wax/polish??

[dark_sounds]

meguirs seem to have some deep good whatever wax,,, ive always used autoglym polish...

whats the difference between a wax and polish, and whats better????

[nightfever]

As i understand it, polish restores the paint to make it "shiny" again, and wax seals the polish and paint.

Jon will probably give the proper, detailed answer later.
If so can you answer my question too? If i use something like Meguiars scratch-x, will i still need to clay it afterwards/before? Thanks.

[c76jon]

meguirs seem to have some deep good whatever wax,,, ive always used autoglym polish...

whats the difference between a wax and polish, and whats better????

Here is an attempt to inform what the differences are between wax,polish,sealant etc by explaining what they are,what they do and what to expect with their pros and cons.

Carnauba Waxes - Waxes are typically blends of Brazilian Carnauba Wax (nature's hardest, natural wax), polymers, oils and gloss agents in a petroleum solvent base. Waxes create an easily renewable, glossy, transparent barrier to protect a vehicle's finish against a hostile environment. Waxes have withstood the test of time having been used for over 100 years to protect painted surfaces. Waxes are considered to be paint-friendly and are preferred by many enthusiasts for their deeper, richer shine. On the down side, Carnauba starts to melt at 160 degrees F. which limits its durability. A general rule of thumb for all Carnauba waxes is: 50% of the wax is gone after 30 days, 75% is gone after 60 days and after 90 days the surface should be re-waxed.

Compounds - Compounds are formulas of lubricants, solvents, water and abrasive minerals in either a liquid or paste construction. Compounds are designed to remove (abrade away) a portion of the top paint or clear coat layer which contain sanding swirls, scratches, water spots or blemishes. They are available in many different grades of abrasiveness or "cut" depending on the severity of the problem to be corrected. Compounds are best used with a circular polisher but can produce acceptable results with dual-action polishers if the defect is minor. Compounds typically leave the surface dull. This surface dullness is called haze or compounding lines and is removed by polishing with increasingly less abrasive polishes.


Paint Sealant - (Also called synthetic waxes and paint protectants) These are formulas of man-made polymers, oils, and gloss agents designed to protect painted and/or clear coated automotive finishes. They can be water-based, petroleum solvent-based or a combination of both. These formulas offer several advantages over Carnauba Waxes. They are very durable, capable of lasting six months or more, are easy to apply and wipe off and produce a very bright shine. Water-based and oil-in-water emulsions are very paint friendly making them perfect for historic, collector and exotic vehicles. They create a very hard, glass-like barrier which resists detergents, acid rain and pollution. On the down side, some enthusiasts feel synthetic waxes produce a "sterile" shine that is bright but lacks emotion. While this may be true of some products, other synthetic protectants can be engineered to mimic the look of Carnauba. The word "sealant" is being dropped by many manufacturers as it implies that it prevents the paint from "breathing". This is a myth. First, paint does not breath. In the curing process, paint should be exposed to the air so solvents can evaporate. After 30 days, cured paint should be protected or "sealed" with some type of natural or synthetic "wax".


Polishes - (Also called pre-wax cleaners) Polishes are formulas of oils, solvents, water, clays and minerals designed to improve surface gloss and remove old wax or sealants, minor swirls, compounding haze, and light oxidation. Polishes may or may not contain fine abrasives, silicones, fillers and waxes. They do not have the "cut" of compounds and typically burnish the surface to a mirror-like gloss rather than abrade away paint. Polishes can be applied by circular polishers, dual-action polishers or by hand. Unfortunately, there is no industry standard on what constitutes a polish and some manufacturers use the word "Polish" to describe their paint sealant which adds to consumer confusion. In the strictest sense a polish is a gloss-enhancing, cleaner not a protectant but some products do contain wax or sealants which blurs the line between polishes and protectants


hope this helps

john

[c76jon]

As i understand it, polish restores the paint to make it "shiny" again, and wax seals the polish and paint.

Jon will probably give the proper, detailed answer later.
If so can you answer my question too? If i use something like Meguiars scratch-x, will i still need to clay it afterwards/before? Thanks.

no you wont
but remember that abrasive product will remove all wax/polish.sealant that you have on so you will need to cover area again afterwards

john

[dark_sounds]

right so meguirs gold liquid wax is a wax? so its not meant to make a shine though it says it does??

iv noticed its tougher to get off then the autoglym polish i use normally. though thought ill give it a go... any i doing something wrong with the meguirers?

[c76jon]

right so meguirs gold liquid wax is a wax? so its not meant to make a shine though it says it does??

iv noticed its tougher to get off then the autoglym polish i use normally. though thought ill give it a go... any i doing something wrong with the meguirers?

yes wax will make something shine when buffed
polish being slightly abrasive
look at it like this

slightlly dull chrome tip on exhaust.
put wax on it it wont perform really well
use a metal POLISH and the small amount of abrasive will remove tarnish and give shine

so if you paint prep is really good then the wax will give good shine
if surface isnt that good and has oxidisation/contaminants etc on it then wax wont give you a good shine whereas a polish with its abrasives will remove shite and give you shine
wax (carnuba content) is totally non abrasive whereas polish is slightly abrasive

problem is many products are technically wrongly labelled

when using meguiars use a very very small amount.put a very thin film on the panel
you will find it gives better results and is far easier to work with

john

[nav786]

Jon any news on the porter cables?

i used my zaino kit today and i am over the moon. i was only testing it as i didnt use the swirl remover as i only had a couple of hours, but the finish is so much better than what i could achieve with autoglym. pics in pub talk.

and thanks for all your help mate!!

[c76jon]

Jon any news on the porter cables?

i used my zaino kit today and i am over the moon. i was only testing it as i didnt use the swirl remover as i only had a couple of hours, but the finish is so much better than what i could achieve with autoglym. pics in pub talk.

and thanks for all your help mate!!

the zpc will make a BIG diffference

remember PREP PREP PREP

the more effort you make on prep will pay off ten fold when you apply the final products.

john