I need someone with some experience to help me with this problem...

I used to buff out cars for a detail shop, and there I used a 7" dewalt circular buffer with a foam pad that ran at 1450 rpm, or there about.

I picked up a 6" craftsman a while ago and it didn't have the velcro so a foam pad wasn't an option...

Anyway, I buffed out my truck (silver) and everything is fine...

Today I buffed out a buddy's red volkswagen jetta that had scratches ALL OVER it and it did a really good job...the scratches came out very nicely. I used the foam pad for the buffer to take off the compound (this was the stuff in the middle of the spectrum -- it was glaze, just said it would remove minor scratches, nothing too gritty). Then I finished it up (with a finishing pad) with some carnuba wax...

Anyway, it looked perfect, the paint looked wet and not a scratch in it...as soon as he pulled it out in the direct sun light, you could see all the buffing lines in it (they weren't swirls, just the lines, and you could basically follow the pattern that I used to buff up, over, down, over, up, etc).

The lines would move with you when you walked if that makes sense.

Anyway, did I screw this guy's paint up? He's really particular with his car.

Like I said, I have experience, but it was with different equipment and different chemicals...I mean worst case scenerio I'm out about $40 to take it to a place and have them buff it out (including refunding him my fee for doing it in the first place).

Thanks, any help is welcome...

 

Man the more I read on the internet, the more I think I messed this guy's paint up. I guess they are swirl marks, as a few sites say they're like the hollogram lines that move as you move your head left and right.

Maybe it's the pad that was the culprit here...not sure if I should go get some velcro and a good foam pad or just send the car to a pro.

 

Just use 3M Perfect-it 3000 swirl mark remover and a black foam pad and they will go away. Hand glaze when you are done.

 

we used a mikata grinder back in the day with a buffer/polisher pad that you could thread onto it.

 

if you ended up with red on the pad then i would worry.

 

No, no red on the pad lol. I have a nice foam pad but no way to attach it. I guess I could try to use some velcro from a craft store or something. Oh well I'll try again tomorrow and let you all know what happens.

 

its really easy to swirl the paint with a buffer..... i have a buffer its the only one i've every used but i put a terry cloth bonnet over the foam pad . I switch bonnets maybe 1 time during wax application. Sometimes i remove the wax with the buffer or sometimes by hand ...... the most important things is don't apply pressure ... let the rpms do the work .

I have a silver truck too and the buffer works great on it cuz you can't see the swirls .it also works great on white .

It seems that most dark colored cars end up with swirl marks but that can easily happen waxing by hand too . I found out the hard way on my moms burgundy corvette.

i'd try the 3M swirl remover mentioned above and clean terry cloth.

 

NEVER apply wax with a buffer. You should always put wax on by hand. High speed buffers are only for removing scratches and oxidation. I use a buffer everyday and know these things first hand.

If you want REAL results:

First- use a WOOL pad at about 2000 RPM's with 3M Perfect-it 3000 Rubbing compound till what you're trying to remove is gone (EVEN IN THE SUN).



Second- use a black FOAM 3M perfect-it 3000 pad and 3M Perfect-it 3000 swirl mark remover

Third- use any of your favorite wax and put it on by hand.

If you want to just make a car shine nice skip step 1 and go right to a polish and maybe use a more aggressive foam pad like a yellow Maguires one. (this is what most detail shops do to get a nice shine)

 

ok ... the car is perfect now...looks like the paint is wet.

I found some articles over at meguires and picked up some Scratch-X and used my DA on it...worked perfectly and followed that up with some gold class wax by hand.

 

I buffed my dads red truck and when its out in the sun, you see all kind of swirl marks. It was a major improvement though.......the truck was painted about 8 years ago, and sits out in the sun during the day, and had oxidation, and stuff from the air on it. I used evercoat compound (for 1500-2500 grit scratches), and it didn't scratch the clearcoat at all, just made the paint nice and deep......i've used it on fresh paint, and it will dull it up pretty good. I still need to go back and get rid of the swirls.

 

I found this pic while searching through the articles...anyway, this is pretty close to how it looked in direct sun. After finishing it up though, they're completely gone and the paint looks like new.

 

ya i need to buff my hood.... what would that cost to have a shop buff my hood?

 

i bought a 7 inch orbital buffer from craftsman and i love it..it works so well just put all ur wax on and when ur done doin that it is time to take it off. then go over it with a microfiber cloth to get all the dust off then go over it with the polishing bonnet and it looks better than new

 

Get yourself a bottle of Mirror Glaze #9 and do it by hand. It should take care of the buffer marks.