Black Chevy and frustrated

[justinm66]

Hello MOL, this is my first thread post and I need your help. I have an 06 black silverado that I am trying to remove heavy swirls,scratches, and holograms. I was told to use #85 diamond cut with wool pad and then with polishing pad. Then go to #9 swirl remover with a polishing pad, which worked Ok (still some minor scratches, and holograms). So then I went to using #85 with wool then to polishing pad followed by 205 with a polishing pad. I'm still getting a hazing/ real fine scratches that won't come out. Did I jump to far from the #85 to 205? Do i need something in between to cut those more? I am using a rotary by the way. Oh i did try #85 with just a cutting pad but wasn't quite enough, that's why I went to the wool pad. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

[Murr1525]

Re: Black Chevy and frustrated

So bad scratches are gone, and you are left with fine hazing/holograms?

If so, this sounds like you may be working with too aggressive of a product/technique. Anything involving a rotary, #85, and a wool pad does sound aggressive for swirls. It may have been needed in the end, but also has a high chance of leaving more marks behind.

What sort of speeds were you working at?

So now it is just a matter of seeing if the #205+polishing pad with a rotary is too aggressive for the paint, or if the #205+polishing pad is not able to remove the haze left behind. No more #85 or wool...

Do you have anything like ColorX/#66 on hand, or SwirlX, or any hand applicators? Finishing pads?

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Black Chevy and frustrated

M85 and wool is extremely aggressive and possibly overkill for removing swirls and holograms. Still, what's done is done, so let's see if we can't help you clean up the remaining defects.

We'll echo Mat's question of "What sort of speeds were you working at?" and add to that, how much of an angle are you running the foam pad at with M205?

That first step of M85 with a wool pad is bound to leave some holograms of its own, and that's fine. It's to be expected, so it's no big deal. But cleaning up those holograms should be pretty easy, as long as you didn't put them in really deep using a very aggressive approach with the M85/wool. M205 on a foam polishing pad, with the pad held very flat to the paint and spinning at perhaps 1400 rpm or a bit less, should do the trick. You may still need to refine that a bit further with a foam finishing pad and a tool speed as low as 1000 rpm.

[justinm66]

Re: Black Chevy and frustrated

Thanks for your help guys, I really appreciate it. My buffer is numbered 10- 30 speed wise and I run it between 15-18 whatever that is(sorry). I did try swirl x and UC last night by hand and with one speed orbital, but still hazy holograms are barely visible. I run the foam pad as flat as I can but sometimes catches and kicks, sometimes the product just seems to dry out. Am i not polishing long enough? I was pretty sure I put plenty of 205 on the pad(sometimes I thought to much) but still seems like it just disappears, so I stop and haze is still there. I'm trying not to dry buff.

[Murr1525]

Re: Black Chevy and frustrated

Are you getting any black on your pads?

[justinm66]

Re: Black Chevy and frustrated

No black on my pads. I just found what the RPM range is and I'm running 1300-1500 RPM's.

[justinm66]

Re: Black Chevy and frustrated

Were you asking about black on the pads to see if i burned through the paint?

[Murr1525]

Re: Black Chevy and frustrated

No, to see if it was single stage or CC/BC. Although if know if was CC/BC, and got black on your pads, that would also be bad.

A dried up SS paint could absorb more oils, drying a product out.

But Mike knows far more about a rotary than I do, so I ma sure he will have more advise.

[justinm66]

Re: Black Chevy and frustrated

It's definitely clear coat, and pretty thick too. I'm almost tempted to just start over and wetsand it and go 101/205 and go get a DA. I think my buffer is alot of the problem. It wont go 1000 rpm and not stop or power surge up and down.

[Murr1525]

Re: Black Chevy and frustrated

No need to go backward, what is on your car now will be milder than anything from wetsanding.

I am sure Mike will encourage a milder machine also...

[justinm66]

Re: Black Chevy and frustrated

Got a better rotary and it's getting better, I just need a product with little to no cut to finish. The #205 is to aggressive so i follow up with swirl remover 2.0 and it's still just not quite there yet. Any Ideas?

[chevy]

I am currently doing a full wet and and buff on a black 05 Yukon Denali I am buffing with wool and m105 at about 1300 rpm refining with a maroon cutting pad with m105 at 1000 rpm then a couple passes with a yellow polishing pad and m205. All done via rotary polisher. That being said I'm assuming we have very similar paint. I have experienced some difficulty finishing swirl and hologram free. What has worked well for me is lower rpms. Longer working time. Slower arm speed and lotsa patience. You want to make sure to clean your pads often and use plenty of clean microfiber towels. Hope this helps.

[Selectchoice]

Re: Black Chevy and frustrated

Got a better rotary and it's getting better, I just need a product with little to no cut to finish. The #205 is to aggressive so i follow up with swirl remover 2.0 and it's still just not quite there yet. Any Ideas?

I wouldn't give up on M205, it's an amazingly versatile product.

I'd recommend dropping the rotary's rpm down as low as the machine will go, switching to a finishing pad (as opposed to the polishing pad you are currently using) and lighten up the downward pressure on the pad to no more than just the weight of the machine. Keep the pad as flat as you can on the panel and move over the panel in slow overlapping passes. The slower the speed of your passes the better.

Do a small test section of no more than 12" square and see how this works before moving around the vehicle. This process has helped me on sensitive black paint before.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Black Chevy and frustrated

I wouldn't give up on M205, it's an amazingly versatile product.

I'd recommend dropping the rotary's rpm down as low as the machine will go, switching to a finishing pad (as opposed to the polishing pad you are currently using) and lighten up the downward pressure on the pad to no more than just the weight of the machine. Keep the pad as flat as you can on the panel and move over the panel in slow overlapping passes. The slower the speed of your passes the better.

Do a small test section of no more than 12" square and see how this works before moving around the vehicle. This process has helped me on sensitive black paint before.

The above really should do the trick. Pad choice, tool speed, pad angle and arm speed are all critical to achieving a flawless finish with any product. If you find you still need something with less cut, try M03 Machine Glaze, but make darn sure you're using a foam finishing pad, very low speed on the rotary, and your pad is flat to the paint.

[justinm66]

Re: Black Chevy and frustrated

Thank you for all the help guys! I wasn't buffing long enough, so once I did it came out great! Thanks again for all the help!!