i've been reading a lot about detailing and orbital polishing and buffing and i'm pretty sure that as long as the paint and the pads you are using are clean, then you wouldn't see any swirl marks at all. also, using the correct pad is important. they make different textures for different things, and if you use a pad meant for compounding to apply wax then you are going to get swirl marks. you need to use a soft pad meant for applying wax.