Which product is recommended for removing swirls by hand application?

[Grizzly]

No respect! I get no respect!!

Honestly now damnit, where are all of the old-timers who remember this trick?? I am not crazy! :L

No you are not crazy. I heard it too from a funeral director that I know. It was an old chauffeurs trick. Another one he told me was for black cars was to put a little kerosene in the rinse water in the winter time to help protect the car and make it shine more when it couldn't be waxed because of the temperature.

Sorry the support came so slowly, I just don't move as fast as I used to

 

[94conv.]

does kerosene have wax properties to it?

 

[Ken]

See!! Now I've heard of that trick too! Yet nobody gives me any credence for the cornstarch thing, eh? :L

 

[wishuwerehere82]

It makes sense. A lot like using powdered ebony or walnut powder as a glazing compound. Cigar ashes make a fine furniture polish, but I wouldn't use them on a Vette unless you had a burled redwood dash. Cleanbrite made a fine product called Liquid Ebony that works wonders on swirl marks. Alas, they are no longer in business.
What the heck, try the cornstarch, it's cheap!
Oh, BTW, Kerosene smells better than Formaldehyde any day of the week in a hearse.

 

[94conv.]

I'd just be glad to smell anything if I was in a hearse

 

[wishuwerehere82]

The trick is... don't ride in the back.

 

[94conv.]

I had heard those rollers are pretty hard on your back

 

[wishuwerehere82]

I heard the "swirl marks" they leave are permanent.

 

[Aurora40]

The above is the 3M that I used perhaps it wasn't the right one or strong enough. I have not attempted to use the Merzerna Intensive or the Merzerna Power Gloss yet as my hand/finger is numb probably from using the leaf blower to dry car for over 30 minutes a month ago.

I am actually only using TWO different products and would prefer to stay with one but at this time I am experminting. So far though the two main Polishing systems I have used on two different cars are the Zaino System and the Klasse AIO and Klasse Sealant.

I like the out come of the Klasse system better as it produces a very slick,smooth slippery finish on one car. However, the Klasse Sealant is more difficult to work with compared to Zaino.

On my other car I am using Zaino and it isn't the same slippery smooth feeling but it is slippery enough to have a very very difficult time putting on a car cover. zaino is easy to put on and take off but has alot of repetitive steps unlike the Klasse AIO & Sealant as once that sealant dries it is very difficult to remove.
The other product Menzerna I will just use it for specific problems like the difficult swirls, scratches, and blemishes in paint I have on one car.
I don't think the Z-5 in the Zaino system is effective as far as filling in swirls.

I didn't order the poorboy swirl SSR 2.5 and SSR 3 removers as when I get a chance I want to see how the Menzerna polishes work.

Thanks for the info and I post my results when I use the Merzerna Intensive Polish for the difficult swirls, scratches, and onl if necessary use the Power Gloss.

That 3M product is probably close to as aggressive as you can go by hand. If you use aggressive machine polishes by hand, there's a good chance you won't be able to break them down enough or work them enough to leave a decent finish, and you might instead introduce your own marring or hazing that will be tough to correct by hand.

The product you have is claimed to be able to remove 1500 grit sanding marks. That is a fairly aggressive product. You may find the Menzerna IP is similar in cut to that (I haven't used either one, though).

What were the problems you had with the 3M product? It just didn't remove the defects? Or did it leave an uneven finish?

Anyway, you've got the Menzerna so give it a whirl. But just be aware that you probably can't correct everything by hand.

As to corn starch and kerosene, products made specifically for modern automotive paints aren't exactly expensive. And car washes with protection additives are probably less of a health risk than kerosene is.

 

[I_R_DA_ONE]

Removing swirl marks and hazing

As I inquired on another thread....I need help bad.....
I went out to wax my 86 Vette today and found that every where I started to wax I left swirl marks and hazing..ad ..the car is wet black...the paint is about 3 months old....PPG paint with clear coat.. I read most all the other threads but could not come to any conclusion....
I have a 10 1/2 inch craftsman orbital buffer but that didn't help..... I think that the marks are only in the clear coat...

Should I try the corn starch on the clear coat???? or will that cause the problem just to get worse???
What is the step by step process for removing these problems in the paint??

thanks in advance
Mike

 

[abc]

You can use fillers to cover up those swirls depending how bad they are

As I inquired on another thread....I need help bad.....
I went out to wax my 86 Vette today and found that every where I started to wax I left swirl marks and hazing..ad ..the car is wet black...the paint is about 3 months old....PPG paint with clear coat.. I read most all the other threads but could not come to any conclusion....
I have a 10 1/2 inch craftsman orbital buffer but that didn't help..... I think that the marks are only in the clear coat...

Should I try the corn starch on the clear coat???? or will that cause the problem just to get worse???
What is the step by step process for removing these problems in the paint??

thanks in advance
Mike

Such products like Poorboys SSR 1,2, 2.5 and 3 will remove them so will the Menzerna (Abrasive) using an orbital machine. How you got those swirls perhaps you need to look at what you are using to polish, wax or dry your car with. Microfiber towels have been the latest craze for not scratching paint and work excellent for drying. Zaino has Z-5 (non-abrasive) but this is a filler and will only cover up those swirls if they are minor swirls. There are a bunch of products out there on such sites as autopia.com , properautocare.com, poorboys.com, detail city now I am not sure the above are their mail addresses but those are the names of the companies that sell just about everything and good stuff excellent products that you can't get in a store. For the serious detailer. They all have useful info especially on swirls.

 

[94conv.]

I used the Zaino z-5, and I dont think I realized that its just a filler, that expains my results.

 

[Jeb]

C'mon all you old-timers, back me up! :L

I used that technique on non-clearcoat finishes a long time ago and it worked well.

I'm not sure how it would work on a modern finish.

I still use BonAmi (the cleanser) on windshields though. It cuts through the road grime nicely, doesn't scratch the glass and they comeout like brand new. Use only BonAmi, not Comet. Comet will scratch the surface.

 

[Grizzly]

I used that technique on non-clearcoat finishes a long time ago and it worked well.

I'm not sure how it would work on a modern finish.

I still use BonAmi (the cleanser) on windshields though. It cuts through the road grime nicely, doesn't scratch the glass and they comeout like brand new. Use only BonAmi, not Comet. Comet will scratch the surface.

I will second that, although I am having trouble finding BonAmi in the stores now.

 

[Ken]

Yep, BonAmi was another useful trick.

I should mention I guess, that the cornstarch trick was used on the old enamel and lacquer paints; as stated, I have never tried it on the new finishes, so I don't know if it will work.

 

[abc]

It depends on how bad the swirls are.

I used the Zaino z-5, and I dont think I realized that its just a filler, that expains my results.

If you have minor swirls there is alot out there on the market mostly internet sites that sell all good products. The other way is to remove the swirls but that may not be worth it to you or too much trouble.

 

[Aurora40]

As I inquired on another thread....I need help bad.....
I went out to wax my 86 Vette today and found that every where I started to wax I left swirl marks and hazing..ad ..the car is wet black...the paint is about 3 months old....PPG paint with clear coat.. I read most all the other threads but could not come to any conclusion....
I have a 10 1/2 inch craftsman orbital buffer but that didn't help..... I think that the marks are only in the clear coat...

Should I try the corn starch on the clear coat???? or will that cause the problem just to get worse???
What is the step by step process for removing these problems in the paint??

thanks in advance
Mike

If you are instilling swirls when you do things to the car, you need to examine carefully your technique and the tools you are using. You should not be inducing swirls while waxing your car. Make sure you have quality applicators, towels, and that they are clean and free from dirt. Make sure the surface is clean and free from dust and dirt. If you notice you are creating swirls, stop doing whatever it is that you are doing. It's not worth it to continue and have to removed those swirls later. Swirls are very easy to put in, and not very easy to take out.

Other than that, the advice on how to remove swirls on other peoples' cars is the same advice you should use. Your orbital will probably provice hand-like results, but without as much wear and tear on you. But I wouldn't expect much more than hand results from it. If I were you I would stick to products that can be used by hand. If you can't address the swirls with them, then you will probably need to step up your equipment, not just the level of abrasive you use.

 

[sleepyhead]

Ken and Cornstarch

Believe it or not, an old trick was to sprinkle cornstarch on the paint and buff it out; that will eliminate the swirl marks. I've personally never tried it, but the hobbyists trick goes back quite a ways (read: tried and true).

Well, Ken...being only 31, I can't personally back you up on that old timers technique but I can serve as a witness for you. My neighbor about 4 houses down is a retired GM Engineer in his 60's (actually worked with Dave Hill) and he was telling me about the cornstarch technique. He owns a black Z06 and isn't afraid to use cornstarch on it. Now, have I ever used it? No.

See everybody, Ken isn't crazy after all! (Well, unless my neighbor is...)

-J.

 

[Jeb]

Suggest that you find a spot on the car which is not normally a vocal point and try it. Maybe on the bottom edge of a rocker panel or on the lip of the rear end. If it works well, move on. If it doesn't.....well, let us know..

 

[richscorvettes]

C'mon all you old-timers, back me up! :L

Well Ken, being an old timer, I can attest to using cornstarch for polishing and have tried it - but only once as that was enough. :L What a mess! It didn't seem to work that well and I spent more time getting all the excess cornstarch out of all the cracks and crevices. Maybe there's something more to the technique but I've had good results using the 3M Swirl Remover (#39009) using the Porta Cable to get rid of the fine marks before waxing.

Rich Lagasse