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Removing Swirl Marks Tools & Techniques you need to erase them.
First a little education:
Before you become successful at eliminating paint swirls, or "mico mirring", you need to understand what goes into the paint finish. There are many differences in the paints you encounter. These variations determine the severity of swirls in paint and the process required to remove them. The first step is to identify if the paint film is the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) finish applied by the auto manufacturer, or has it been refinished by a body shop or other aftermarket painter. OEM: There are differences in the paints used by manufacturers, some use 1k (one component) urethanes on all models, while others use 1k on some models and 2k (two components) on others. The test in systems for today's 1k and 2k OEM clearcoats is usually a melamine/acrylic system. This is also referred to as polurethane enamels. Regardless of components, both systems are subject to etching, scratching, chipping and swirls. Paint Finishes: Here is all the data you need on paint finishes: Finding information about the thickness of paint finishes from both vehicle manufacturers and paint suppliers can be tricky with the answers varying as much as the vehicles do. The base coat and clearcoat thickness can effect the way that you work on a particular vehicle. Below is what two of the major paint manufacturers had to say about paint finishes for the car manufacturers they supply. Then I will outline what the manufacturers actually use. PPG: Clearcoat 2 mils thick
Basecoat .6-1.5 mils thick depending on the color of the car.
Single stage 2-3 mils thick (primary process used for many red, white and black cars) PPG does not recommend a particular type of wax to use on its paint finishes, although it does recommend not to wax within 60 days of the cars purchase date. PPG recommends following the washing procedures described in the owners manual for that particular car. PPG is the major paint supplier to virtually all of the major manufacturers including Ford, GM, Nissan, Chrysler and Toyota. Product may vary by plant and location Dupont: Clearcoat 1 - 1.5 mils thick
Basecoat and Clearcoat combined 3-4.5 mils thick
Single stage 3-3.5 mils thick. Dupont recommends waiting 90 days before waxing a new vehicle and does not recommend a specific process or regime for caring for the finish.
The average clearcoat on a car is around 2 mils thick. It is highly recommend to follow the washing and car of the finsih of the car in other articles we have written as these are tested for that finish.
Let's get a little more specific on finishes as it relates to Nissan's:
Total thickness: The maximum is 5-6 mils, but some finishes might be as low as 3.75 - 4.5 mils. These thickness ranges account for monocoats and base/clearcoats. Pearls, or three coat process: 6-7 mils. This process includes a base, pearl and clearcoat. A base rule to follow for Nissan vehicles is that each coat - including the e-coat, primer, base and clearcoat is 1.25 mils thick. Horizontal surfaces such as the hood and roof are a little thicker than the vertical surfaces including sides. Although Nissan advises that when using wet sand, DO NOT remove more than .5 mils. Nissan uses several paint manufacturers including Akzo-Nobel (Europe), BASF, Sherwin-Williams, DuPont, Herbert's, ICI (Europe), PPG and the only paint we use in our shop Spies Hecker. Only some cars made for Europe used Spies Hecker.. Now that we are educated a little, lets move forward to the problem of swirl marks. I bet you though I would never get there. At least I did not go through each manufacturer. Refinished Paints: Collision repair centers select the brand and quality of the refinish material based on many criteria such as recognition, service, industry preference and cost. We personally only use Spies Hecker as it is in our estimation the finest paint known. Most major paint companies offer their lines under more than one brand name. They have their premium line, constructed of better resin systems and pigments. The lower priced line is not chemically constructed the same way as the cost of raw materials dictates the final selling price. Part of the difference between a good shop and an excellent shop. These refinish materials are at the mercy of the painter - the collision repair center (body shop) must get the vehicles in and out quickly in order to make a sizable profit. Custom (concourse shops) charge more, use better products and processes and work on quality not quantity. The painter may also elect to add additional accelerator (hardener), change to a faster or slower dry thinner or increase the heat for curing in the booth. These are all tricks to increase volume. Finally - THE MAJOR QUESTION AT HAND - "What causes swirl marks? How do I remove them, especially on dark cars?" Swirl marks are caused by micro scratches on the finish, often caused by the use of bad hand or buffer techniques with the wrong type of polishing pad and/or wax polish. Hand application that appears to leave swirl marks are often faulty washings, drying towels and/or techniques. Other causes are applications of an inferior wax and polish. The First step in removing swirl marks is having the proper equipment. Your equipment should include tools to diagnose as well as perform the work. The two most important diagnosis tools are a 30X lighted magnifier and a paint thickness gauge. If you had remembered in the earlier part of this article, paint thickness should not be removed beyond 3/10 mil or 1/1000th of an inch. Chemicals: You should know too, that swirl mark removers fall in to categories - (I) eliminators and (ii) fillers. Eliminators have light abrasives that break down and will eliminate the swirls. The filler is just that, it only fills swirl marks. After a few car washes, the swirls will be visible again. Modern compounds utilize new families of abrasives whose particles continually break down as you buff. These products will not work satisfactorily if you attempt to use them with a buffer above 1700 RPM. They will break down too quickly and go to a polishing size particle. If you have never used a buffer - do not attempt to try removal until you gain experience and stay with hand removal only. Some paint finishes will only gain it's best potential with hand techniques. Polish or Light Scratch / Swirl Remover: This category creates even more confusion. When choosing the correct product. This includes the pad and or cloth used. Some consider "glazes" a polish, but they simply create an optical illusion by covering up paint blemishes. They simply wash off and then leave the imperfections for all to see.. Other glazes (advertised as show glazes) used the morning of the car show is gone by the end of the day. This is caused by UV rays and evaporation. Using this definition to select your polishes and/or swirl removers will save a great deal of confusion, time and provide clarity to you. Most professional detail chemical companies have a product that you can use as a polish or a swirl remover. Therefore, in an effort to reduce the never ending line of retail products, it is in your best interest to use a commercial grade product that is not multi-purpose. An example of a multi-purpose product is a polish/wax or cleaner/wax. Equipment: If you are not experienced with machines or new at detailing to a show level, ask for help before using this type of device on your car. You can burn the finish. Keep in mind that anytime you use a high speed buffer with a wool cutting pad and a compound you will put swirl in the paint finish. Swirls put in with a high speed buffer should be removed with a high speed buffer. This becomes a never ending battle. The use of an orbital buffer with good techniques is good BUT on fine paint finishes and on
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