How to remove swirl marks?

[belly70]

Mengz, thanks for the information.

I wonder where can I get 3M products, didn't see any available at ACE Hardware. mengz, you would suggest me to get paste compound? or any compound that has abrasive to reduce swirl marks? have you tried any brands that have brought you success?

By the way, where can I get glaze products? have you heard of the Turtlewax's paste compound?

Here is the full address and tel nos ( just came back from KL International Motor Show 2006 ) : 3M Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Bangunan 3M, No. 6 Persiaran Tropicana, 47410 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Tel : 03-78062888

 

[cclems]

munpeng, erm actually 3M car care products is like damn hard to get in malaysia, i dunno y they nvr market their product properly. i have a bottle of 3M IMPERIAL HAND GLAZE 39007 that my dad brought back from office. after this one finish i also dunno where to get again. according to my dad, 3M malaysia doesnt bring in this product.

anyways, i wouldnt suggest that u get a rubbing compound and do it urself, coz if u dunno wat u are doing, u might dmg ur clearcoat, maybe ur paint even. for me, i leave the rubbing compound and polish to my detailer, he does a fantastic job. i only use the hand applied glazes and wax on my own. i send my car for polishing like every 6 months to remove the heavy swirl marks. then in between i use the hand applied glaze on my own to eliminate the light swirl marks, then 6 months down the road, i send it for polishing again. so far, my car has nvr been required to use rubbing compound. i believe if u maintain ur cars paintjob properly, u wun need rubbing compound ler. by the way, that paste compound u mentioned, i really have no idea wat is that. its some product by turtle wax? how aggresive issit? if its aggresive then u need a rotator to do a good job and u need sumthing less aggresive to remove the swirl marks done by the compound, usually from rubbing compound then to polish. u'll need a rotator to do a good job. some glazes are applied using a rotator as well. heres a simple example: its basically like when u use a 800grit sandpaper, its very coarse rite? so after using 800grit, then u go to 1000grit, the 1000grit will remove the marks left by the 800grit and give u a smooth surface, then from 1000grit u go to 1200 which gives u an even smoother surface, then to 1500, eventually u go to the highest grit which will still leave abit of mark which is almost unnoticed. but very very very minor ones, tats when glazes come into play to fill them up. so actual detailing has to go through proper steps.

wat i would recommend u is to get ur car detailed by a detailer once to remove swirl marks and any impurities. from then onwards, it'll be easier to maintain. if u want i can intro u my detailer, he does home service, me and my dads car is done by him every 6 months. his job is just 100% fantastic, and the price is very reasonable bcoz he doesnt open a shop. so his costing is much lower. and another thing is he uses meguiar's only :) if u want, just pm me i'll give u his number.

hi mengz,
u dont mind PM me yr detailer's no. i would like to try his service. btw any special discounts if mention yr big name?!? hahaha....

 

[munpeng]

Belly70, it's really nice of you to inform me about that, thanks.

cclems, after mengz's detailer polish your car, post again to let me know the result okay? thanks. I want to know whether mengz was being honest or not (just joking, lol).

 

[mengz]

belly70, tat address u posted is 3M malaysia's address. my dad is working there, he told me 3M malaysia doesnt bring in this product.

cclems, pm-ed u his tel number. price wise tat one u discuss with him ler, i dun earn anything one. i dun wanna be involved either :) i find his service very good and just wanna share with u all. girls cannot share la :P

wah munpeng, i type so much things for u, u wanna question my honesty meh? :P jkjk.

 

[belly70]

belly70, tat address u posted is 3M malaysia's address. my dad is working there, he told me 3M malaysia doesnt bring in this product.

Are u referring to 3M IMPERIAL HAND GLAZE 39007? That one I'm not sure (maybe you are right bcoz ur dad is working there). I was just trying to help our friend to locate the 3M whereabout bcoz when I visited the 3M booth during KLIMS yesterday, they asked me to go there if I'm interested in buying 3M products.

 

[cclems]

belly70, tat address u posted is 3M malaysia's address. my dad is working there, he told me 3M malaysia doesnt bring in this product.

cclems, pm-ed u his tel number. price wise tat one u discuss with him ler, i dun earn anything one. i dun wanna be involved either :) i find his service very good and just wanna share with u all. girls cannot share la :P

wah munpeng, i type so much things for u, u wanna question my honesty meh? :P jkjk.

tks mengz... i will make sure i get good good discount. we shall the result later. my regular detailers does a good job though(also using meguiars upon request). charged rm300 for my kelisa, only lazy to send there and wait ½day like dungu.

 

[munpeng]

wah, RM 300 is quite expensive, with that you can buy 5 bottles of Featherlite and DIY, coz Featherlite is a quality product too, just that it doesn't remove swirl marks permanently, and after kena rain have to DIY again. That's why I am still 'listening' to other available alternatives, hehe.

 

[mengz]

belly70, i doubt u can purchase anything at 3M's building. coz they deal with their distributors, if u wanna buy then u need to deal with their distributors. ang moh company is like tat one ler.

munpeng, u cannot compare featherlite and a professional detailer ler. featherlite is a product....ok put it this way(no offense to focapoint). featherlite is pretty much like an all in one for normal usage. u can use it to maintain and to prevent, and slightly remove stains/oxidation. but u cannot use it to remove heavy swirl marks.

if u want to remove swirl marks then u definitely need those aggresive polishes and a rotator to remove, also not just equipment. the skill of doing it, when and where to apply pressure, speed of the rotator etc. sure u can buy ur own meguiar or 3M swirl mark removers or heavy cut polishes, but do u know how to apply them? if u dunno wat u are doing, most slightly u'll scrape ur clearcoat out :P

basically when u pay a detailer ur paying for his labour/skills. anyways not like ur gonna spend rm300 every month. its just like once annualy or maybe once every 6 months.

 

[cclems]

agreed with what mengz said.

i basically send to ppl 4-6months once to remove squirl marks depending on condition, other than that i use meguiar quik wax at home once a month and use detailing clay when washing car. i think its good enough for me. i believe what we pay is what we get, i havent try featherlite before(so no comments), but until now of all product used, i think nothing still comes close to meguiars not even auto-glm.

 

[mengz]

hehe cclems, im using meguiars NXT tech wax & 3M's paste wax, this 2 are my favourite waxes, and i wax my car twice a month at least. if i feel lazy, then i will use meguiars NXT tech wax, if im hard working and wanna burn more calories, i'll use the 3M's paste wax. both have one thing in common, no abrassive materials, just wax only. my dad was using auto-glym all the while, until i intro-ed him meguiars nxt tech wax for his car, coz its black in colour. until today he is still amazed at the results and keep asking me y nvr intro to him earlier :P

difference:
meguiars NXT tech wax - easier to apply and buff; gives a darker & more wet look shine; smoother surface.
3M's paste wax - harder to apply and buff; gives a more natural gloss; last longer; dissapates water better(water beads up more efficiently).

 

[cclems]

hehe cclems, im using meguiars NXT tech wax & 3M's paste wax, this 2 are my favourite waxes, and i wax my car twice a month at least. if i feel lazy, then i will use meguiars NXT tech wax, if im hard working and wanna burn more calories, i'll use the 3M's paste wax. both have one thing in common, no abrassive materials, just wax only. my dad was using auto-glym all the while, until i intro-ed him meguiars nxt tech wax for his car, coz its black in colour. until today he is still amazed at the results and keep asking me y nvr intro to him earlier :P

difference:
meguiars NXT tech wax - easier to apply and buff; gives a darker & more wet look shine; smoother surface.
3M's paste wax - harder to apply and buff; gives a more natural gloss; last longer; dissapates water better(water beads up more efficiently).

the NXT generation products are miracle i can say. but if u check the meguiars website, it is recommended not mix meguiars layers with other brands. the NXT tech is actually syntethic based polymer not wax(thats why water beads are different). for my experience apply day time when hot (but not directly under sun), then u to wait at least ½hour wiping the buff. u can it actually dries up and bond into yr paint.(thats why it gives a glossier look). and mengz u should buy the meguiars detailing clay, it a wonder man. use it when u wash yr car or before waxing. its totally different feel. its quite costly (about rm105 at ace hardware) but its worth it.

 

[mengz]

yeah...my detailer got show me the clay b4. how to use it? anyways i'm already spending so much time waxing my car, dun think i wanna do the detailing clay ler. im happy with the results now edi :P hehehe

 

[munpeng]

Hmmm...

mengz, you took my words a little bit seriously. I understand what you said, but rm300 is abit expensive for me, therefore I said buying 5 bottles of polish is a better solution, that's my opinion. I wasn't trying to say Featherlite is bla bla bla, but I meant you can try using rm300 for an alternative use (like buying 5 bottles of wax/polish), for a different "feel", that's what I meant. Detailer is your choice then good lar, I am not against that service, they are professionals but I ain't, it's just that I choose to but 5 bottles and polish on my own, hahaha.

Instead of detailer, I sent to my car painter to remove the swirl marks for me. Since they were the ones who painted the bonnet for me, they were willing to give free services. However, everytime they did the polishing for me, the result is temporary only. After polish for 4 times, they finally gave up and advice in not taking risks to polish again, coz it's 2K and the gloss layer would disappear if they continue doing it. Therefore, since then I prefer buying my own polish and DIY, hehe.

If your detailer can remove the swirl marks for me, then I'll try and talk to him lar, I just want the best for my paintwork :)

 

[munpeng]

cclems, the meguiar product that you are using now is efficient at removing swirl marks? or is it just for a glossier look only? if it's efficient at removing swirl marks, then I may try using it in future. You come from Puchong too? where is your detailer located?

 

[nonameNo]

you can try to use the "Turtle" brand... specifically for swirl remover type. i have used it for my old car and it work fine for me... at least it remove the swirl mark...

but caution, dont rub the same spot for too long... it will "eat" your car paint...

 

[ace79]

The best way to remove swirls is, teach OURSELVES ( yes, ourselves, u and me ) on how to wash and detail the car properly. Swirls actually comes from the way and the items that u use to wash your car. If you wash your car properly, and with the correct items, there shall be less or no swirls added ( other than the ones already on the car's panels )!

Use quality car wash solution ( with the correct soap to water ratio ), clean wash mitts or wash foams, the 2 bucket method, and rinsing each panel immediately after washing.

I think you guys will ask : what's the two bucket method? One bucket is with soap solution + water, the other with plain water only. After finished washing each panel, rinse the soap off. Dip the wash mitt ( or foam ) immediately into the bucket no.2 ( the one with plain clear water only ) a few times to help dislodge the dirt embedded in the wash mitt / foam. The take out the wash mitt / foam and wring the water out OUTSIDE either buckets. Then dip the wash mitt / foam back into bucket no.1 and wash another panel. Do it again and again.

Remember : the dirt embedded in the wash mitt / foam is the ones that's 'drawing' the swirls onto the body. That's why you should do the 2 bucket method, to reduce swirls.

Do not send your car over to paintshops for polishing work too often! The best way is always to do the steps above, and ALWAYS put a layer of protection ( wax, synthetic sealant, carnauba wax etc ) to protect the car's paintwork. You can never have the car 100% free of swirls, but you can always redue 'em to an acceptable level ( how far, that's up to you ).

 

[ace79]

And NO, no wax in the world can remove swirls, they only fill in the gaps! Only by doing proper work ( with Scratch X ), protecting them ( with a good wax of your choice! Remember, our country is very hot and humid, most waxes only last up to a month or so, and then you have to re-wax the car again ), and always wash and detail your car properly and OFTEN!

 

[cclems]

cclems, the meguiar product that you are using now is efficient at removing swirl marks? or is it just for a glossier look only? if it's efficient at removing swirl marks, then I may try using it in future. You come from Puchong too? where is your detailer located?

mupeng,
that guy uses meguiars diamond cut, yes and it removes swirl marks effectively. he actually proved to me that no swirl marks before applying any further wax coat. yes im from puchong, detailers is located in puchong utama.

 

[munpeng]

Ok, I got it cclems. Diamond cut... hmm, didn't notice it when I last visited ACE hardware.

ace79, thanks for telling. But I already know what caused the swirl marks, that's why I have always taken care of my paintwork cautiously, like you do. However, the thing is, a brand new car already has the swirls on it, that's true. Even my mother's brand new mini cooper also has swirls all over it, when she just got the car on the very 1st day. Therefore, it's either the manufacturer didn't polish in a correct way, or some guys from Auto Bavaria keep wiping it to "maintain" the car's look. Maybe the workers from Auto Bavaria, their services are top class, the sales girl said the workers wipe the cars once in a while after rain, so in my opinion, it's the workers who might be careless in causing majority of the swirl marks on the brand new cars, even the brand new Civic also got, sayang sekali.....

well said ace79, people who visit this thread will thank you for informing, hehe :)

 

[mengz]

munpeng, i think u misinterpreted wat im trying to say. yes, u can have ur choice of buying 5 bottles of polish and diy urself, its ur choice, ur call. im just giving u suggestions thats all. and do u know why ur painter cant get the job done? bcoz car painters are painters, not detaliers. even my car painter admits he cannot do a betterjob than a detailer. u wanna know the reason y? bcoz they only use rubbing compound after applying paint and clearcoat. u'll see its all shinny and smooth etc. but after u wash ur car, u'll see the swirl marks again, bcoz they didnt use a less aggressive polish after tat to remove the swirls marks that the rubbing compound produced. did ur painter polish ur car for 4 times in a row, each time from an aggressive polish to a less aggressive polish? i bet he didnt, heck my painter didnt either. but my detailer did, he went from polish, to a less aggressive polish, then to glaze, then wax. im pretty sure cclems's detailer did the same thing too. infact, all professional detailers out there do the same thing too.

i think u really need to understand the concept. i already posted on my previous post on how the proper steps shud be. i know all of us here wants the very best for our car, so im here to share what i know and wat i've read and analyse from other forums where experience ppl share their info's.

p/s: what ace79 say is true, do not send ur car to painters for polishing. u know y painters always tell u cannot polish ur car too much? bcoz their using the wrong product. car painters uses very aggressive compound to remove impurities on ur paint bcoz its fast and easy, but it scrapes alot of ur clearcoat out. anyways, i think i've shared whatever i know abt swirl marks and protecting paintworks already. hope it helped u munpeng. cheers