hologram effect after buffing WHY

Discuss anything after that final masking comes off.



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PostPosted: Mon Sep 01, 2014 12:26 am
just painted dads car two weeks ago and noticed after i buff the hood i got hologram effect looking like the aura borealis o.O what could be the cause of this and how can remove them the steps i use to sand and buff
1. wet sand with 3m 1000 grit then 2000 grit
2. 3m perfect it rubbing compound with wool pad
3. 3m perfect it machine polishing with orange med cut foam pad
and that's about it i resanded today because i ordered new foam pads from chemical guy the hex logic orange med cut white polishing soft cut and black finishing and because seeing them in the sun drive me craZy :knockout: and looks like they still give me the hologram effect used the white foam pad first this time then the orange med cut

p.s using dewalt buffer and speed between 1400 & 1800 rpms with a slit tilt
any help would be great :worthy: because i do not like to see those holograms on it :cry:

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PostPosted: Mon Sep 01, 2014 9:02 pm
Two things I noticed:

- jump from 1000 to 2000 is too much. Better to start with 1500 then either go right to compound or go to 2000

- buffer speed is on the slow side. Probably not a huge contributor to your issue but I usually buff in the 2000-3500 rpm range

Also I won't lie to you - I struggled with swirl marks when using soft clears and not having a random/orbital head on the buffer. Since I put the Dynabrade head on my right-angle buffer it helped tremendously.



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PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2014 9:14 pm
I struggled with swirls and holograms forever until I switched out to wizard mystic cut, and buffing a 2 x 2 section at a time.

Chuck



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PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 7:25 pm
Eclipse, did you resolve your issues with the swirls and holograms?
The causal IMO was because you tried to use a light cut, orange foam pad to finish with on fresh paint. There can/are a lot of variables so I will not speculate too much at this time. Another thing you have to educate yourself on is whether the 3M compounds/polishes you used are diminishing abrasives or more along the lines of a SMAT product. With diminishing abrasives you need to work them until they are broken down and not able to abrade the paint anymore. The holograms/buffer trails can also be caused from the pad getting dry, dirty, or being moved across the paint in the wrong direction, among other things as well.
Fill us in and if you are still having issues we will try to help.



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PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 5:44 am
did you use a finishing compound after your 1st cut??
failing to do this will cause holograms and swirl marks, the 1st cut is to eliminate the sand scratches, the finishing glaze will get rid of the marks from the 1st cut, unless its a really dark color then you will need an extra cut inbetween!!
krem

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PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 9:01 am
I like the Menzerna 85RD and a black finishing pad for the final stage.
Like Chris said, you are jumping from 1000 - 2000 and that is too much. No doubt there are 1000 scratches still there. Trying going up in 500 grit increments.
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 1:40 am
Dirty pad causes most Swirls keep em washed out good I keep a bucket of water near by and change pads frequently

I have half a dozen pads I use when I'm buffing I rinse them out as they load up and set them to side to dry as I work another. Be sure to check pads for tiny balls of compound and clear stuck to surface of pad pick em off while cleaning them in water these are what cause most of your swirls.

The only way I let anyone else Buff on one of my car's is if they use a Dynabrade orbital attachment on one of my buffers Guarantied no swirls to fix even with a Novice as long as they keep the pads clean and free of Balls of compound and clear from building up on pad. Also because its orbital action its not removing as much Clear because of the action they are SAFER on edges and body lines in my opinion.

http://www.dynabrade.com/dyn10/content. ... l+polisher

Just looked at what they are charging for them now days Wow! glad I bought two when I did still its worth every dime I would buy another one if one of mine were to break for some reason great tool they just work good no more swirls.

Best polish I have used yet is Presta they make good stuff
I like McGuair's too but don't care for the 3M stuff at all
Dennis B.
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 11, 2015 7:45 am
My process for buffing vehicles.
3m only

1500
3000 over the 1500 atleast 1/2" past the 1500 sand scratches

Orbital buffer, White Wool pad w/ 3M stage1 with medium pressure.
Buff area until sand scratches are melted away.
Wipe area with microfiber cloth with a bit of 50/50 alcohol water to clean the surface
Black foam pad, 3M stage2 with a few dabs of compound and medium to heavy pressure. At this point i have my buffer turned up to 2200. I keep a nice even pressure and forward momentum to really shine the vehicle of any haze, marks or lines from the wool pad. (Black vehicles i treat exactly the same but with maybe a bit more time with the black pad.)
After that I clean the surface again with the 50/50 mix and get a sun gun to inspect the entire panel. If i find anything i repeat step one in the noticeable areas. Then stage 2 again.
Final step after sand scratches, blemishes, streaks are taken care of is the blue pad with blue stage3. Light pressure, low speed and very little compound. I do not buff this dry. I try to keep a slick glaze on the panel. I will make a mental note to swipe evry spot of the panel and keep a horizontal pattern going. As if it was a wooden panel and keeping with the grain.
Then i use a new microfiber cloth and gently wipe the excess compound off keepin the horizontal movements. Then I will grab the sun gun again and check. Very rarely do i get the holograms and swirls. If i do, i repeat stage 2. In my own experiences the stage 2 with black foam pad has been my best friend. It depends on the amount of compound and pressure to which i apply the buffer to the panel.

On average I buff between 6-10 vehicles a day with zero issues. Consistent as well. I have been using my method for 4 years and yet to have a customer complain about the paint/buff. I always make sure to look at the car in the best light i can. I also believe that to be a key part of the process
Travis
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Lynch Body Shop and LDV



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PostPosted: Fri Feb 13, 2015 4:50 am
holy crap, 6 cars a day, man you must be a machine, lol, or im slow, it takes me over a day to buff a car!!
but I like your system!!
krem



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PostPosted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 11:10 pm
Its all about what pads and compound work with your paint. Got to find the right combo. What works on other vehicles/paint may not work on yours.
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