Swirls

Hello all
Well, I think that's what you call them. See, I took one of those rotating attachments for a drill and polished a guitar body and it's looking pretty good. But when I hold it to the light I can see circular scratch marks. So fine I cant pick it up on a camera. Maybe I'm being a bit too particular but I'm thinking that could be gotten rid of. My finish is 2K acrylic. Any ideas or tips much appreciated?

Cheers - Ed

Tried a final hand polish with automotive swirl remover?

Tried a final hand polish with automotive swirl remover?

This.

Use an swirl mark remover after your polishing compound. Does wonders.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41YR94N916L._SS500_.jpg

I'm a detailer by trade. I don't do a lot of polishing, but in my experience, rotary polishers (and drills with polishing attachments) are more prone to swirls, particularly if they're used at high speed. The better tool for the job is a random orbit (dual-action) polisher, as they run at lower speeds and don't tend to burn into one area the way a rotary will. Swirl removers are the most common way of dealing with the problem when it happens. I use glazing polishes as the final step in a three-stage polish. If you have scratches, that may be an indication that you're using too coarse an abrasive. Another thing to keep in mind, if your polisher attachment has a foam pad, is that the foam pads are made in different cellular densities that give them more or less cutting ability. Never try to use a lambs-wool pad and a high speed rotary polisher on a clearcoat as it'll burn through clear really quick. Good luck with it.

Thanks everyone. So I'm looking at going to an auto paint store and getting some swirl remover. Maybe something like Meguiars Scratch-X? And also, I have got a random orbital sander with a wool attachement and a foam attachment. Will these be OK to use or should I just go by hand with a soft cloth?

Cheers - Ed

It's a judgement call, but I'd use the random orbit with the foam pad. It can be done by hand, but it's a long process.

I restore old steel guitars. I use Meguiare's Professional Swirl Remover 2.0. By hand. Doesn't take much effort at all. Works wonders. These two Sixties Shobuds were covered in nico stains, and had a lot of swirls and fine scratches. Mequiare's not only removed all the marks, but also cleaned the finishes beautifully. Followed up with their Showcar Glaze.

Addendum;
You've already got the heavy polishing done. Use the swirl remover, and work it with a soft cloth, like pieces of an old Tee shirt. Work in one direction only. This will assure that no more swirls will occur. Easy job! For a guitar body? Maybe 1/2 hour.