G-100 to Remove swirls + Clarification on the pressure measurement

Tips & Techniques for using the G-100a to remove swirls and other paint defects + clarification on the pressure measurement

Products Used
Quik Clay System
G-100a
W-8006 foam polishing pad
W-9006 foam finishing pad
#83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish
#80 Speed Glaze
Meguiar's NXT Generation Tech Wax
Ultimate Wipe
Ultimate Bonnet

First wash the car thoroughly. Pay special attention to loosening and removing any dirt particles from cracks and crevices to prevent these dirt particles from being introduced onto the surface during the polishing process. After washing and drying, inspect the surface both visually for below surface defects and with the palm of your clean hand for above surface defects.

If you feel any tiny little bumps still attached to the finish after washing, proceed to clay the paint to safely remove these contaminants. After claying each panel, wipe the panel down with a quick detailer to remove any residue.

Using Painters Tape, tape-off any plastic trim or components that you don't not want to get product onto and also tape-off any edges, high points or areas with known thin paint.

Using M83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish to Remove Serious Below Surface Defects such as deep swirls, scratches and etchings in the paint

This step would be for car finishes that have been neglected and/or abused. In most cases you would want to first do a Test Spot using M80 Speed Glaze and then check your results. If M80 Speed Glazes wasn't aggressive enough then you would try something more aggressive and this would be Meguiar's M83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish.


Applying #83 Dual Action Cleaner/Polish with the G-100

• Speed Setting - 5.0
• Arm Speed - Slow Arm Speed
• Pressure - 15 to 20 pounds of pressure on the head of the polisher
• Work Area - Work a small area at a time, about 1 foot square
• Overlapping motions - Overlap each pass by 50%, move the polisher using different patterns
• Time - Work the product until the diminishing abrasives have broken down, but you haven't gone completely to a dry buff.
• Amount of product - Don't overuse product, use enough to lay down a film in the area you are working

The below diagram represents swirls and scratches evenly distributed throughout your car's finish from a horizontal point of view.

You can see that in order to remove these below surface defects you need to remove the highest areas of the paint until they are level with the lowest depths of the deepest scratches. In essence, you must remove paint.


When using the G100 Dual Action Polisher to remove defects, (This is different then merely applying a polish or a wax because you're trying to remove paint), you need to use a slow arm speed, overlap you passes by 50% and apply between 15 pounds and 20 pounds of pressure onto the head of the polisher.

To get an idea of how hard this is to push down, simply place your polisher onto an everyday bathroom scale and then press down on the head of the polisher and take note of how hard you're pushing. If you like, you can even tape some heavy plastic around the scale as you can see that I did in the below picture and actually turn the polisher on and practice pushing down as you move the polisher around. Also listen to the sound of the motor to get an idea of how it sounds at the pressure you are applying. Make sure you have someone to hold the scale in place when you do this.

15 pounds of pressure on the head of the polisher

20 pounds of pressure on the head of the polisher

Move the polisher in different directions
You also want to go in at least two different directions, for example, from where you're standing, side to side, then front to back. You can also move the polisher in a kitty/corner fashion for complete, thorough and uniform cleaning action.

Only work a small area at a time
This will vary according to the shape, curve or body line of the panel you are polishing but for example on a large flat panel, you want to stay around a 12" to 18" squared area. The point being, don't try to work to large of an area all at once or you won't remove the defects equally everywhere.

One thing to remember and that's when doing the most important step, the cleaning step, (that's the step where you're removing the swirls and scratches), don't tackle to big of an area at one time. You won't be able to effectively remove enough paint to remove the below surface defects. One of the biggest mistakes I see people make when first starting out is to try to work to large of an area during the cleaning step. Later, after you've done the work, i.e. removed the defects, you can then work larger sections at a time when applying a pure polish or a wax because at this time you're not trying to remove defects, just apply a thin coating.

To give you an idea of how large of an area to work at one time, (or a better description would be how small an area), look at the picture below, it shows two microfibers spread-out on the hood of our Pilot.

The white one is our older, M9910 Ultimate Wipe microfiber polishing cloth and the gold one is our newer Supreme Shine Microfiber. The correct size of ab area to work during the cleaning step would be the size of the Ultimate Wipe, not the size of the Supreme Shine.

The Ultimate Wipe measures approximately 16" square. Work an area about this size, smaller or a little larger depending on the shape of the panel.

Overlap your sections
When you move on to a new section, overlap into the old section for a uniform end results.
If you're applying a pure polish, or a polish/wax or a pure wax, then you can polish larger areas at a time, use a faster arm speed, use less pressure and make fewer passes because when applying these types of products you're not trying to remove paint, merely do a good job of working the product in and leaving behind a thin even coating.

This does not apply when using a cleaner/wax like ColorX on neglected paint because in this situation you're again trying to remove paint.

The point of the cleaning step is to remove the defects. Because the G100's polishing action is gentle and therefore safe, it takes time to remove small particles of paint in an effort to remove a defect, so concentrate hard at doing your best work when doing the cleaning step, don't skimp out during the step and try to rush it, your results will reflect that you didn't do a good job the first time.



Using M83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish to remove light or shallow below surface defects such as deep swirls, scratches and etchings in the paint

This step would be for car finishes that have are in pretty good shape except of light/shallow swirls, scratches and etchings.

In most cases you would want to first do a Test Spot using M80 Speed Glaze and then check your results. If M80 Speed Glazes wasn't aggressive enough then you would try something more aggressive and this would be Meguiar's M83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish. Another option would be to apply a second application of M80 Speed Glaze and work it really well and check to see if this removed the defects instead of switching to the M83.

Applying M80 Speed Glaze is also excellent for re-polishing show cars to bring them back up to show car status. M80 Speed Glaze perfectly prepares any paint for application of your choice of wax.

Here are two cars that have been re-polished using M80 Speed Glaze to remove light swirls and scratches and prepare them for display.

The Panic Parrot
This wild Pro Street 1950 Studebaker Starlight Coupe is named Panic Parrot. Owner Steve Metz Creator of Muscle Machines is famous for taking his wildest imaginations and turning them into reality! With the Panic Parrot he has created yet another wild super rod in the same legacy of the Frantic Frog. And it not only looks wild, it is wild with a fuel injected 632 cubic inch Chevrolet engine.
Sniper
"Sniper", a 1954 Plymouth Belvedere that was totally reworked and customized by Troy Trepanier features a Viper V-10 engine and modified drive-train from a GTS Coupe. Unveiled at the SEMA Show as part of Hot Rod Magazines 50 years of Hot Rodding Showcase, it has been the recipient of many design awards.
If you use M80 Speed Glaze to showcase your talents as a detailer and create a flawless, liquid wet-looking finish on your car... then you're in good company!

Applying #80 Speed Glaze with the G-100

• Speed Setting - 4.5 to 5.0
• Arm Speed - Medium Arm Speed
• Pressure - 15 to 20 pounds of pressure on the head of the polisher
• Work Area - Work a small area at a time, about 1 foot square
• Time - Work the product until the diminishing abrasives have broken down, but you haven't gone completely to a dry buff.
• Amount of product - Don't overuse product, use enough to lay down a film in the area you are working. Speed Glaze is rich in polishing oils a little bit goes a long ways

When attempting to remove light swirls and scratches from your car's finish, use between 15 and 20 pounds of pressure to the head of the polisher. After polishing at these more aggressive pressures, you can always lighten up and make a few cover-passes at 10 to 15 pounds of pressure.
For very light polishing, you need only apply between 10 and 15 pounds of pressure to the head of the polisher.

For a little more aggressive cleaning action with the M80 Speed Glaze, increase your pressure to the 18, 19 and 20 pound range.

If you decide to re-polish any panels with a second application of the M80 Speed Glaze, be sure to first remove any leftover residue first before applying fresh product. This will insure the remaining residue will not adulterate or dilute the fresh product for best results.

After you've cleaned and polished your car's paint with either one-step process, (M80 Speed Glaze), or a two step process, (M83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish followed by M80 Speed Glaze), and have wiped off any and all residue left on the finish, you are now ready to apply your favorite wax.

In the below outline, we list Meguiar's NXT Generation Tech Wax; you can however use any wax you like for this step.

Applying NXT Tech Wax with the G-100

• Speed Setting - 3.0 to 4.0
• Arm Speed - Medium Arm Speed
• Pressure - 5 to 10 pounds of pressure on the head of the polisher. You want to lightly engage the foam pad with the surface, not just float over it. This means using a few more pounds of pressure than just the weight of the machine resting on the surface.
• Work Area - You can work a much larger area when apply a wax if you have already previously cleaned and polished the finish with a cleaning and polishing step like those outlined above. For example you can apply wax to one half of the hood and then walk to the other side of the car and apply to the other half of the hood and continue to apply your wax like this as you work around the car. Apply wax to the entire car and then stop and wait for the wax to dry until it swipes clear.
• Time - Work the product long enough to make 2 to 3 passes over each square inch of the finish then move on to a new section.
• Amount of product - Don't overuse product, use enough to lay down a film in the area you are working. Thin coats are just as effective as thick coats plus they remove easier and use less product.

5 to 6 pounds of pressure for applying a wax after a dedicated cleaning and polish step

9 to 11 pounds of pressure for applying a wax if you need a little cleaning power when you're applying the wax

Removing the dried wax by hand or machine

After allowing the coating of wax to dry until it swipes clear, you are now ready to remove the wax by hand using a premium quality microfiber polishing cloth or a 100% cotton terry cloth towel. If you like however, you can also use your dual action polisher to remove the wax by using a microfiber bonnet over a clean dry pad.

Removing Polish or Wax with an Ultimate Bonnet on the G-100

• Speed Setting - 4.0 to 5.0
• Arm Speed - Medium Arm Speed
• Pressure - 15 to 20 pounds of pressure on the head of the polisher.
• Work Area - You can work panel by panel, for example, remove the wax from one half of the hood and then walk to the other side of the car and remove the wax from the other half of the hood. Repeat this to the entire car until all of the wax has been removed.

Removing a coat of NXT Tech Wax off the Panic Parrot using the G100
At this point you can call it quits or apply a second coat of wax.

Note about the pressure applied to the head of the polisher...

I've placed my hand on a scale before and often times guesstimated how hard to push down on the buffer head, but today I covered our bathroom scale with a thick plastic from a bag I cut up, taped it securely around the scale, then experimented running the polisher over the scale using the correct pad and chemical to try as best as I could to duplicate the exact thing I would do if I we're working on a real car.

I've polished out hundreds of cars using both the rotary buffer and the dual action polisher and have a pretty good feel for how much pressure to apply depending on what you want to accomplish.

To tell you the truth, I was quite surprised by the scale readings myself. I posted a range because that's truly how the dual action polisher works, it works within a range of pressure not a set number. Another factor is the condition of the paint, paint with only light swirls will only need pressure in the 15 pound range while paint with really deep swirls and harder paint will require pressure in the upper range running anywhere from 17 to 20, maybe even bumping over 20.

It was not a perfect system, but I'm confident the numbers are in the real world correct range. If you have a scale, and you have experience polishing out swirls with a dual action polisher using a foam pad like our W-8006 foam polishing pad, give it a try and compare notes.

Also when applying a wax, I found a little more than the weight of the polisher, yet enough to keep the pad flat against the finish was around the 10 pound range. For more cleaning ability, a person could apply a tad more pressure, so the range depends upon what you're trying to do.

These are all just suggestions, or course you can experiment with your car's finish and determine what works best for you.

Remember, it's not just about breaking down abrasives; it's about removing below surface defects. You remove below surface defects by removing the upper level paint that surrounds them.

Gliding the dual action polisher over a clear coat finish will not remove paint. Pushing down on the polisher, moving it slowly and the combination of time, your pad choice, chemical and oscillating action, gently and carefully abrade and remove small amounts of paint which levels the finish and thus removes the defects.

 Remember, it's not just about breaking down abrasives; it's about removing below surface defects. You remove below surface defects by removing the upper level paint that surrounds them.

Gliding the dual action polisher over a clear coat finish will not remove paint. Pushing down on the polisher, moving it slowly and the combination of time, your pad choice, chemical and oscillating action, gently and carefully abrade and remove small amounts of paint which levels the finish and thus removes the defects.

I've placed my hand on a scale before and often times guesstimated how hard to push down on the buffer head, but today I covered our bathroom scale with a thick plastic from a bag I cut up, taped it securely around the scale, then experimented running the polisher over the scale using the correct pad and chemical to try as best as I could to duplicate the exact thing I would do if I we're working on a real car.

I've polished out hundreds of cars using both the rotary buffer and the dual action polisher and have a pretty good feel for how much pressure to apply depending on what you want to accomplish. To tell you the truth, I was quite surprised by the scale readings myself. I posted a range because that's truly how the dual action polisher works, it works within a range of pressure not a set number. Another factor is the condition of the paint, paint with only light swirls will only need pressure in the 15 pound range while paint with really deep swirls and harder paint will require pressure in the upper range running anywhere from 17 to 20, maybe even bumping over 20.

It was not a perfect system, but I'm confident the numbers are in the real world correct range. If you have a scale, and you have experience polishing out swirls with a dual action polisher using a foam pad like our W-8006 foam polishing pad, give it a try and compare notes.

Also when applying a wax, I found a little more than the weight of the polisher, yet enough to keep the pad flat against the finish was around the 10 pound range. For more cleaning ability, a person could apply a tad more pressure, so the range depends upon what you're trying to do.

These are all just suggestions, or course you can experiment with your car's finish and determine what works best for you.

Exemple:So is it fair to say that the same thing might happen with my Ebony Black Sonata ? could the paint from Hyundai be part of the issue here ?....any other Sonata / Hyundai owners out there that could share their experiences ?

Every paint job and paint system will react differently, that's why it's so important to do a Test Spot in one small area with the products and process you have chosen before attempting to apply them to the entire car.

If you cannot make one small area look good with your choice of products and process, you will not be able to make the entire car look good.

Just common sense.

Also, always use the least aggressive product to get the job done. In the outline above, I mention in some cases applying and working in two applications of M80 Speed Glaze versus using the more aggressive M83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish.

For the majority of people and the majority of cars, the M80 Speed Glaze is going to be the ticket. In some cases the M83 is just too aggressive when applied with a dual action polisher and and will micro-mar the surface. In most of these cases, a lighter cleaner/polish will remove the micro-marring but what happens most of the time is the person panics and then posts their experience to a public forum.

Perform Test Spots
Use the Least Aggressive Product to get the job done
Sometimes you will be better off applying two applications, of a lighter cleaner/polish than trying to use a more aggressive product

Remember, the Professional Line is a line of product formulated for and intended for use by Professionals, when weekend warriors and serious enthusiasts decide to switch from our completely safe to use by anyone Consumer Line, please understand you, have jumped from one line to another line and the difference in products can be very dramatic and as such be aware that Professionals are people with a high skill level as they tend do work with these types of product day-in, day-out as a vocation.

In the end, in order to guarantee a completely swirl free finish on a dark colored paint in bright lights, you're going to need to re-polish each panel either by hand or with a dual action polisher to insure any swirls induced by the direct drive circular contact between your pad and the paint is removed.

That, or use a coating or two of wax to insure any remaining holograms or swirls are eliminated.

If I am using a DA, would #80 or ScratchX be ideal in removing swirls/cowebs?

ScratchX is formulated for hand application only. When it gets hot, sometimes it can become gummy on the surface and difficult to remove.

In a perfect world, we would recommend M80 Speed Glaze. If you cannot obtain M80 Speed Glaze which is the case in some other countries outside the U.S.A., then you can try the ScratchX at your own decision knowing what I've posted about it.

I've used it personally with the dual action polisher and had mixed results. Sometimes it worked great and was easy to remove, sometimes it worked great and was difficult to remove. I think the difficulty is always going to be related to the specific application circumstances such as paint type, temperature, humidity, skill level, etc.

If you do use it with a dual action polisher and it does become difficult to remove, then try misting some quick detailer onto it and then wiping it off.

M80 Speed Glaze on the other hand is pretty much bubba-proof.

(Note to self... add a blub about ScratchX to the how-to article)

Needless to say, it was a pain trying to get it off. I ended up using Quik Detailer to get it off.

I've demonstrated these techniques in front of thousands of people live as well as buffed out hundreds, if not thousands of cars in my life.

When I took the pictures of the polisher on the bathroom scale, I was drawing from real-life experience as to how hard to push down on the polisher for the most accurate information to help you get the results you're looking for.

Just to note, if you merely place the polisher on a bathroom scale and apply just a tad over the weight of the machine to insure balance and smooth operation, you'll already be around 8 lbs of pressure, this of course includes the weight of the tool, pad, backing plate and chemical.

I found it just as interesting as most people when I did the experiment.

Sursa: Mike.Phillips@Autogeek.net