurt my paint with the DA. I did test the hood and did about 4 applications of swirl X in a particular area....I didn't see an improvement but was afraid to go more abrasive. Next time...I will.

                    I think it is a combination of hard paint...as well as being a novice at this. I am going to try again in the fall....in the meantime....I am just going to practice good washing habits to avoid any more swirls and keep up with waxing every 3 weeks or so....with quick wax in between.

                    Thanks again....you guys have been truly awesome! Working on posting some pics soon.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: First time Detailing...a little dissapointed

                      Great, one part of the learning process is falling and getting up again. Dont be affraid of trying things. We all were novice at the very beginning.

                      Hoping to see some pictures soon.
                      Ryan's Auto Detailing, S.A
                      Mobile Auto Detailing Company.
                      Dominican Republic.

                      Passion for Detailing, do it with love.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: First time Detailing...a little dissapointed

                        Originally posted by Tuck91 View Post
                        SwirlX is not an extremly mild cleaner, its actually even more aggressive than M83.
                        My fault Tuck, I am aware of that. It is just that for my paint, it almost does no correction even when applied 5 times by hand so in my case it is a very mild cleaner (by hand). Sorry if I caused any confusion.
                        Tedrow's Detailing
                        845-642-1698
                        Treat Yourself to that New Car Feeling

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Re: First time Detailing...a little dissapointed

                          Originally posted by coopers23 View Post
                          My fault Tuck, I am aware of that. It is just that for my paint, it almost does no correction even when applied 5 times by hand so in my case it is a very mild cleaner (by hand). Sorry if I caused any confusion.
                          Paint in Minis is very soft. Thats maybe why you find it to be really aggressive on the finish, MORE than #83. I did a red mini like a month ago.
                          Ryan's Auto Detailing, S.A
                          Mobile Auto Detailing Company.
                          Dominican Republic.

                          Passion for Detailing, do it with love.

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Re: First time Detailing...a little dissapointed

                            Seriously, if you have the money, buy a G110v2 and some Meguiar's pads. You won't regret it. Believe me, you are not going to hurt your car with this machine. I used it for the first time a couple weeks ago, and it took a little time to get a feel for it and get my technique down right, but it was so worth it. I couldn't have done this by hand. You can view my writeup here: http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41112. I got the Soft Buff 2.0 pads, which are 7" in diameter, but I need to get some 4" pads for smaller areas. That would make things a lot easier. Just think about it. Really is a great investment, especially if you want to get serious about detailing your cars.
                            Shane
                            1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera SL

                            If you trim yourself to fit the world you'll whittle yourself away. - Aaron Tippin

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Re: First time Detailing...a little dissapointed

                              I WANT A G110v2!!!!! Boooh for me... Cant get it here in DR have to order it overseas.
                              Ryan's Auto Detailing, S.A
                              Mobile Auto Detailing Company.
                              Dominican Republic.

                              Passion for Detailing, do it with love.

                              Comment

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