Swirl Killer (Beginner)

[cskipgo]

I took a big step and picked up a SK Mystery Box.  Anyone have any suggestions or comments about the best practices-

 

I have been using Revive (by hand), Paint Sealant, Brilliant Glaze, and Americana, and will use Buttery soon.

 

• Which of these steps would be beneficial to use the SK instead of by hand?  
• Which pads are the best to have on hand?
• What should a polisher newbie know, or be warned about?

 

Thank you for any suggestions!  (This forum has been very helpful!)

 

[kaj41354]

Skip,

 

I have only used the SK for Correcting Polish & Finishing Polish.  Paint Sealant, Brilliant Glaze and any waxes, I have always done by hand although I have read somewhere on here that an SK can be used for PS, BG and BW. I have always found that they are easy to apply and remove by hand so no need to use the SK.  Revive is made for Hand polishing not machine.

Edited August 22, 2019 by kaj41354

[cskipgo]

6 minutes ago, kaj41354 said:

Skip,

 

I have only used the SK for Correcting Polish & Finishing Polish.  Paint Sealant, Brilliant Glaze and any waxes, I have always done by hand although I have read somewhere on here that an SK can be used for PS, BG and BW. I have always found that they are easy to apply and remove by hand so no need to use the SK.  Revive is made for Hand polishing not machine.

Thanks!  Thats what I was kind of thinking.  I was trying to cut down the time a little bit. 

 

I have a vehicle that I need to do more serious work and I am going to use the Paint Correcting and Paint Finishing (and I am hoping these are enough).  I knew there was no way I could, or should, do those by hand.

[Beemer]

Paint Sealant and Brilliant Glaze apply very well by machine.  You'll want to get a black or red pad for those.  Or both - I use black for sealant and red for glaze.

 

You should apply your wax by hand.

 

[mc2hill]

17 hours ago, cskipgo said:

• Which pads are the best to have on hand?
• What should a polisher newbie know, or be warned about?

Congrats on the SK! 

 

You will need at least 2 of each polishing pad - microfiber, correcting, and finishing.  You can get by with one sealant pad (black or red).  

 

A few tips for a long throw polisher: 

• Work on your technique.  These tools want the pad flat on the paint at all times, as it will help with pad stalling.  Take a video of you self using the tool to check your have the pad flat on the surface, not tilted to the side or forward/backward.
• Go slower than you think
•  It requires very little downward pressure

 

Machine polishing tips:

• ALWAYS do a test spot - find a flat surface (usually the hood or trunk) that is representative of the overall condition of the paint.  Tape out a 2 ft. x 2 ft. square, and try the least aggressive method, making 4-6 passes (in a cross hatch pattern, with some overlap in each pass) over the test section.  Now wipe off the polish and check the results - does it meet your expectations?  If yes, then your have your plan for the rest of the car.  If no, apply more polish to the pad and do another section pass.  Reevaluate, and if you need more correction, then move up the next level of aggressiveness in the pads and polish.
• Paint is VERY thin (about the thickness of a post-it note), so use the least aggressive method possible.  It is much cheaper to do a 2nd pass with a milder pad/polish combo than to repaint the panel...ask me how I know!  
• Clean the pads often - about every few sections with foam pads, and after every section for MF.  Use a pad brush, or even better an air compressor.    

[RayS]

Everything that @mc2hill said, plus one additional piece of advice for anyone going from another polisher to the SK - Forget everything you thought you knew about polishing and start learning again.   

 

I recently switched to a SK and wish I would have had it a long time ago, but it did take a complete relearning to use it effectively and WOW, what a difference it made.