3.After doing two rounds of cut, Mike wiped down the area with a microfiber towel. I can tell you firsthand the swirls were gone, but the paint is now exposed to the elements with no protection and that is a bad thing. In other words, it looks good but it won't stay that way for long. |  |
4a.To protect the paint, Mike switched to the finishing pad, prepped the pad with quick detailer, squeezed on some Tech Wax 2.0, and turned down the dial to 2.5. | 
4b.Just like before, he set the pad on the surface before pulling the trigger and worked in the same side-to-side, up-and-down grid to spread the wax evenly. |
5.Once the wax was spread, we stepped away to let it dry. When Mike could wipe his finger across the wax and it didn't smear, he wiped it clean with another microfiber towel. | 
6.We pushed the hood into the sun to see if all this work was worth it, and sure enough it was. The D/A and the products did exactly what was expected, and the area Mike worked is deep and shiny without a swirl mark in sight. |
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Tech Tip
Pad Storage
To keep the pads ready to use, Mike offers these small tips:
1.Mark the pad so you don't end up putting the wrong product on it. | 
2.Blot excess product off the pad with a towel. |
3.Store the pad in a sandwich bag, but leave about 10 percent of the bag open so the last bit of material will evaporate. When you are ready to use the pads again, just take them out of the bag and lightly tap them on a bench to knock the dried material loose. | |
The Final Word
After the day I spent with Mike, I felt confident enough to run home and try the D/A out for myself. The tool is very easy to use, and I can't believe I went this long without one. It made quick work of some very stubborn blemishes on my truck, and I felt safe knowing it would be hard to damage or burn the paint with this D/A. Come back next month for the final installment in our detailing series: color-sanding and buffing.