need some help from the pros
need some help from the pros ive been battling swirl marks on my bird for a while now. they are very very fine and can only be seen at certain times of the day in direct sun light and at like gas stations. my detailer thinks im crazy (it is still a good looking car) and there is nothing he can do about it. hes very hesitant to use any kind of cutting compound becuase he doesnt think it needs it. i take his word for it as i know nothing about detailing and hes been doing it for years. ive tried taking pics but the fine lines dont come out. also after a wax it looks awesome but after the first wash ill notice weird spots everywhere. they are not dried water spots and wont come off. there also not rough at all. car realy still looks nice im just VERY ****.would a clay baring help maybe? thanks for any input. and to also note im too scared to take the polisher to it my self *shuders*.
claybar wont do much for scratches or swirls. u will need a light cutting polish/compound and either a rotary or orbital(recommended if you have no experience with a rotary) polisher. the porter cable 7424 is a quality piece for just over $100 and its very hard to mess up your paint with it. look up steve with Tropicare on here and he can guide you in the right direction. Id suggest some swirl cutter from steve and some time with the porter cable. Ive been detailing cars/boats for years but its hard to explain things over the internet. good luck buddy
ya i can imagin this stuff is hard to explain. ive been wanting to get that polisher and try it out on my beater. do you recomend a certain type of fine compound? also i have decals on the TA. should i becarful around them w/ the polisher? thanks for the input Raise, im going to check out that sponsor.
corey
corey
For beginners, the Meguiares #82, 80 and 83 are the easiest to use. They all break down progressively, so u don't over-polish. #83 is a good polish, but its a little better for a rotary. Also the Megs pads are simple and beginner friendly. You would only need the yellow pad and beige one. Don't get the burgundy one with a PC.
With the stuff i recomended, your decals will be fine.
With the stuff i recomended, your decals will be fine.
thats guys for the replies. im looking into that porter cable and one of the Zaino Ultimate Protection show car kit. would those products be good for what im looking for? will the z-5 take care of the fine scratches or will it just fill them? also where do i get the megs pads? should i just order them from tropi-care when i get the PC?
thats guys for the replies. im looking into that porter cable and one of the Zaino Ultimate Protection show car kit. would those products be good for what im looking for? will the z-5 take care of the fine scratches or will it just fill them? also where do i get the megs pads? should i just order them from tropi-care when i get the PC?
thats guys for the replies. im looking into that porter cable and one of the Zaino Ultimate Protection show car kit. would those products be good for what im looking for? will the z-5 take care of the fine scratches or will it just fill them? also where do i get the megs pads? should i just order them from tropi-care when i get the PC?
And anytime you are buffing and want to Zaino the car afterwards, you must wash it or wipe it down with a 50/50 water/alcohol mix, or else the Zaino won't bond (because of the oils in the buffing compounds). If I were you, i'd get everything from Autogeek.net. Easy to find everything you need, and some stuff you didn't know you need too
then you aren't using it right. What is your technique? I get about 7 months out of my daily driver which is outside every day.
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I put it on light and heavy before and it seemed to not make a difference. When it's done, I can't see any swirls for at least a week. Week two I can usually see them a little, then after three weeks I see them more. It still has the glossy appearance, and the water beeds like crazy so the sealant is still there. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, unless I'm just really ****.
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The swirls need to be removed. Either by you, or a detailer that knows what they are doing.
Light swirls can be handled with a PC and a good swirl cutter, like Tropi-care or Meg's, or MEnzerna, just to name a few.
I would recommend you contact Steve at Tropi-care. They ahve great products, and he is a pleasure to deal with. http://www.tropi-care.com
He can talk you through what products you need, and send you a complete, ready to go package.
Even if you choose to go the Zaino route for your sealant, you will still need something that will remove the swirls and scratches, prior to using the sealant.
Light swirls like this can be easily handled by an inexperienced hobbyist with the proper tools and chemicals. Give Steve a call, he will help you out.
Light swirls can be handled with a PC and a good swirl cutter, like Tropi-care or Meg's, or MEnzerna, just to name a few.
I would recommend you contact Steve at Tropi-care. They ahve great products, and he is a pleasure to deal with. http://www.tropi-care.com
He can talk you through what products you need, and send you a complete, ready to go package.
Even if you choose to go the Zaino route for your sealant, you will still need something that will remove the swirls and scratches, prior to using the sealant.
Light swirls like this can be easily handled by an inexperienced hobbyist with the proper tools and chemicals. Give Steve a call, he will help you out.
The swirls need to be removed. Either by you, or a detailer that knows what they are doing.
Light swirls can be handled with a PC and a good swirl cutter, like Tropi-care or Meg's, or MEnzerna, just to name a few.
I would recommend you contact Steve at Tropi-care. They ahve great products, and he is a pleasure to deal with. http://www.tropi-care.com
He can talk you through what products you need, and send you a complete, ready to go package.
Even if you choose to go the Zaino route for your sealant, you will still need something that will remove the swirls and scratches, prior to using the sealant.
Light swirls like this can be easily handled by an inexperienced hobbyist with the proper tools and chemicals. Give Steve a call, he will help you out.
Light swirls can be handled with a PC and a good swirl cutter, like Tropi-care or Meg's, or MEnzerna, just to name a few.
I would recommend you contact Steve at Tropi-care. They ahve great products, and he is a pleasure to deal with. http://www.tropi-care.com
He can talk you through what products you need, and send you a complete, ready to go package.
Even if you choose to go the Zaino route for your sealant, you will still need something that will remove the swirls and scratches, prior to using the sealant.
Light swirls like this can be easily handled by an inexperienced hobbyist with the proper tools and chemicals. Give Steve a call, he will help you out.
im def going to give him a call on what to use to removing fine scratches. there are not deep by any means so i think w/ the right stuff i can get rid of them. im going to practice on my winter car though just to make sure
. thanks again guys for the help. so from what i gathered, im getting the pc, bonnets, and scratch remover from tropi-care. and getting that ultimate kit from zaino to seal it off. I do have another question about washing technique. want to try not to make any more scratches after i do all this (although i think i put the scratches there when using the NXT detail spray rubbing to hard
. when i wash i use megs wash soap (the one in the purple), sea sponge, and use an Absorber chamois. is this an alright system? i throw away the sponge after every wash even if it isnt needed. Sea Sponge! WHOA! ditch that ASAP. You never want to use a sea sponge, they have sand in there that can never be fully gotten out. Thats probably where these swirls are coming from.
Use a microfiber wash mit for washing, and microfiber towells for when you use the detail spray.
Use a microfiber wash mit for washing, and microfiber towells for when you use the detail spray.
im def going to give him a call on what to use to removing fine scratches. there are not deep by any means so i think w/ the right stuff i can get rid of them. im going to practice on my winter car though just to make sure . thanks again guys for the help. so from what i gathered, im getting the pc, bonnets, and scratch remover from tropi-care. and getting that ultimate kit from zaino to seal it off.
I do have another question about washing technique. want to try not to make any more scratches after i do all this (although i think i put the scratches there when using the NXT detail spray rubbing to hard. when i wash i use megs wash soap (the one in the purple), sea sponge, and use an Absorber chamois. is this an alright system? i throw away the sponge after every wash even if it isnt needed.
. thanks again guys for the help. so from what i gathered, im getting the pc, bonnets, and scratch remover from tropi-care. and getting that ultimate kit from zaino to seal it off. I do have another question about washing technique. want to try not to make any more scratches after i do all this (although i think i put the scratches there when using the NXT detail spray rubbing to hard
. when i wash i use megs wash soap (the one in the purple), sea sponge, and use an Absorber chamois. is this an alright system? i throw away the sponge after every wash even if it isnt needed.use a high quality car wash soap, like Meg's Gold Class.
Use a high quality lamb's wool or chenille wash mitt. sponges are an absolute no, and I am not a big fan of microfiber mitts for washing.
For Drying, start by sheeting the water off by removing the nozzle off the hose and letting the water run out and pver the paint, from top to bottom.. the sheeting action will pull most ofthe water off. Then you can blow the remaing water off with a blower and blot dry with a good quality waffle weave mifro fiber drying towel. Tropi-care has a nice one.
If you don't have a blower to use, then simply sheet the water, then blot dry with the Waffle Weave. I do not recommend an absorber or a chamois, as they have very little nap, and are much more likely to induce scratches.
You have to be careful when drying, and when using a quick detailer spray. a good majority of issues are caused by improperly doing one of those two things.
Sea Sponge! WHOA! ditch that ASAP. You never want to use a sea sponge, they have sand in there that can never be fully gotten out. Thats probably where these swirls are coming from.
Use a microfiber wash mit for washing, and microfiber towells for when you use the detail spray.
Use a microfiber wash mit for washing, and microfiber towells for when you use the detail spray.
on the drying thing. how many of those waffle cloths will i need to dry the car? and im not clear on the blotting technique. sorry if the questions are stupid. id just like to get an idea of how to do it right.
i was told its to tight of a weave for washing and that dirt has no where to go. wether or not it true, i dont know. im pumped to get the PC and the stuff you recomended. cant wait to try it out on a few test subjects. looks like tropi-care is still having a sail too.
Not enough nap, or deep enough pile for my taste .. also has a tendency to hold on to small micro particles that can casue issue for the over zealous scrubber.
one would be enough for a single car. I like to use two at a time, so I have one for each hand, in case I need to lean over to reach something.
As for blotting .. that is simply laying the towel down on the water drops, and letting it absorb them, instead of wiping in a back and forth or up and down motion. Just another way to minimize potential for marring the finish.
Originally Posted by Omec
on the drying thing. how many of those waffle cloths will i need to dry the car? and im not clear on the blotting technique. sorry if the questions are stupid. id just like to get an idea of how to do it right.
As for blotting .. that is simply laying the towel down on the water drops, and letting it absorb them, instead of wiping in a back and forth or up and down motion. Just another way to minimize potential for marring the finish.
Last edited by Gipraw; Nov 23, 2007 at 04:51 PM.
For beginners, the Meguiares #82, 80 and 83 are the easiest to use. They all break down progressively, so u don't over-polish. #83 is a good polish, but its a little better for a rotary. Also the Megs pads are simple and beginner friendly. You would only need the yellow pad and beige one. Don't get the burgundy one with a PC.
With the stuff i recomended, your decals will be fine.
With the stuff i recomended, your decals will be fine.