DETAIL: swirl marks

[TKMR2]

can swirl marks be removed by hand or do I need a polisher? I'm a tech at a dealshirship so I have access to a rotary polisher but I don't feel comfortable using it.

[PearlJammzz]

Look about 3 topics up at the sticky :-p.

http://www.mr2board.com/forums/atten...holograms.html


-edit- I'd suggest reading all those articles. The ones by Phoenix are written up by this guy Anthony. I have seen his work first hand on some friend's cars. His anal attention to detail and his experience really show in his work. Read read read, good information there .

[TKMR2]

I did read them before posting that. I understand that a machine would be better, but is it possible to buff them out by hand?

[PHOENIX]

To answer your question, yes....you can do it by hand, but its a lot of work.

I learned to use a polisher from an experienced friend. I started out with a very fine compound and using the polisher very lightly till i got used to it.

I found this for you........

To operate the machine, follow these simple instructions:

Your car must be freshly washed and dry. Do not buff on a dirty finish.

Work in an area with good lighting. Overhead fluorescent or halogen lighting is best.

Remove all rings, watches, bracelets, belts and other items that will scratch your paint.

Wear an apron to protect your clothing and the paint finish.

Adjust the machine speed to 3 or 4 on the thumbwheel. This is a good starting point.

With the machine switched off, apply a small amount of polish, cleaner or wax directly to the polishing pad. There are two good methods that seem to work. Squeeze out a complete ring of product about 1 inch in from the outside of the pad, or squeeze out an 店・of product across the pad.

Dab the pad in 3-4 spots around the area to be polished, cleaned or waxed to distribute the product.

Position the polisher flat on the work surface, get a firm grip and switch it on with your thumb.

Move the polisher back and forth (east/west) in a slow, sweeping motion, overlapping each pass (by 50% of the pad width) with the previous, and then switch your pattern to up and down (north/south).

It is not necessary to apply more than a pound of pad pressure. Allow the polisher to work under its own weight.

Use a clean pad with each product. Do not mix products on a pad. If a pad is not dirty, you may store it in a Ziploc baggie for future use. Be sure to label the baggie or the pad.

If a pad becomes caked with product, use a nylon or horsehair detailing brush to clean the pad.

[MR2TuRbZ]

can you use that to polish my knob?

sorry, had to say it

[TKMR2]

thanks phoenix

[TomsMR2]

3M 06060 (perfect it extra cut) works pretty good by hand. scratchx works *ok* by hand, but i think scratchx has a bunch of fillers, so you're really just hiding the scratch instead of fixing it.

every other compound ive used by hand has had VERY marginal results. if you're worried about the buffer, dont be.. just go slow and use a very mild compound. it'll take longer with a milder compound, but its much safer. imo buffing has kinda been blown out of proportion, its not THAT hard to do it safely with a rotary. just a little common sense keeps you in the green!

[turbomr2]

I just picked up this kit from Griots Garage, I haven't done the 2 yet but I just did my M Roadster and all I can say is DAYYYUMN!! doing the mini's and the 2 next.

Here's a link to the kit:

http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog....1005&SKU=11119