Issues with removing swirls

[JaguarXj6L]

Okay, I broke down and bought the Porter Cable buffer to remove some swirls from my car's finish.

I used the orange Cobra Cross Groove pad and Swirl X with little results.

The next day, I went to the store and bought Swirl Remover 2.0 (I believe it's 205 but isn't labeled as such), and Ultimate Compound(UC). I used the 205 with some better results, but not much. I didn't bother with the UC since I believe it's less abrasive(?) than the 205.

Each time, I started the buffer at 1 to spread the product around, and then cranked it up to 6, going over the area 6-8 times.

My next plan of attack is to order some 105 and go after it(the car) in a few weeks (2-3). Sound good? Is there anything that I've done wrong, or should do better next time?

[Fly Bye]

Re: Issues with removing swirls

I went to the store and bought Swirl Remover 2.0 (I believe it's 205 but isn't labeled as such)

If you're referring to Megs #9 Swirl Remover, it is not the same as 205. #9 & 205 are completely different.

spread the product around, and then cranked it up to 6, going over the area 6-8 times.

That's perfect. Why don't you try the UC since you already have it, and report back. I belive the UC is more aggressive than 205.

[Shawn T.]

Re: Issues with removing swirls

First of all, no need to step to 105 without trying some products in between.

Swirl Remover 2.0 is M09 and is even less aggressive than M205 so that is why you are not seeing any great improvements. UC is one notch below M105 in terms of aggressiveness but is much more user-friendly.

Definitely give it another shot with Swirlx to see if 2 passes with give you the desired results. If you still do noo see the desired improvement than go to UC and only go to speed 5 for now. Don't bother with speed 6 unless it is really needed.

Remember to use slow, overlapping passes. Control your arm speed and apply pressure to the machine. Move about 1 inch/sec and see how that works. YOu need to allow time for the pad/product combination to remove the paint surrounding the swirls. I like to apply 9-14 pounds of pressure or just enough to keep the pad from spinnig wildly. I like to have the pad spinning at a good pace when using UC, Swirlx, etc.

If UC fails after several attempts, then go to M105 but let that be a last resort. You would probably like to follow either UC or M105 with either Swirlx or M09 to ensure any hazing is reomved.

[JaguarXj6L]

Re: Issues with removing swirls

Thanks for letting me know I got the products wrong. The M09, and the 205 have very similar labeling.

I will go to UC next week, or maby even tomorrow evening. Since M09 isn't at all what I'm looking for, I may return it and look into another polish after the swirls have been removed.

I will be VERY happy once the swirls have been removed!

[Fly Bye]

Re: Issues with removing swirls

Since M09 isn't at all what I'm looking for, I may return it and look into another polish after the swirls have been removed.

I wouldn't return the M09. The M09 is an awesome product for removing very light swirls. M09 also has a lot of polishing oils in it that make paint look very good

The M09 is worth holding on to.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Issues with removing swirls

M09 and M205 will be clearly labeled as such even though the labels look very similar. All Mirror Glaze labels look much the same, but that big ol' part number is pretty prominent on the bottles.





What you did in going from SwirlX to M09 was to actually step down slightly in aggressiveness, not up. If SwirlX wasn't cutting it (can't help the pun, sorry) then M09 wouldn't either. In all honesty, M205 probably wouldn't either since it's very similar in cut to SwirlX.

Ultimate Compound is quite a bit more aggressive than those three, so before skipping over it and moving straight to the most aggressive product we make (M105), give it a shot. It is much more forgiving on a D/A than M105 and the cut isn't far below it. Unless you're trying to pull out sanding marks with a rotary buffer, you really shouldn't need M105.

Also, you shouldn't have to run the buffer at speed 6. Doing so over time can generate a lot of heat on the hook & loop material that secures the pad to the backing plate. Check enough forums and you'll see various brands of pads failing when used this way, which is major reason for us recommending against this practice.

Two other very important things to consider when using the buffer are pressure and arm speed. You want to apply enough pressure directly down on the pad to compress it, but no so much as to stop it from rotating. You also need to keep your arm speed in check. All too often we see people slowly start to increase their arm speed - how quickly they move the tool across the paint - and this diminishes the effectiveness of any pad/liquid combination. Slow down you arm speed and keep it slow. Take your time.

[JaguarXj6L]

Re: Issues with removing swirls

Well, everything sounds good. I'll keep all of this in mind when I get around to buffing again.

Thanks.