Can you guys give a definition of.....

N

nosed_b18b

New member
I think I will understand the steps in applying these products if I can get an understanding of what they are and what they do. I have an engineering type of mind, and I will understand these better if I get a definition of these. Also, I just like to know everything about everything.:D





1. Polish???



2. Glaze???



3. Wax???



4. Sealant???



5. Cleaner Wax???



6. Paint Cleaner???
 
Polish, the product that cleanses paint, gives it the shine....

Glaze, fills small visual imperfections, extremely light scratches...

Wax, protectant..

Sealant, like a wax, but more durable....

Cleaner wax, an all in one product, used for quick cleanings, no longevity....Lightly polishes and waxes...

Paint cleaner, can be chemical or abrasive, can also be called a polish....



Thats it in a nutshell, without getting into a debate...
 
Ok, so essentially a paint cleaner is considered a polish???



So, if I applied some of the stuff I have learned from this site, which is a lot crammed into a few days, then I should have this following procedure of cleaning a car:



1. First I will wash and dry.



2. If that isn't enough to make the car shine, then I will clay and rinse.



3. If that isn't enough, then i will use a light polish/smr/paint cleaner.



4. If that isn't enough, then I will use a more aggressive polish.



5. After that, I will apply a sealer/wax.



6. And lastly, if I feel like it, I can apply a glaze to make it look its best.





Or, if I'm lazy, I'll just use the cleaner wax.:p



Am I right in all of this??? Or am I missing something and/or mixed up the steps???:confused:
 
nosed_b18b said:
6. And lastly, if I feel like it, I can apply a glaze to make it look its best.





Or, if I'm lazy, I'll just use the cleaner wax.:p



Am I right in all of this??? Or am I missing something and/or mixed up the steps???:confused:
Click to expand...



I guess you could put a glaze on top of your wax/sealant but, don't expect it to last too long. A glaze isn't considered a "topper".
 
1- Cleaner: Use a paint cleaner, as necessary, when you need to remove oxidation, swirls and scratches.



2- Polish: Use a polish when you need to polish-out mild surface oxidation and fine surface scratches. A polish would always be used after applying a paint cleaner.



3- Cleaner Wax: Use a cleaner wax when you need to remove light oxidation and mild surface contamination. Use to clean, polish and protect with one application.



4- Glaze: Use a glaze when you want to restore that deep gloss shine, especially after polishing.



5- Wax: Use a wax when you want to provide maximum protection, deepen the gloss and enhance the distinctness of surface image reflection.



6- Sealant: Use a sealant when you want to provide maximum protection and create an exceptional long lasting, high gloss shine.



I hope this helps...
 
nosed_b18b- Different manufacturers use different definitions of many of these products. Paint cleaners/polishes for instance, and polishes/glazes. Makes it a little hard to generalize, you really have to consider these products on a by-case basis.



But generally ;) you're on the right track except for the "glaze after waxing" part. Like NHBFAN said, you normally would NOT apply the glaze as your last step. It could compromise your underlying wax/sealant (through solvent action) and it would wash/wear off quickly, leaving you back where you started (or worse).



If you're talking about a "classic definition of glaze" like Meg's #3/5/7 or 3M's IHG, then you would apply it AFTER polishing and BEFORE your wax. These glazes are generally NOT used before sealants as the oils/fillers in the glaze would compromise the sealant's ability to bond, although Meg's glazes generally work fine under Meg's sealants (they're big on product compatibility). Glazes are usually used either by themselves (short term beauty treatments for show cars) or under (carnauba) waxes.
 
Like Accumulator & NHBFAN said: You don't apply a glaze *after* your wax/sealant -- you try it before. But only use a glaze if you're going to use something like Megs #26. Don't use a glaze before Zaino, as the glaze has oils that interfere with Zaino's bonding.



I know ... I know ... you probably figured "Heck! Any ignorant bubba knows how to detail a car." But when you get into the details of the process, there are some nuances that you need to pay attention to. I hope you're finding this thread helpful.
 
Holy s*** guys. I think I've learned more on this one thread than the past weeks I've been reading/lurking around here. This kind of thread is exactly what I've been trying to search for the whole time. But anyways, let's see if I've got the steps right this time:



1. Wash/dry car.

2. Clay w/ qd lube or wash formula. Then rinse and dry.

3. Paint cleaner.

4. Polish.(always use light polish after paint cleaner.)

5. Glaze.

6. Wax/sealant.(some wax/sealants will not bond after a glaze)



Am I right in all of this??? Also, a couple other questions came to my head while writing this. Sorry guys:p



1. Would a smr be classified as a light polish??? Or is that another step???

2. When would I use a more abrasive polish??

3. Is a Paint cleaner a necessary step??



Thanks again guys.:xyxthumbs
 
nosed_b18b- Glad you're finding this useful.



Your steps 3 and 4 (paint cleaner/polish) run into the "different manufacturers use different terminology" thing. Having used many of the products that go by those names (over, oh, the last 30 years..), I still don't see much of a difference between the two classes of products. Some "paint cleaners" use purely chemical action, with no (or minimal) abrasives, but that can be said of some "polishes" too. Easy to get too caught up in the terminology/fine points of this stuff and give it too much weight, IMO.



Some people use a paint cleaner first so they can better access the condition of their paint, figuring that this gives them a better chance of picking the right polish the first time. Nothing wrong with that if you have the time and inclination (and there are some good points in its favor). But I virtually NEVER bother with it.



UNLESS you have significant oxidation, or you clay has somehow failed to thoroughly clean the paint (in which cases, yeah, use a paint cleaner), *I* would say just try your mildest polish in a small, representative area and see how it works. You'll probably find that you need something stronger anyhow (most people seem to). This sorta addresses your question #3. General answer is "no", you probably don't need a dedicated "paint cleaner". But *I* recommend that you have some Klasse AIO on hand, it's sorta a "jack of all trades" product that can be handy to have around. And it can REALLY clean paint. Removes clay and polish residue quite well oxidation too.



Q#1- SMRs ARE light polishes. They contain very mild abrasives and (usually) fillers to hide what they can't remove (because they're so mild).



Q#2-You use more aggressive polishes (more abrasive) when the milder ones don't remove your marring well/quickly enough. You often have to follow these stronger polishes up with a milder one as the aggressive ones leave ("micro"-)marring of their own.



MY suggested approach, which should give some pretty incredible results (and if it doesn't, it's probably technique, NOT the fault of a "too streamlined" process):



-Wash

-Clay while washing, rewashing each panel after claying (keep vehicle wet to prevent water spots)

-Rinse/dry

-Polish with a general-strength polish like 1Z Paint Polish (green can) or 3M's PI-III MG (pn 05937)

-Wax (Meg's #16)



Quick, simple, effective. You can always get more complicated later.
 
If you're lucky, it'll just be optional (before the wax). Sometimes people have trouble of varying severity with their clay and/or polish leaving a residue on the paint. The AIO will clean it off. This wouldn't be a problem with the 1z polishes, but a few people have had SERIOUS trouble with clay residue lately, so I wanted to mention it. But I myself have NEVER had a problem with clay residue, and I clay quite often :nixweiss



Again, it's just a handy thing to have around. Well worth the expense, IMO.
 
Nice. Well anyways, are there any products that you would recommend to me??? I'm going to be doing this as a mobile side job for a few extra bucks every week. So far, I am getting:



1. Meguiars GC shampoo

2. Mother's clay bar

3. klasse aio



Any good polishes that you recommend?? Any good waxes/sealants??? I don't want 50 different products to do the same thing. I just want enough products that will get me through most stuff.
 
nosed_b18b- See my previous post for polish/wax recommendations (1Z is my fave polish). P UPP is a good synthetic that isn't too tricky to use. EX is also popular. *I* don't find the Gold Class wash to have sufficient lubricity, I prefer Griot's Car Wash.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top