Poor polishing techniques, abrasive carwash brushes, contaminated wash mitts, and low quality towels are the common culprits for creation of paint holograms also known as micro-marring.
Holograms have that distinctive three dimensional look in the paint finish when exposed to direct sunlight. They are swirl marks amplified and they can rob the beauty of any paint finish.
As we say, everything is fixable and in this case not only can it be fixed but you can do it yourself with limited expertise.
For this project, we're going to use Detailers Finest newest line of polishes. To achieve the desired finish, we will go from most abrasive polish and work our way down to the least abrasive slowly eliminating the paint imperfections while simultaneously enhancing the condition and appearance of the paint finish.
Finally, we will seal the finish with Detailers Finest Heritage Sealant Wax - an advanced polymer sealant wax for months of protection and amazing gloss.
Let's get started!
What You'll Need:
- Detailers Finest CUT Compound
- Detailers Finest POLISH
- Detailers Finest Heritage Sealant Wax (Optional but recommended)
- DA Polishing Machine (We're using the Rupes BigFoot polisher in this project)
- Quality foam polishing pads including: a cutting pad, polishing pad and a finishing pad
- nextzett Microfiber Towel
Solution
Step 1
The paint should be washed and dried before working on it. Read how to correctly wash and dry your car.
Step 2
Using DF's CUT compound and the yellow cutting pad, polish an area about 3 sq ft using the highest speed setting with your DA polisher (in the case of the Rupes, this is speed 6). You might need to polish the area several times depending on how severe the holograms are.
Use medium pressure allowing the polish and machine to do all the work. Applying excessive downward pressure is not only counter productive but can cause paint damage.
Polish in a slow and steady up and down motion overlapping each pass.
Continue to polish until the polish nearly disappears. Wipe with a microfiber towel and inspect the area. If you are working in an enclosed area like a garage, utilize a direct light to see if holograms still exist. A sure way to know is by taking the car into direct sunlight.
Keep in mind that after using CUT, the paint will not be completely swirl free. That's where the next step come in.
Step 3
Next, we need to polish out the micro swirls left behind by CUT. Yes, that's right. Abrasive polishes like CUT remove the big scratches and swirls but leave behind very fine swirls we call "micro marring".
Using, DF's POLISH, we're going to remove the micro marring and give the paint a deeper, more refined finish.
Now polish the surface with the green polishing pad and POLISH on speed 5-6. Again, several passes might be necessary to achieve results. Remember to take your time. Work the polish in slowly applying medium pressure. Let the polish do the work!
After application, you're paint finish should be swirl free and definitely hologram free. Inspect your work under a high intense light or under sunlight. Upon confirming that the finish is complete, we'll move on to the next step which is optional but highly recommended. If you're not ready, continue polishing the surface until you get the desired results.
Step 4
For maximum protection, we recommended applying a coat of DF Heritage Sealant Wax either by hand or on speed 1-2 with the black finishing pad. Heritage Sealant Wax will give your paint finish the highest protection possible for a product that isn't SiO2 or ceramic based.
If you have any questions, contact us!