How to Remove swirls by hand.

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Removing swirls by hand.
    Swirls are very minute etched lines in the top paint or clear coat layer.  Swirls can be permanently removed or cosmetically hid. It is very difficult to remove swirls by hand. To remove a swirl, you must abrade away the top layer of paint or clear coat that contains the defect. This is best accomplished with a machine polisher. See our article, "Removing swirls with an orbital action polisher" and "Removing swirls with a circular polisher." If you do not have a machine polisher, you can still create the illusion of a swirl-free surface through hand polishing.
Hiding swirls through hand polishing:
    Swirls can be visually hid by polishing the surface with a mild polish. This rounds off the top edge of the swirl, robbing sunlight of a sharp edge to cause a reflection. When you buff off the polishing residues, fillers will stay in the depressions. Finish by applying your favorite wax or paint sealant. This will hold the fillers in place, cosmetically hiding swirls and minor paint blemishes. Polishing also restores surface gloss and prepares the surface for waxing. This procedure does not remove the swirl. Swirls may be visible in certain light conditions (fluorescent lamps are ruthlessly revealing) and will reappear as the wax ages. That said, most people will look at your car and think it's flawless.
Before you start:
    Before polishing, it's a good idea to check for paint contamination.  This is easily done by placing your hand inside a plastic sandwich bag and running your fingertips over the surface. If the paint is rough or gritty, consider using a clay bar before trying to remove swirls. See , "How to remove paint contamination" on our Problem Solving page.  This step is optional but worth the extra effort. Hand polishing will not remove rough, gritty paint contamination. If your car's paint surface is smooth, proceed with polishing.
Products required:

• A mild polish such as Menzerna Final Polish II, Meguiar's No.9 Swirl Remover or 3M Perfect-It Swirl Remover.
• A Microfiber or Terry Applicator Pad.
• A Microfiber or Terry detailing cloth.
• Your favorite wax or paint sealant.

Procedure:

• Work on a 18 to 24 square inch area, out of direct sunlight.
• Apply polish to a Microfiber or Terry Applicator Pad or directly on the paint. This is a personal preference. If applying polish to the applicator pad, I use a liberal, Quarter-size amount of product. If applying to the paint, I apply a couple of 8 inch long lines of polish.
• Using a moderate to firm pressure, work the polish over the paint using back-and-forth motions. Polish in a side-to-side motion and then in an up-and-down motion until the polish is almost dry.
• Wipe off polish residues using a clean Microfiber or Terry detailing cloth.
• Continue working in 18 to 24 square inch areas until the complete panel or vehicle is polished.
• Follow immediately with your favorite wax or paint sealant to protect and seal the finish.

Apply polish to Terry Applicator Pad.	Wipe-on with back-and-forth motion.
Note: There is a debate over what category of wax or paint sealant to use after polishing. Purists feel you should follow polishing with a pure wax or paint sealant. They feel one-step, cleaner/waxes or cleaner/ sealants remove some of the fillers left in the etched lines defeating some of the purpose of polishing. Manufacturers of one-step products insist that using their product after polishing compliments the previous polishing step and provides additional gloss enhancement.
	Buff off polish residues.
From my experience, on solid black or red vehicles, I prefer to follow polishing with a pure wax or paint sealant. On any other color, I can't discern a difference between using a pure wax or a one-step product. I have routinely followed polishing my beige mini-van and green sedan with Klasse All-In-One (a one-step product) and obtained excellent results.
Apply paint sealant to Microfiber Pad.	Wipe on.
Show car glaze step:     This step is completely optional but is used on many show cars to deepen the gloss before waxing. After polishing, repeat the procedure using a glaze such as Menzerna Finishing Touch Glaze, Meguiar's No. 7 Show Car Glaze or 3M Imperial Hand Glaze. Obviously this doubles the amount of work which can be arm-numbing when you get to be my age. I have to admit I've cheated on this step and just glazed the hood of my car and then
	Buff to a bright shine.
finished with a coat of  wax. This step does make a difference, especially if you own a black, red or dark color vehicle. What kind of results can I expect?     Several years ago, before I invested in a machine polisher, I took delivery of a new, deep burgundy vehicle that I swear was dealer prepared with a Brill-O Pad! The finish was a mass of swirls. Repeatedly polishing the finish, using the above procedure, over a period of 3 to 4 months, I was able to create a pristine, swirl-free finish. It took a lot of work but every time I hand polished the surface, I rounded over more of the swirl until I reached a point where it really was invisible. I mention this because one polish application will visually reduce swirls but will not remove them. They will reappear as the top, wax coating ages and the entire procedure will need to be repeated. Personal Note: After my burgundy car experience, I invested in a machine polisher. I started with the orbital, Porter Cable 7424 because I was inexperienced in using a polisher and did not want to harm my car's finish. It was the best car-care investment I ever made. I was able to achieve better results in 20 to 30 minutes of machine polishing than I could in months of hand polishing. If you're serious about keeping your car's finish vibrant and swirl-free, I strongly recommend investing in a machine polisher. Source:http://classic-motoring.stores.yahoo.net/byhand1.html