Holograms After Using UC With DA Polisher

[USMC11]

Just got my new DA and am having a bit of an issue on my black Dodge Ram.

Using UC on speed 5 with a white lake country pad I was able to remove all cobwebs, scratches, and swirls. The only problem is that small holograms have appeared

After trying the UC with the LC white, blue, and black pads, I'm still getting holograms. Anybody have any idea why this would be? Do I need to finish it off with swirl x or something like that? Also how fast should the pad be spinning when on the paint? I've got the polisher set for 5k rpm but not sure how many times I should see the pad spinning per second once pressure is put on it.


Sorry I don't have pics. I'll try to post some within a couple days.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Ivan Rajic]

Re: Holograms After Using UC With DA Polisher

I can only assume the paint is fairly soft and jet black, meaning UC is definitely too aggressive to finish down hologram/marring free with almost any LC or other pad. I'd say you need something milder and I would highly suggest M80 for an OTC product. White or black LC pad with M80 should finish it off well.

[BS MXRacer]

Re: Holograms After Using UC With DA Polisher

I'm unfamiliar with the LC pads but it sounds like your using too aggressive a product/pad combo to finish marring free. Try something like the previously mentioned M80, M205, or even Swirlx (if you have that) with a LC white, green or black pad (recommended based on link provided). These two links may help you choose a product and pad combo here and here.

[wifpd4]

Re: Holograms After Using UC With DA Polisher

As you can tell from this chart

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/sho...Pad+comparison

The LC black pad is fairly soft. I use it often to apply wax and it is soft in my experience. Your result would imply to me, as others have suggested, your finish is soft and may need a less aggressive approach. If you have SwirlX, you might try it. If you have 205, it is really gentle when used with an LC black pad. Slow down from 5 though. The LC white pad is kinda hard, using it with UC may cause some of what you are seeing.

Good luck.

[ANeat]

Re: Holograms After Using UC With DA Polisher

Im curious what youre using to wipe off the polish when youre finished? You may be adding the fine swirls when youre wiping off the compound.

Thats one thing that really suprised me when I really started getting into this hobby, it doesent take much to get those really fine swirls

[USMC11]

Re: Holograms After Using UC With DA Polisher

Thanks everyone for the help/advice!

Yea I was thinking that I needed to finish it off with something less aggressive. Another thing is the UC was drying out a bit. I was only able to make 1 or 2 passes before it starts to flake a bit. Maybe I need a new bottle of UC.

I'm wiping the product off with a clean megs microfiber towel. It's actually a little tough to wipe off and sticks like glue. This has been my experience with UC though.

Does anyone know if Ultimate Polish is out yet? I was also thinking of trying swirl X but I hear that dries out very quickly. Maybe I'll just bite the bullet and get the 205. My only concern with 205 was the price.

[USMC11]

Re: Holograms After Using UC With DA Polisher

As you can tell from this chart

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39044&highlight=Pad+comparison

The LC black pad is fairly soft. I use it often to apply wax and it is soft in my experience. Your result would imply to me, as others have suggested, your finish is soft and may need a less aggressive approach. If you have SwirlX, you might try it. If you have 205, it is really gentle when used with an LC black pad. Slow down from 5 though. The LC white pad is kinda hard, using it with UC may cause some of what you are seeing.

Good luck.

What speed do you suggest? Also how many times per second should the pad be rotating once pressure is applied? I'm new to the DA polisher and have read a lot of tutorials and have heard 10-15lbs of pressure. I'm not sure what this means in terms of pad rotation though...

[wifpd4]

Re: Holograms After Using UC With DA Polisher

One of the things suggested to me, by many folks here, is putting a mark on your backing plate to tell if your pad is still rotating. Put pressure on until the rotating (mark on backing plate) stops, then easy up just a bit to start rotation. I believe the other suggestion I've received regarding arm speed is an inch of travel per second.

Here is a brief discussion:
http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/sho...light=rotation

From that discussion:

Turn the machine on and begin buffing with moderate pressure in an overlapping pattern while keeping the pad flat against the paint at all times. Work a small section at a time, generally no larger than about 2' x 2', and cover the area in methodical, overlapping passes. Move the tool slowly over the paint - fast, sweeping motions will yield less than optimum results. Apply pressure to the handle directly over the pad with one hand, and simply guide the tool with your other hand. Applying pressure near the end of the tool near the power cord will result in leaning on the edge of the pad, which will stop the pad from rotating. This is not good as you need the constant rotation of the pad in order to achieve results.

As you work the product in this small area it will start to become very thin and translucent in appearance. That is a good indication that it is time to stop buffing and wipe off the excess product with a clean Supreme Shine Microfiber towel. Never buff until the product is completely dry. After buffing this initial area, closely evaluate the surface to gauge your progress. If a second appliation is needed to remove the defects, then simply apply additional Meguiar's Ultimate Compound as needed until all defects have been removed, then move on to the next section.

And here is a truly informative discussion, hope you haven't seen this one already. From the hands of Mentor Mike - Mr. Stoops:
http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/sho...t=45702&page=1

Now it’s decision time. Compare the area you just worked on (your test spot) to the adjacent, untreated area. Are all of the defects completely gone? Probably not, and that’s fine. There are a lot of different possibilities that could be at play here:

If a single session with a given liquid and pad was able to noticeably reduce the level of defects, then you’re on the right track.
If it removed the majority of the defects then a second pass should finish off the remnants.
If it removed almost everything, then maybe a single pass of longer duration and/or with a bit more pressure would do the trick.
If a single session with a given liquid and pad only removed a small amount of the defects, then you may need to rethink some things.
Go back over the area and try using more pressure, or work the area longer (assuming the product is still wet after a longer buffing cycle), or a combination of the two
If two or three passes are still leaving most of the defects behind, and your technique is correct, then you probably need a more aggressive liquid
If a single session with a given liquid and pad looks like it didn’t do a darn thing, and you used proper technique (pressure, speed, time) then you can safely assume you need a more aggressive liquid. It does NOT, however, mean that you need to now grab the most aggressive thing you can find!
There is another possibility, and this one can be a bit tricky. If the original defects are mostly, or completely, gone but the paint looks very hazy – or – if suddenly the paint looks much worse than before you started, you’ve probably got very delicate paint that needs a much less aggressive process than what you started with. For new users this can be a tricky thing to diagnose. Have a look at The Challenge of Delicate Paint for more info

Mr. Stoops is ambidextrous, he runs a buffer in one hand and a keyboard in the other. Sage advice given and demonstrated. Hope it helps you.

[Andrew C.]

Re: Holograms After Using UC With DA Polisher

Mr. Stoops is ambidextrous, he runs a buffer in one hand and a keyboard in the other. Sage advice given and demonstrated. Hope it helps you.

He also cleans the wheels and tires with his feet.

[wifpd4]

Re: Holograms After Using UC With DA Polisher

He also cleans the wheels and tires with his feet.

Is that ambidextrous or cross dominance? At any rate, very efficient!

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Holograms After Using UC With DA Polisher

You know, I have a T-Shirt that reads "Magic Monkey Car Wash" and it has a picture of a chimp washing a car, with the tag line "four hands are better than two". What I never realized, apparently according to you guys, is that it's not a chimp on the shirt..... it's me!

And I think I just insulted myself......

[Flash Gordon]

Re: Holograms After Using UC With DA Polisher

Stupid question, but did you clay the Ram before polishing

[USMC11]

Re: Holograms After Using UC With DA Polisher

Thanks everyone for the responses and help!

So I figured out a system. A couple of passes with the white LC and UC, and then a black LC pad with UC, and then black LC pad with swirl x is doing the trick. The results aren't flawless in direct sunlight but they're pretty good. I'm having to work by hand to remove some of the fine holograms left over which I find strange, but at least it's coming out.

[Mongoose]

Re: Holograms After Using UC With DA Polisher

I've run into this same problem on my hood. I tried upping the speed to 5 which cleared up the major defects but left me with holograms as well. I'll be stepping down to SwirlX with the yellow pad and go from there or would I be better off to try Ultimate Polish instead?

[Shawn T.]

Re: Holograms After Using UC With DA Polisher

I've run into this same problem on my hood. I tried upping the speed to 5 which cleared up the major defects but left me with holograms as well. I'll be stepping down to SwirlX with the yellow pad and go from there or would I be better off to try Ultimate Polish instead?

Just to clarify for the OP, Mongoose is referring to the W8207 yellow polishing pad. I don't want you to think that he means the very aggressive yellow lake country cutting pad.