Interesting topic of discussion from detailfest: Glazes

[XRL]

So I was talking to the Menzerna rep at detailfest, and he mentioned how he didn`t see much of a point to put a glaze on a polished car. His reasoning was that the glaze is mainly going to just fill in any small imperfections in the finish, and after polishing you shouldn`t have very many of those. Not only that, but if you`re topping with a wax or sealant, those should also be capable of filling in the little imperfections as well.



Now personally I`ve never used a legitimate glaze, so I can`t really make an educated opinion. I do usually layer a sealant under my carnauba because i enjoy trying out LSP combos.



Anyways, i wanted to get you guys` opinions on it, are glazes worthwhile or just fluff?

[imported_weekendwarrior]

Well, like with many topics, there are various ways to look at this.



If you have polished a car to perfection, a glaze really isn`t going to do anything for you that a wax or sealant won`t do (in my opinion). And really, if the car has been polished to perfection, the wax or glaze is only going to improve the overally look by a very small percentage. Additionally, I have to wonder if a glaze might lessen the durability of the wax or sealant.



However, if you aren`t doing a full correction - whether the client isn`t paying for it, or if there are some things that may be a little too deep to get out, a glaze isn`t bad. It can fill in some of those defects, along with the wax or sealant.



Then, there are glazes like Danase Wet Glaze. I find it doesn`t really fill like many other glazes, and doesn`t interfere with the durability of the LSP.



The best thing I can say is that it is best for a person to exeriment with the use of glazes, and formulate your own opinion.

[BigJimZ28]

1.) glazes do add some"pop" to polished paint



2.) a little bird told me that Menzerna polish "can" do some filling of there own



3.) if you never used RMG under a nice Nuba you are missing something

[kevpotts]

I would be more inclined to add glazes to my process if i felt their durablity was greater than a couple of days. Now i could be wrong, but if thats the case... barring a show entry... a glaze doesnt serve much of a purpose for me

[BigJimZ28]

I would be more inclined to add glazes to my process if i felt their durablity was greater than a couple of days. Now i could be wrong, but if thats the case... barring a show entry... a glaze doesnt serve much of a purpose for me



days?



you need to top if with a nuba & "lock" it in

[imported_Jakerooni]

Glaze I don;t think has ever been contruded as something that gives protection? At least I`ve never been told that anyone thinks along that lines. I`ve always been told and taught just like big jim stated glaze is there only really to give the paint the extra "pop" desired. Because of it "fillers" it reflects better than most waxes and sealants. But it doesn`t last long. I would use it as a topper if you`re putting your car in a show or something along those lines. But not as a protectant of any kind.

[blk45]

1.) glazes do add some"pop" to polished paint



2.) a little bird told me that Menzerna polish "can" do some filling of there own



3.) if you never used RMG under a nice Nuba you are missing something



Agree on all accounts. Especially #3.

[craigdt]

I was reading an interesting article about glazes last night. The author said that the Brits do a full polish once or twice a year, and otherwise, just use a glaze to fill the imperfections. They do this to reduce the risk of getting the clear too thin, apparently.



Ive never been big on true glazes myself.

[Pats300zx]

I was reading an interesting article about glazes last night. The author said that the Brits do a full polish once or twice a year, and otherwise, just use a glaze to fill the imperfections. They do this to reduce the risk of getting the clear too thin, apparently.



I feel this is very good thinking. How often can you continuously and aggressively polish your finish without the risk of clearcoat failure???



I have a black 350Z. I try to keep on it as best I can. However with taking a car cover on and off I find it next to impossible to keep it "perfect". I polish maybe once or twice a year and if I have to use something like RMG or EZ Creame in betweeen to hide what marring does occur then so be it.

[Spilchy]

I love glazes and use them on every single detail that I do. I only top with nubas. I have every glaze under the sun. My go to on every detail after a polishing is VM topped with RMG and finished with the nuba of my choice. The VM and RMG take like 15 minutes a piece to apply and remove. Thay make a noticeable difference after polishing.

[E300Diesel]

I feel this is very good thinking. How often can you continuously and aggressively polish your finish without the risk of clearcoat failure???



Great point. Great thread as I have been contemplating the purpose of glazes with today`s products.



On a side note for products that having a filling property, I figured that I would mention that the CG`s M-Seal brings a great pop and deeper look to the metallic finish, while @ the same time filling in minor imperfections. I have a small bottle of Menzerna`s Finishing Touch Glaze to try on my garage queen one of these days...

[SuperBee364]

1.) glazes do add some"pop" to polished paint



2.) a little bird told me that Menzerna polish "can" do some filling of there own



3.) if you never used RMG under a nice Nuba you are missing something



Big plus one on that.



I used to think that glazes were nothing more than a crutch to hide inadequate prep/polishing, but not anymore. You can only achieve so much gloss with an abrasive polish. Using a good glaze afterward can bump that up a couple levels.



And as BigJim stated, put the glaze on and then put a good nuba over the top. The look is a-mazing, and the wax will keep the glaze look for as long as the wax itself lasts. A good glaze will also make the waxing process easier, too. Collinite can sometimes be a PITA (as a lot of other waxes can, too) to remove, but if you use RMG (or other good glaze) first, it makes the wax removal process much easier. It also seems easier to apply a very thin even coat, too.



I`ve been using Danase Wet Glaze (since it`s sealant based) under 1000P on cars that I use sealant on instead of wax, and it looks fantastic. Conventional wisdom regarding DWG is that it doesn`t have much filling/hiding ability, but l disagree with that. I`ve found that it *does* conceal/hide defects fairly well. Not as good as an oil based glaze, but still better than any sealant I`ve used, and certainly *much* better than Z5 (Sal says it conceals, but I have never seen *any* hiding ability from Z5).

[akimel]

I was reading an interesting article about glazes last night. The author said that the Brits do a full polish once or twice a year, and otherwise, just use a glaze to fill the imperfections. They do this to reduce the risk of getting the clear too thin, apparently.



I think this is true. If one reads through threads over at Detailing World that are devoted to glazes, one will find a lot of support for them. A lot of experienced detailers over there really do believe that glazes can add a little extra wetness, especially on dark cars--#7 is frequently commended in this connection. And some folks like those specific glazes that hide swirls and scratches, e.g., PB`s Black Hole, Clearkote Red Moose Glaze, and CG`s EZ Creme.



Curious, isn`t it, how support for or antipathy toward glazes can vary from forum to forum, society to society. I`m not sure how one explains that.

[gmblack3]

I refuse to use glazes or products with heavy fillers. If a client does not want it done right, then they need to look for another detailer.



IMO with proper polishing or wetsanding processes, your CC removal should be in the 1-3 micron range when correcting defects.

[ZaneO]

I refuse to use glazes or products with heavy fillers. If a client does not want it done right, then they need to look for another detailer.



I agree that a glaze shouldn`t replace proper prep work, but I do like using them occasionally for appearance purposes.