Rubbing Compound= swirl marks, how to remove?
 

I'm a bit beyond my normal realm of detailing here, I used a general purpose, clear coat safe 3M rubbing compound on the hood, roof, and trunk lid of my new 540, it brought back a lot of color, but also swirl marks. This is all by hand, I don't have an orbital. The 540 has been resprayed, it's about a 5 footer, but I'm trying to help it all I can. What would be the best approach, move to a milder polishing compound, than to ?

Thanks!

Just my .02.
Get some 3M
Imperial Hand Glaze. ABout 20.00 for a bottle.
Put it on a cloth and apply in horizontal and verical strokes. Rub until the glaze is gone. this product has worked well for me for years. Warning: It contains no wax so you WILL have to wax the car after you apply it. The trick is not using a circular motion. It is labor intensive but well worth it.

Thanks Wayne, so do you give it a coat vertical then a coat horizontal, or do you just alternate directions on one coating?

I think you are going to have to use more than one stage of milder compounds. In other words two or three more, getting milder with each step.

Anything that is called a "rubbing compound" is generally pretty harsh.

Also, you've probably scratched it up enough so that you really will need to use the proper polishing compounds with some kind of powered buffer. A random orbital, at least.

Yes, do one coat but in different directions. Any direction but circles. Unless the swirls are deep, you will see a difference immediately.
Don't be afraid to use it multiple times on tough areas. I have found that certain area on my 911 take two applications to get the smooth finish we want. I use this on all of my vehicles and usually my siblings cars at least once a year for them.( It's therapy for me.)
BTW--My cars are NOT show cars by any stretch. They look good but show their age in spots.

Note: Glazing compounds usually do not remove swirl marks. They merely fill in the scratches (temporarily) so they're less visible. To remove them, follow the suggestions and used an orbital buffer, foam pad and the recommended polishing compounds, or take it to a reputable detailer.

Sherwood

I agree with Sherwood.
My advice was given assuming that the the swirls were very minor.
Anyway you could post a pic of the damage?

It's really not THAT bad, and it was somewhat expected. I just wanted to see how much color I could bring back. I'll try to get it to show up in some pics, but it's not to the point that I would call them scratches (I know a swirl mark is a scratch). They're swirl marks, the turbo wax paint cleaner took care of most of it on the hood and roof, the trunk lid is the worst of it. How much would a detailer charge for a machine polish if that's all I had them do?

$60-100

will the hand glaze work on plastic panels?

Flattbutt,
It will work on most types of paint, regardless of the surface underneath.
Again, it is NOT a wax and it WILL remove any existing wax as you polish.