# What am i doing wrong



## ravg99 (Jan 9, 2014)

Hi guys

I attempted to DA my mums cars today after a good clean and clay. I used a das 6 with AF revitalise kit. I follwed the instructions. Pea size drops. Speed 5. Overlapping and pressure was ok too. When I looked after in the light all the swirls where still there. Only thing that happened was a shiny bonnet. 

What am i doing wrong. Really annoyed as i dont know what to do on where to go from here

Please help me guys

Rav


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## AndyA4TDI (May 7, 2012)

What car was it?


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## ravg99 (Jan 9, 2014)

Mercedes a class 53 plate


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## Steve_Dub (Oct 1, 2012)

It's very difficult to remove all swirl marks. For complete removal you will need to wet sand the paintwork, polish with a rotary and maybe finish off with a DA polisher. A DA polisher will only remove the lightest of swirl marks


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

Totally disagree with the above, I'm sorry but a da can remove everything in the right hands, just not with the products you are using. You will need multiple pads and a few different polishes to get the correct level of correction and finishing. I think the kit you have is more for tidy ups as a posed to total swirl and scratch removal

HTH


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## shaneslatcher93 (Oct 13, 2013)

totally agree with stangalang, i have a das 6 pro and with the correct pads and polish it will deal with all effects thrown at it, i have a mix of hex logic and Microfibre pads and use Chemical v range polish.. i can easily do full paint corrections with mine and even remove wet sanding marks!


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## ravg99 (Jan 9, 2014)

Whats megs 105 and 205 and ultimate compound like with a hexalogic pad. Are these the best pads.


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## suspal (Dec 29, 2011)

Can't believe that comment about swirls not being able to be corrected with a DA,the right pad and polish combinations,the right technique and patience,remarkable results can be achieved.


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## ravg99 (Jan 9, 2014)

Soo are hexlogics the best pads. And what compound/product do u guys recommend


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

105 or 101 for heavy to medium work, and 205 for medium through to light work. These will work fine with hex pads. Also look at mf pads for VERY heavy correction


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## ravg99 (Jan 9, 2014)

Is the mirror glaze megs products good to use or should i just use 105 / 205.


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## lowejackson (Feb 23, 2006)

105/205 are part of the Mirror Glaze range, do you mean the older 80 polishes


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## ravg99 (Jan 9, 2014)

Yeah thats what i meant. Sorry. Whats good to use with ease of us. Heard good things about 105/205.


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## lowejackson (Feb 23, 2006)

105 & 205 will allow you to work on almost any paint. You adjust the amount of cut by using different pads


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## CleanCar99 (Dec 30, 2011)

I prefer 101 instead of 105, less dust and seems to work longer. 101 on orange hex pad is fantastic but each paint surface is different so try white then green then orange, in that order.


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## Rod (Sep 15, 2013)

Steve_Dub said:


> It's very difficult to remove all swirl marks. For complete removal you will need to wet sand the paintwork, polish with a rotary and maybe finish off with a DA polisher. A DA polisher will only remove the lightest of swirl marks


How can you afirm something like that without even seeing the car? I am anoyed.


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## horned yo (Feb 10, 2009)

Rod said:


> How can you afirm something like that without even seeing the car? I am anoyed.


Why get annoyed? it was just one persons opinion, RESPECT it and move on. Just the usual jumping on band wagons on here


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## Dawesy90 (Jun 25, 2012)

Love a good disagreement on here


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## Steve_Dub (Oct 1, 2012)

Perhaps I'm being a bit naive and maybe trying different pad and polish combos I will learn to also disagree with my comment. I'm a paint sprayer so I know a complete swirl free finish, my recently resprayed car is kept swirl free cos of my DA polisher. I love a DA session on my own car and will try other pad and polish combos on older paintwork to see for myself how effective the DA can be like you guys say. 
My comment was mainly because I think a lot of people are mislead when it comes to buying DA polishing kits in believing there 10 year old car will become swirl free when polished by a DA. In reality it's not gonna be easy without a good wet flat on deeper swirls and light scratches. And, I think that's what a lot of people don't realise with older paintwork or sometimes even newish paintwork. I think some people expect miracles when DA polishing cars.


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## Rod (Sep 15, 2013)

horned yo said:


> Why get annoyed? it was just one persons opinion, RESPECT it and move on. Just the usual jumping on band wagons on here


When did I say I didn't respect? No need to add more noise here. Afirming that without even seeing at the car its just impossible and completely missleading to someone who is learning. 
If you don't like the word annoyed just replace it with a sinonim of your choice.


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## chefy (May 9, 2011)

ravg99 said:


> Whats megs 105 and 205 and ultimate compound like with a hexalogic pad. Are these the best pads.


Try the above combo you've mentioned rav.
I got my DA last may used it on a few cars now and I think its a great combo - orange then green hexlogic pads.
Here is a pic of the bonnet of my XJS which is nearly 18 years old, 90,000 miles and was swirl city ! Car is in really great condition, previous owner over 8 years,but obviously his wash techniques were'nt that good !
Sorry I have no before pics.


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## suspal (Dec 29, 2011)

STOP pulling each others


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## B17BLG (Jun 26, 2012)

Could be down to just how hard the clearcoat is on the car itself. Step the combo up a little and make sure you are not inflicting other defects while polishing.

I have to say though I was working on a BMW once which a DA (G220) which orange Hex pad and 105. It was such hard work to remove swirls due to the strength of the paint!

That was the only car I wish i had a rotary for!


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## ravg99 (Jan 9, 2014)

Thanks for all the super advice guys. I think im gonna have to get rid of the kit i have right now. My DA has a 6'' backing plate so think ill need to get a smaller one too. Ill defiantly get megs 105 / 205 as this kit isnt cutting it for me

As for the cleacoat strength on the merc. The car is a piece of crap and is the worst made car ever. Hasnt been looked after to be fair. It was my test car but i used it on my own. Guess ill have to attempt it again with the megs stuff and hexlogic pads. Any technique advice guys as in speed of DA and how to go round edges and lines of the bodywork


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## lowejackson (Feb 23, 2006)

If the paint is hard then it might be worth looking at some MF cutting pads. You could use a spot pad for the edges or do it by hand. Be careful as the paint can be thinner. For normal polishing, always tape up the edges and panel gaps


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## Clyde (Feb 15, 2012)

Scholl polishes working really well with teh hex logic pads. Used it to good effect on a number of german cars. S17 on an orange pad in particular.


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## B17BLG (Jun 26, 2012)

Clyde said:


> Scholl polishes working really well with teh hex logic pads. Used it to good effect on a number of german cars. S17 on an orange pad in particular.


Agreed, my compound of choice atm


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## Leebo310 (Sep 30, 2013)

ravg99 said:


> Hi guys
> 
> I attempted to DA my mums cars today after a good clean and clay. I used a das 6 with AF revitalise kit. I follwed the instructions. Pea size drops. Speed 5. Overlapping and pressure was ok too. When I looked after in the light all the swirls where still there. Only thing that happened was a shiny bonnet.
> 
> ...


No one seems to have asked what combinations of the kit you actually tried though.
Are you saying that the heaviest combo of the Restoring compound on the associated pad didn't even reduce the swirls at all?

I'm not sure you should ditch the existing kit at the moment mate. Yep there might be other combinations of pads and polishes that may get you results quicker but I don't think that is the whole problem here.


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## organisys (Jan 3, 2012)

lowejackson said:


> 105 & 205 will allow you to work on almost any paint. You adjust the amount of cut by using different pads


and speed, and pressure, and number of passes, sets...


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## ravg99 (Jan 9, 2014)

Yeah i tried the heaviest compound with the right pad and got nothing. No swirls removed. Just a shiny bonnet. I must be doing something wrong.


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## Soapybubbles (Feb 10, 2014)

ravg99 said:


> Yeah i tried the heaviest compound with the right pad and got nothing. No swirls removed. Just a shiny bonnet. I must be doing something wrong.


Have you watched any of the junkmans video tutorials?

Really helpful,just type his name in on youtube


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## ravg99 (Jan 9, 2014)

Yeah watched his stuff too. Its like detailing porn but still no luck for me


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## Leebo310 (Sep 30, 2013)

ravg99 said:


> Yeah i tried the heaviest compound with the right pad and got nothing. No swirls removed. Just a shiny bonnet. I must be doing something wrong.


What order did you do stuff in mate? 
Presume lightest to heaviest working through all the pad and polish combinations? 
And nothing made any difference whatsoever other than just shine?


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## ravg99 (Jan 9, 2014)

Yeah excatly that. What do i do. Give up???


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## Leebo310 (Sep 30, 2013)

Not saying give up but I think there is more to it than just product issues. 
I might be wrong but I would have expected some differences if you've used all the way up to the heaviest combination. Even if that was actually creating more swirls/holograms.


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## ravg99 (Jan 9, 2014)

All im getting is a super shiny bonnet with swirls galore


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## Leebo310 (Sep 30, 2013)

Well at least it's shiny  
In all seriousness mate I think there may be something wrong with your technique then. 
I may be wrong so feel free to try a new pad and polish combo. If you are sure the heaviest compound and pad isn't doing anything and isn't adding an new swirls then it sounds like you just need to replace that first. 
If that then sorts out the swirls the af finishing pad and polish should be ok to refine with.


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## ravg99 (Jan 9, 2014)

The kit i got is brand new. Jus dont know what im doing wrong. How much compound should i be putting on and how should i be starting off once the compound is on the pad


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## Leebo310 (Sep 30, 2013)

Put up some pictures mate, that will give everyone a much better idea of what's going on


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## Soapybubbles (Feb 10, 2014)

ravg99 said:


> How much compound should i be putting on and how should i be starting off once the compound is on the pad


The Junkmans videos covers this extensively, you did say you had watched?


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## ravg99 (Jan 9, 2014)

Yeah i did. Think ill have to watch it again


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## Gareth2665 (Nov 8, 2006)

Rav,

Firstly...Don't give up. If detailing and correction of paintwork was super easy then everyone would be doing it as a business. Now, when i first had a crack at it I was in the exact same boat as you bud. I too failed miserably in having any effect, and probably as you did, thought....got the kit...quick half hour and this baby will be in showroom condition. WRONG!!

It is a bit of a mine field to start....different cutting grade polishes, different cutting grade pads, different speeds on the DA, different amounts of pressure dependent on what pass you are on, so on and so on.

It's trial and error buddy. Ideally you need to be sure they are swirls and not scratches. If you rub your nail over them and they catch your nail they are scratches and will be hard work without a wool pad, cutting compound and a good powerful rotary. Wet sanding better option here.

If the car is a nail and your not too worried about the paint getting too thin try this.

Tape off a 18" x 18" part of the bonnet (ideally a flat bit). Put your cutting pad on with a cross of cutting compound on.

*Important bit*....mark your backing plate with a marker pen so you can see it going round slowly when polishing. If the marker stays still but oscillates (vibrates) you are applying too much pressure and the pad will not turn and therefore not cut.

Put the pad onto the bonnet and spread evenly on speed one. Then turn it up to speed 5 and do SLOW passes. Across, down a bit, back across, down a bit till you have covered the square...this is a pass. Same again but up and down this time. Do 5 - 6 passes.

Turn DA off and wipe excess off with a soft cloth. Now compare the marked off square with the adjacent paintwork. Ideally with a LED torch or something similar. If they are gone move onto softer pad and less aggressive polish up to getting a good shine!!. If partially gone give it another go with same pad n polish.

Hope theis helps buddy...dont worry..it will click


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## ravg99 (Jan 9, 2014)

That is the best write up ive ever had and really has given me a bit more confidence in tackling the issues i have had. I will try this 100% when the weather is good. 

Many thanks to everyone else for their help and advice. I will be putting pictures up soon as I get a chance.


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## Gareth2665 (Nov 8, 2006)

Your more than welcome chaps. Any probs give me a shout.


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## ravg99 (Jan 9, 2014)

Will do mate. Thanks again


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## Rebel007 (May 7, 2013)

One thing that may be worth mentioning , I'm not sure what year it was but Mercedes started using a ceramic clear coat on their paint, that had the effect of making it very hard but they also didn't need to put that much clearcoat on so it is quite thin as well.

What this means in the real world is its hard to get correction as the paint is quite hard but when you have found the right combination be careful as there is a limited amount of material so its not that difficult to go through the top coat and give yourself a real problem. 

I have a Mercedes (2008) and prior to that had a 2001 Mercedes so I know what the paint can be like, what I am saying is take your time and be careful, impatience can cause expensive mistakes.

Also you haven't said where you are based its worth mentioning that as if there are any DW members close to you they may be willing to give you a hand either helping you do the work or simply by showing / telling you where you are going wrong.

Hope this helps.


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## Mat page (Jan 10, 2014)

I use a DAS 6 Pro with hex logic pads and Megs compound. I use an orange pad with 105 and a white pad with 205 as two examples. I can usually remove 90%+ of scratches with these combinations alone so the statement that a DA cant remove scratches is insane. A da is much safer to use if youre new to detailing too!


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## AndyA4TDI (May 7, 2012)

Just used Megs MF pads on my rock hard A4 paint, all swirls gone, the safety of a DA with the correctional ability of a rotary. Finished with 205 on a LC HT crimson pad. German paint can be corrected with a DA.


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