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The swirls don't look bad but it looks like you definitely put some holograms in it. It depends on how critical you are about the condition of the paint but I would certainly wait until you get a proper DA to do the job correctly. I know it's hard to live with the swirls but when you do black with the right polish/pad/machine combo it will look like glass ! I wish you were a little closer, I'd polish it up for you.
The swirls don't look bad but it looks like you definitely put some holograms in it. It depends on how critical you are about the condition of the paint but I would certainly wait until you get a proper DA to do the job correctly. I know it's hard to live with the swirls but when you do black with the right polish/pad/machine combo it will look like glass ! I wish you were a little closer, I'd polish it up for you.
This is the hood of my Vette..
Holy crap man that is impressive!! yeah I guess I noticed the holograms when I had it under the sun yesterday but only from certain angles. I'm hoping I'll be able to take those out eventually once I get a real DA but for now I'm happy with the results. Like I said this was my first attempt at a detail ... I know I didn't really use the right tools for the job ... but being unemployed at the moment couldn't really afford a proper polisher or pads.
Finally got me a real buffer. Polished up my tank again the other day. No more holograms
For anyone who's interested I used Blackfire gloss enhancing polish on a 4 inch lake country cyan hydrotech pad. Topped it off with two coats of wax. Now the gloss enhancing polish does contain fillers that hide shallow defects so I'm not sure how long it will be before the fillers fade away and the swirls return .. but for now she looks good!!
So if anyone else reading this thread was contemplating using a drill to polish their tins ... don't do it
I spent a couple years as a detailer at a local body shop during college...basically I never used orbital, just a standard buffer. We used 3M products excusively. They were very effective, but it does take some practice to get the procedure down pat.
To get the best result, TAKE YOUR TIME!!!
You can start by wet sanding the surface with 1200-1500 wet sandpaper. That gives you a consistant starting point and can remove any scratches. If you're just trying to get rid of swirl marks, you don't have to sand it first.
(the 3M products that I used, use a combination of heat and chemical to work...NEVER NEVER NEVER stop moving the buffer or apply pressure)
Step 1: Using a wool pad, apply Super Duty Rubbing Compound 05954 liberaly and buff at medium speed until compound is worked in completely ... wipe off any remaining residue with a clean cloth
Step 2: Using a wool pad, apply Finness-It -05928 liberaly and buff at a medium-high speed until worked in completely ... wipe off any remaining residue with a clean cloth
continued...
Last edited by 88XLH_DLX; Dec 5, 2012 at 02:47 PM.
...continued
Step 3: Using a foam pad, apply Perfect-It -05996 liberaly and buff at a high speed...be sure to keep the pad wet (this is the one that will burn thru quickly if you eff-up) wipe off any residue with a clean cloth
Step 4: Using a microfiber cloth, apply Imperial Hand Glaze -05990 rub by hand until all the chemical disappears. then wipe over with a clean dry microfiber cloth.
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that is the full process...once i had that perfected, i learned how to manipulate it to fit the condition at hand. starting with step 2 or 3 would be fine for swirl marks...the thing is, these chemicals are not cheap, probably around $100 for the 4 chemicals if you buy small bottles, but they will last a long time. It will give you the best possible result. I know from experience...i took the time to do all this to my car when i worked at the shop. The paint was over 10 years old and sat outside all the time...it looked as good as a new paint job.
Last edited by 88XLH_DLX; Dec 5, 2012 at 02:48 PM.
Well you have done it prefectly. Its looking greaat like the reflectin mirrors. Thanks for sharing you brilliant work with us. Can you please post some more photos of your bike. I wanna see the complete bike .Thanks
Last edited by Alexander077; Sep 17, 2014 at 01:27 AM.
Well you have done it prefectly. Its looking greaat like the reflectin mirrors. Thanks for sharing you brilliant work with us. Can you please post some more photos of your bike. I wanna see the complete bike .Thanks
Thank you . Really dont have many photos of my bike so these will have to do.
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