or so it's going to seem to many of you. What causes "swirl marks" in the paint? I clay barred my car for the first time last night and was amazed at all the CRUD it picked up. I'd always thought my paint was in great shape but now it feels so much smoother. So today I put on two coats of turtle wax "Ice" wax and as I was applying it...in little circular motions...I started wondering if this is what causes swirls. When I buffed it off with my new "microfiber" towel I used straight rubbing motions along the length of the car front to back to hopefull avoid making any more.

astepup said that

 

I always wax back and forth but i go this route...

Step one once a year use The Bar!

Step two once a year polish let set a month do again.

Step three Use a quick wax weekly takes 10 mins Last afew months but i still do weekly works great!



End results you tell me..

 

I believe your wondering is correct.
I've read in a book on detailing that circular polishing tends to leave swirl marks so you should always polish with the flow of the car's lines to minimize polish marks.

BTW, first time I used clay bar I too was amazed at the resultant smoothness...

 

As I am not familiar with the product you are using I can not expound further on this product.

I have found that most of the newer products out advise / instruct you to use a side to side & up and down motion when applying and removing their product. I can honestly say that I have not used the small circlular applying method in years. But, you are off to a great start by claying the car...it really makes all the difference in the world. I only use polish now, and have shy'ed away from the waxes. But, my cars do not see any bad or poor weather conditions. If, they were daily drivers that would be a different case. JMO

PS...check out "The Junkman" video's on the Adams Car Care site and or here on the CF http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion-10/


Stay in tune....

 

When your GF wears panties instead of a G-string.

 

I've been told the best method is front to back strokes on the top surfaces, up and down on the sides. Any marks then tend to blend in better.

Mine gets waxed every three years or so. The rest of the time I just follow up the wash with detailing spray.

 

I really love the blue vettes

I use mothers,it doesnt bead very long,Im gona try something else

 

The instructions on meguiars says to apply it in circular motions.

I believe the swirls are caused by a number of things to include,

wrong type of rags

particles getting caught in the rags and/or buffing pads.

too much pressure

too little pressure

there is an art to it for sure

 

Bottom line- the swirls are caused by incorrect washing (dirt in the sponge) and using cheap fabrics to wipe/dry or apply/remove wax. Buffing machines with the wrong and/or old pads also cause swirls. If you use a buffer, use a quality one, use it once and throw it away. They're $10 for a decent one, and once you read below, you'll try to never have to 'cut' again.

Be sure to look at post #4 and watch those videos. I've watched them, bought and used the products, and it works. Briefly:

1) clay bar is only step #1. It does not remove swirls and fine scratches. It removes the microscopic grit in your clear coat that continues to add to the swirls and scratches.

2.) You have to use a buffer with a 'swirl and haze' remover in 1' squares. Working in 'S' turns and always finishing from front to back of the car (including the sides).

3) then you use a liquid 'machine polish' doing the same work.

You can look at your paint with a Halogen light and see the swirls, and then again with them gone.

Basically, you are 'cutting' into your clear coat to remove the fine scratches.

To maintain in the future, use the 2 bucket wash system.

Don't use cheap microfibre towels/rags. If they have a tag and cost a couple bucks, they are cheap and will scratch.

Watch the videos if you want to learn more.

 

I thought swirl marks were caused by contaminated towels... I use microfiber towels only and whip them every few strokes to get any debris off. I am super careful always checking and feeling for any roughness on the towel...

 

 

I've got to agree with Blue 92. I've been doing it that way for years and they all look great. Really big soft 100% cotton bath towels in white only with no border or designs are great for removing the polish or wax. Fieldcrest Cannon was what I was buying. My wife said they were softer than her bath towels. No sense of humor sometimes.

 

Ok, polish is a super fine abrasive. When you polish a car, you actually remove a micro layer of surface to expose a better surface underneath. Most swirl marks seen on cars is from a machine polisher. After paint, or when you take it for a professional detail, you usually use a three step process.

First is a coarse grit cutting compound. You apply this with a wool cutting pad. The swirl marks will be unbelievable, but the surface will be super flat. The next two steps are to remove the swirl marks you just created.

The second step is a medium grit polish with a new wool cutting pad.

The last step is a micro polish with a 2" thick foam "finesse" pad. This will take all of the swirl marks out and leave a mirror finish.

If swirl marks are present, someone got lazy, period.

Here's the raw paint job, orange peal finish and all......



.....and here's after two days of color sanding and polishing.......

 

I promise you, 90% of the time, it's from incorrect washing. Every try 'hosing' off your car, only to have dirt still on there? So, you take a sponge with some soap and start swirling it around, then hosing it off. The first wipe with the sponge/rag, whatever your using , and it's now full of the dirt you cleaned off. If you don't fully rinse out that sponge before dipping it back in the soap bucket, you now have micro-sandpaper cleaning the next area of your car creating swirls and fine scratches. Proper cleaning technique will help alot.

 

And thats why it takes me an hour or two to wash the Vette. Add another 3hrs to wax and hopefully I havent scratched the paint