I'm getting ready to buff out my sons Focus. It's a black 2006 and has real bad swirl marks and some minor scuffs. Just wanted to get some opinions on what compounds to use. I've got a dewalt buffer and have tried meguires #2 followed by a glaze and then some syn wax. I have both the white and gray foam 3m pads. It turns out nice, but then buffing swirls get very obvious after a couple of washes. Any suggestions from the pros ??

 

Please check-out my sticky thread entitled "How to detail a Crossfire." Follow-up with a random orbit polisher to get the remaining swirls and holograms off. It seems that you are not using the machine properly if the swirls are remaining. I am not sure what aggressiveness those pads are either. Try polishes from Menzerna, Optimum, or Meg's. Maybe try an inbetween polish between a compound and a fine polish. I like to use Menzerna Super Intensive Polish with a light-cut orange foam pad followed by Menzerna 106FF and a Lake Country white or blue foam pad, depending on the softness of the paint I am working on.

 

I had the same problems, swirl marks, scratches from maybe a car wash machine or two, and all I could see in the sum was terrible. I always waxed by hand, but it came out the same whatever wax I used. So this time a bought some Black Magic synthetic wax. I had a orbital buffer (autozone, NAPA, etc) that went unused. This time I put on the BM and buffed the rest off. I cant say enough on how it came out. Most 95% of the scratches were gone, no swirl marks, and it looks like a very deep shine. I could'nt be happier after all these months of a bad shine. Hope this helps.

 

That sounds interesting. But, please keep in mind that a properly prepared surface that is clay barred and polished will always look better than an unprepared surface with the best wax in the world on it. Keep in mind as time goes on, the wax will wash away and swirls will reappear, whereas polishing is a permanent solution to swirl removal. Best of luck.

 

Thanks for the tips. It sounds like i'm going to have to invest in an orbital polisher.

 

Definitely pick up either a PorterCable 7424 or the Meguiar's G110. You can use the same M02 Fine Cut Cleaner with that as you did with the rotary. Slow down your arm speed over the paint and let the combination do the work. The buffer trails you're seeing now usually come from using excessive machine speed, working the pad too much on the edge, and moving the machine too quickly over the paint.

Technique is everything when it comes to machine polishing.

 

Porter Cable - Gods gift to auto detailing!
I use the PC and an orange cutting pad for swirls. Both Mothers and Meguiars offer a full step kit, my son had both, he steals my Zaino so I steal his stuff . The finishing pad I like is either the Gray or White Lake Country Pad. I think they make the orange cutting pad as well. I tried the red pad and didn't like it. By the way if you have any hazy headlight issues the cutting pad and some plastic cleaner followed by your polish of choice and a finishing pad will make them sparkle.
Pat

 

[quote=Mike-in-Orange]Definitely pick up either a PorterCable 7424 or the Meguiar's G110. You can use the same M02 Fine Cut Cleaner with that as you did with the rotary. Slow down your arm speed over the paint and let the combination do the work. The buffer trails you're seeing now usually come from using excessive machine speed, working the pad too much on the edge, and moving the machine too quickly over the paint.

Technique is everything when it comes to machine polishing.[/quote
I'm definitly not working the pad edge too much. I'll check my max buffer speed tonight and see if that is the problem.