How do I remove swirl marks on painted exterior surfaces?
Swirl marks are light, circular scratches (micro scratches) in the painted surface often caused by buffing with a compound. As the compound cuts away the oxidized paint layer and reduces the depth of deep scratches by abrading away their “ridges”, light scratches usually remain, especially on glamour colors. Swirl marks can be safely and effectively removed with a high speed polisher, polishing pad and a polish or swirl remover. A polish contains mild abrasives and resins (usually silicone) that can be applied with a polisher or by hand. The abrasives remove swirl marks by abrading away their “ridges” in a manner similar to compounding, but with much less paint being removed. The polish’s resins fill any indentation in the paint too deep to be abraded out, and bond to the surface. By removing the “ridges” and filling any remaining indentations, the painted surface is leveled, which restores its gloss. The newly level surface reflects light in a uniform manner causing the eye to perceiv
