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    Avoiding swirls at all costs

    i'm almost 100% sure that all swirls, spider webbing, ect comes from washing and drying. it's amazing how easy it is to put swirls in your paint.

    sometimes the hardest part about swirls is figuring out what your doing wrong.

    here are some tips on avoiding swirls.

    first rinse the first thing you want to do is give the car a thorough rinse with water. this washes away the larger dirt particles.

    two bucket method one for suds and one for rinse. one bucket will have a soap/water solution in it for washing, the other will have plain water for rinsing the wash mitt.
    it also doesn't hurt to have a grit guard in the rinse bucket. here's what it looks like. you can rub your mitt on it when it's in the rinse bucket.


    wash mitt most people that detail use a sheepskin mitt as do i. they work better than any sponge because their ''pile'' gets into crevices well and they're soft and trap dirt better.

    rinsing after washing after you wash, do a final rinse. this is important for two reasons. wind can blow debris and dirt on panels you've already washed......more so when the season's change and stuff falls out of trees. secondly, the rinsing helps promote sheeting action from the water, which makes the drying process easier.

    drying use a high quality, lint-free micro fiber drying towel.
    don't use a chamios, they can make swirls.

    use the pat dry method. it's taking a drying towel and with two hands doing a "pressing and lifting" motion. this prevents you from rubbing/wiping the paint's surface.
    i also use a leaf blower to blow as much of the water away and out of cracks as i can. don't use a gas blower, they can spit oil.

    towel and mitt care wash your towels after use and keep the lint free towels seperate from the regular towels. don't use fabric softener. after you've cleaned your towels and mitt, inspect them for debris and ''slivers''.

    if you have swirls and want to get rid of them, the basic steps are clay, polish, sealer and glaze, and wax to protect.
    here is a thread discussing swirl removal
    great artical on orbital buffer use with before/after pics

    here is some before and after. 10+ years of defects and swirls removed with an orbital buffer and polish. i used this touch up paint blob as a reference point.


    after

    later.
    Last edited by TypeG; 10-10-2008, 01:32 AM.
    Avoiding dirt at all costs


    #2
    GREAT writeup dude. I wish i had patience and nice paint to do this.

    Comment


      #3
      leafblower ftw!
      uh... if by overboosted you mean "right the fuck on" then, sure, it is.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by Maple50175
        I wish i had patience and nice paint to do this.
        i wish that i could see your car in person and mess with the paint. i bet the worst parts of your car are the hood, top, and trunk. later.
        Avoiding dirt at all costs

        Comment


          #5
          Good Info Brian thanks

          Comment


            #6
            I thought I was the only one who used the leaf blower method. Cool.

            Comment


              #7
              I now follow all of the above (esp. with fresh paint). TypeG, does that grit guard really work for you? That's the only thing I haven't tried.

              Just make sure you use a separate leaf blower (or that its very clean) before using on your car. You don't want to project twigs, trimmings, etc onto the paint at a high speed.
              '92 Accord LX Sedan--Bordeaux Red Pearl --OEM--279k Daily Driver
              EX Lip & Alpine OEM single CD Player. No more useless pocket!

              Comment


                #8
                yes, the grit guard does work. you rub the mitt on it and the dirt falls to the bottom of the bucket. i rinse my mitt everytime i do a couple of panels, then put in the bucket. the dirt that it gets off usually is like a very fine silt. later.
                Avoiding dirt at all costs

                Comment


                  #9
                  Very cool, I should use this info to my advantage.

                  1992 Honda Accord Coupe LX

                  Comment


                    #10
                    because of you, i have learned about and become so aware of paint and finish care. understanding finishes and knowing what cut polish to use, how to care for other finishes, etc is SO useful and usually makes the difference between a dull daily driver and a crisp, shiny car.


                    - 1993 Accord LX - White sedan (sold)
                    - 1993 Accord EX - White sedan (wrecked)
                    - 1991 Accord EX - White sedan (sold)
                    - 1990 Accord EX - Grey sedan (sold)
                    - 1993 Accord EX - White sedan (sold)
                    - 1992 Accord EX - White coupe (sold)
                    - 1993 Accord EX - Grey coupe (stolen)
                    - 1993 Accord SE - Gold coupe (sold)
                    Current cars:
                    - 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Wagon - Daily driver
                    - 2004 Chevrolet Express AWD - Camper conversion

                    Comment


                      #11
                      i'm glad to have stirred notions in your noodle.

                      you're right it is useful to know about different surfaces and finishes because it becomes handy in many situations. like if someone gives away something they think is old and worn out, then you have the knowledge to turn trash into treasure. later.
                      Avoiding dirt at all costs

                      Comment


                        #12
                        TypeG for detailing king. I am now going to find a microfiber towel and use 2 buckets for washing. Probably won't do the leafblower method because I don't have one.

                        ^^ Clicky for Members Ride! ^^

                        Comment


                          #13
                          is that grit guard a mail-order only item?
                          '92 Accord LX Sedan--Bordeaux Red Pearl --OEM--279k Daily Driver
                          EX Lip & Alpine OEM single CD Player. No more useless pocket!

                          Comment


                            #14
                            it could be i guess. your location is probably a factor. i got mine locally. later.
                            Avoiding dirt at all costs

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Ok, thanks for the info. I'll keep an eye out for it in auto parts stores and dept. stores first.
                              '92 Accord LX Sedan--Bordeaux Red Pearl --OEM--279k Daily Driver
                              EX Lip & Alpine OEM single CD Player. No more useless pocket!

                              Comment

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