I bought new waffle polishing pads from Amazon to go on my new polisher. It's a harbor freight polisher with adjustable speeds. I'm using only the polishing pad and not a cutting one or any of the compounding ones. I'm keeping my polisher on low speed (1 and 2 out of 10). It's not a random orbital polisher. Just a regular rotary style. I'm also using Chemical Guys polish. When I'm done using the polisher and wipe away the excess, it looks terrific. After a few minutes when it's completely dry, a bunch of holograms show up in the paint. Is it my technique with how I'm using the polisher or is it the products and pads? The polisher is a little hard to get used to and I havent perfected in keeping it straight yet. I do small panels and go over each path with a 40-50% overlay but the polisher sort of jumps out of my hands a little. Other than the holograms, it looks amazing. What can I do to fix this?

 

They look a little like this but not as bad

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/AutoDetailing/ would be a good place for you, especially this bit of the wiki: https://www.reddit.com/r/autodetaili...aintcorrection

 

Those holograms are called buffer trails. You get them from the following:



1. Improper technique or holding the polisher wrong

2. Crappy pads

3. Crappy polish

4. Not using a finishing polish





Holograms are actually very very tiny scratches in the clear coat. Not as deep as traditional scratches or even spider webs/swirl marks but still considered scratches. You should have got a DA (dual action) instead of just a polisher. It would have helped in not having holograms. Rotary polishers are usually used by body shops or dealers for high volume use to get cars in and out as quickly as possible. If you went too fast with the polisher, had it on too high of a setting (which you said you didnt), or held it wrong, it can cause those problems. You should have practiced on something else before getting the technique down or just pay the couple hundred and have a professional do it for you. The holograms can come out but it'll be more work for you now.

 

Its a heck of a lot harder to get good results with a rotary than it is with a DA. Sell the rotary and get yourself a good DA like a porter cable. You'll be happier and your car will thank you.