Swirls marks in paint and on windscreen....

Has anyone tried Meguiar's ultimate polish to remove swirl marks from paint? The paint on my tank is really nice but full of swirl marks and on that dark blue it drives me nuts.

http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotive/products/g19216-ultimate-polish/

Same for the windscreen? How to I get the fine scratches and etched spots, I assume are from bug guts, out of my windscreen? This? It says clear plastic but I'm sure it means uncoated, our tinted windscreens are not coated are they? Isn't this tint in the plastic itself?

http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotive/products/g12310-plastx-clear-plastic-cleaner-polish/

There is also this one but again it says clear plastic and I can't find it for sale on the shelf anywhere local.

http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotive/products/mc20506-plastic-cleaner-polish/

 

I have had excellent results with Meguiars products. I used to have a detailing business and I have managed a shop as well and I have always liked their products. I have even tried different products that I have found inferior. I also use a professional random orbital polisher and the results speak for themselves. Here is my bike

With the polisher I have, I can use different pads to work out the scratches, then use softer pads to really jewel the paint. Check this out, http://www.autogeek.net/poca74pofcop.html You can also use it to polish out your windscreen, using a slower speed, light pressure and a softer pad. There are lots of videos on their site to help.

 

I have an old Makita 2 speed sander/polisher, back from my surfboard building days. I will have to go dig it out from my parent's house, no idea where it would be, haven't seen it in over 10 yrs.

Its kinda like this one from what I remember but not vari speed...

http://makitatools.com/en-us/Modules/Tools/ToolDetails.aspx?Name=9227CY

But it's so big its kinda overkill for a small gas tank I would think? I also don't know if I could get the correct pads for it you're talking about. But I would bet I probably could at an auto detail/paint shop.

I'm really just looking for something I can do by hand. Is it impossible to get as good of results by hand compared to using a polisher? What polish do you use on your windscreen?

 

Unless your familiar with buffing paint I would avoid that sander polisher. You could very quickly end up doing more harm than good.

I've used Mequiars Ultimate Polish with great results. Depending how deep the swirls are you may want to start with Mequiars Ultimate Compound. Both products yield great results even by hand. I use a Porter Cable random orbital polisher for larger areas and or deeper scrathes.

For the windscreen I would use a dedicated plastic polish from Mothers or Mequiars. One of the bike mags recently had an article about windscreens & proper care. I'm at work right now, when I get home I'll see if I can find it.

 

It's not a sander polisher. It is a random orbital polisher and it is very easy to use. Start out slow and work up slowly. it's not a high speed rotary polisher. I have used both and I would never recommend a high speed to someone new.

I have about 20 years experience with this and I know what a new person can use and what they can't. The speeds and pressures are easily varied an if the instructional videos are watched and applied, the result will be great.

 

Lint not sure if your referring to my post. I was referring to the link 74ullc had in post #3 for the Makita sander / polisher.

 

Oops, I was. It was a very early hour for me. Insomnia and posting don't mix. My apologies.

 

74, check out www.autogeeek.net if your sander polisher is that, then it is probably overkill. If you can pull off the polisher linked above, it will take care of you, you bike, car etc for a very long time!

 

Two types of buffers. Rotary and random orbit. For occasional use an inexpensive random orbit buffer is just fine. Major autoparts stores carry these. Harbor Freight has them too.

Meguirs and Mothers make good products. Rubbing compounds are graded just like sandpaper.

For small jobs do the work by hand.

IMO do not try using a rotary buffer unless lots of practice is involved. Likely this is why there are swirl marks in your clearcoat and wind screen.

 

Lint That is a great job :thumb:
Come by and do all my cars and bikes, all IPA you can drinks

 

Hey rookies, try baby talc powder on those swirls.

 

Thanks. I always wanted a bike that smelled like baby powder.

 

And you can choose your favorite scent!

 

People who can drink IPAs are missing some of their taste buds. I can't understand why anyone wants to drink a beer that taste like grapefruit. Now a good DIPA, I'll be all over that! Rodeo clown? Yes please!!!

 

DIPA............:jaw:
Ok I will try and get back with you on the taste

 

We should probably ditch this part of the thread. Harley-Davidson will hear aboot it and start selling bad boy biker scents.

They already did this before. HD had an aftershave. Pretty sure it could have been used as an afterwax too.

 

Another tip that might prove helpful is if you are polishing the bike, try to remove any parts that stick out sharply (like the mirrors and turn signal stalks if so equipped) because they can be easy to catch the polisher pad on and can destroy the pads and rip the polisher out of your hand. Also be cautious around fairing openings like air vents as the pads can easily get caught up in the openings. Usually not as big a problem with the random orbit polishers but good to be cautious. Also if the bike has any textured plastic (around the dash as example) it sometimes helps to mask it off as getting wax residue off the textured plastic can be a PIA.

 

Good advice on the tape. Ask me how I know...

 

It's a good idea too to shut the bike off and have it on a stand of some sort. The buffers work much better too if they are plugged in.

Any advice on which of the tapes to use on the dashboards? Maybe there would not be a problem if the "wax" was an acrylic polymer.

 

Any parts I am polishing will be sitting on a table, it's just too easy to pull the gas tank and fairing off this bike to not. Then I can have my DIPA sitting on a coaster - like a gentleman.