Glaze vs Polish....

[David703]

hey everyone. I've searched and read up on this topic for days now. I thought I was back in my college days....the more I read, the more I am confused...Is there a simple, one sentence answer to this question? >> When do you use glaze and when do you use polish? I use Mother's sealer glaze and it usually takes almost all the minor swirls out of the paint. But is polish better for swirl removal than glaze? Thanks for any input!!!

[O4cobra]

Welcome to Autopia Dave703,

One sentence huh, polish then glaze, not the other way around.

In most cases a glaze is a final step before you LSP (Last Step Product) You want to polish the paint to remove minor defects and or swirls from everyday washing. Some glazes however can remove very very minor swirling, so it depends on your paint condition. A glaze is very popular for darker colors, due to the fact that most of them can hide minor defects you didn't get out with polishing, and it can add some serious depth and darkness to the paint. I think the widely favorite glaze of most of us is ClearKote's Vanilla Moose Hand Glaze. The stuff is a breeze to use and leaves a good base for your LSP.

Common Process:
--Wash
--Clay
--Polish
--Glaze
--LSP

[David703]

thanks 04Cobra from a fellow SVT guy!! (3 lightnings 4 cobras)

So polish removes more imperfections than glaze and glaze removes any swirls left over from polishing.

[O4cobra]

Well if you do a proper polishing technique, you should have nothing left but good paint. A lot of it depends on the condition of the vehicle.

Are you framiliar with heavier cut polishes like DACP and SSR2.5? These 2 polishes are designed to remove heavy swirls marks. These 2 polishes can cause "hazing" of the paint where the cutting action of the polishes left a haze. Then you want to use a product like Menzerna Final Polish II (FP II), SSR1, or #80 to remove this hazing and leave a clean and clear finish. Then you want to come in with a Glaze to add some depth and wetness. Before the glaze you should have all hazing removed. A Glaze more or less is a beauty product, not really for removing anything. But like I said, VM does remove some swirls and hazing, but not designed to necessarily. A glaze in most cases is not necessary, just for looks.

Are you new to the detailing world all together?

No glaze here, but I don't think I needed it!!

[David703]

Yes I'm new to detailing. So far I've ordered SSR1, SSR2, SSR3,
DACP, Mezerna FP, PS21. I've been using Mother's sealer/glaze with a PC for over a year now. And have achieved nice results on basically new cars. I've noticed that the glaze couldnt handle deeper scratches and stains in the paint. So I came here looking for answers and so far spent about $200 on products..

[MS22]

Originally posted by David703
So I came here looking for answers and so far spent about $200 on products..

It only gets worse, there is an inverse correlation between your post count and your bank account. Welcome to the addiction.

[chef]

Originally posted by MS22
It only gets worse, there is an inverse correlation between your post count and your bank account. Welcome to the addiction.

So true, I have just started and I have already seen it.

[lbls1]

A polish finishes the prepwork b4 you add wax (some carnauba waxes are called glazes).

[Alfisti]

Dave, Mothers Sealer Glaze is a nice product....keep using it.

But as has been mentioned, a Glaze is a beauty product with filling properties.

If a scratch disappears after applying a glaze, it's been filled, not removed. That's where the polishes come in.

Polish to remove defects
Glaze to add depth/wetness to dark colours (and filling missed defects if needed)
Wax to provide protection (good waxes enhance the appearance too)

[Scottwax]

One thing to remember-many manufacturers play fast and loose with the definitions and uses of glazes and polishes. Zaino calls their sealants polishes and Wax Shop calls its wax a glaze, for example.

It is best to go by that manufacturer's own rankings of their products with respect to aggressiveness.

[David703]

Thanks everyone for your responses... I will post some pics when i get all my supplies and we will see how I do on my first "official" detail.

Dave