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Wax, Polish confusion...
08-22-2003 | 03:31 PM
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Joined: Sep 1998
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From: Kenton, TN, USA
Wax, Polish confusion...
I have seen some post recently of people using one type of product or another and posting some things they may have read or over heard that are not quite correct, I am going to do this write up to clear up some confusion about different types of automotive polishes, waxes, and compounds.
1. Compounds: they contain a solid abrasive, they range from a very fine abrasive like in 3M Swirl Mark Remover to a very rough aggressive product like 3M Rubbing Compound. Basically you should use the least aggressive product first to see if it will level down your scratches and swirls before trying a more abrasive product as if you do use an aggressive compound you will have to step down to a finer compound before you final finish. For those that have done wood working, it is like using sand paper on wood, you start with a coarse grit and progress down to a finer grit.
2. Carnauba waxes, the most common and oldest type of wax. These come in two kinds, A. Cleaner Carnauba Wax and B. Non Cleaner Carnauba Wax, sometimes referred to as pure carnauba wax, but this is very misleading to the novice. This is because NO wax is pure or 100% composed of carnauba wax. For instance, if the container of pure carnauba wax is 16 ounces, that does not mean that it contains 16 ounces of carnauba wax. The "pure" relates to the fact that the part of the product that does contain carnauba is in fact, pure carnauba wax. On most waxes like Mothers and Meguiars they actual carnauba content will be about 4 or 5 % of the entire bottle, the rest is made up of blending agents, spread agents, petroleum, oils, silicone, etc. In the case of a cleaner carnauba wax it will also contain a solvent like Naphtha or something similar. Carnauba wax comes from plants, in its natural state it is as hard as say a plastic brick, it would be totally impossible to spread a substance that consisted of 100% carnauba waxes. Some waxes claim to contain up to 40 or 50% carnauba wax, to me this is suspect due to the fact that it would be really hard to apply and even harder to remove. Cleaner waxes will remove the previous coat of whatever you have applied already to the surface.
3. Glazes, this is the most confusing of all paint products. What is a glaze, what does it do, I am asked constantly. Basically a glaze adds gloss but not much in the way of protection from UV or other outside agents. The two most popular glazes are 3M Imperial Hand Glaze and Meguiars #7 Show Car Glazes. Both of these products also contain very fine abrasives to help level down problem paint in the same manner as number 1. listed above but they also add gloss to the paint where a straight compound would not.
4. What I call "outlaw" waxes, or car show waxes. These for the most part are not waxes at all, but products that have an extremely high DMS content. Dimethyl Silicones make paint shine like mad and are sold mainly at car shows as they are great to do a one off demo on, they shine for a short time but tend to evaporate quickly and are not water resistant and will wash off easily when the car is washed. DMS is also migratory, it can seep into paint and body panels. I have heard of many people using these types of products for a long time and when they went to get their car repainted, the painter had a terrible time with fish eyes especially on non metal panels. These products are often hawked by sellers using the fire test, the spray paint removal test and the acid test. Most all have seen them at one time. Major respected wax makers like Meguiars and Mothers would never, ever consider putting DMS into their products.
5. Synthetic Waxes: They do not rely on natural waxes for protection. They are often polymers that cross link on the surface of the paint after a curing process has taken place. They in fact, almost create an extra layer of clear coat on the surface. These also come in two different flavors: A. Cleaner Synthetics (example would be Liquid Glass) and B. Non Cleaner Synthetics (example would be Zaino) Synthetic products are much newer than carnauba products and tend to offer greater durability and a clearer shine. Where as carnauba products create a look similar to glazes with an oil type shine.
1. Compounds: they contain a solid abrasive, they range from a very fine abrasive like in 3M Swirl Mark Remover to a very rough aggressive product like 3M Rubbing Compound. Basically you should use the least aggressive product first to see if it will level down your scratches and swirls before trying a more abrasive product as if you do use an aggressive compound you will have to step down to a finer compound before you final finish. For those that have done wood working, it is like using sand paper on wood, you start with a coarse grit and progress down to a finer grit.
2. Carnauba waxes, the most common and oldest type of wax. These come in two kinds, A. Cleaner Carnauba Wax and B. Non Cleaner Carnauba Wax, sometimes referred to as pure carnauba wax, but this is very misleading to the novice. This is because NO wax is pure or 100% composed of carnauba wax. For instance, if the container of pure carnauba wax is 16 ounces, that does not mean that it contains 16 ounces of carnauba wax. The "pure" relates to the fact that the part of the product that does contain carnauba is in fact, pure carnauba wax. On most waxes like Mothers and Meguiars they actual carnauba content will be about 4 or 5 % of the entire bottle, the rest is made up of blending agents, spread agents, petroleum, oils, silicone, etc. In the case of a cleaner carnauba wax it will also contain a solvent like Naphtha or something similar. Carnauba wax comes from plants, in its natural state it is as hard as say a plastic brick, it would be totally impossible to spread a substance that consisted of 100% carnauba waxes. Some waxes claim to contain up to 40 or 50% carnauba wax, to me this is suspect due to the fact that it would be really hard to apply and even harder to remove. Cleaner waxes will remove the previous coat of whatever you have applied already to the surface.
3. Glazes, this is the most confusing of all paint products. What is a glaze, what does it do, I am asked constantly. Basically a glaze adds gloss but not much in the way of protection from UV or other outside agents. The two most popular glazes are 3M Imperial Hand Glaze and Meguiars #7 Show Car Glazes. Both of these products also contain very fine abrasives to help level down problem paint in the same manner as number 1. listed above but they also add gloss to the paint where a straight compound would not.
4. What I call "outlaw" waxes, or car show waxes. These for the most part are not waxes at all, but products that have an extremely high DMS content. Dimethyl Silicones make paint shine like mad and are sold mainly at car shows as they are great to do a one off demo on, they shine for a short time but tend to evaporate quickly and are not water resistant and will wash off easily when the car is washed. DMS is also migratory, it can seep into paint and body panels. I have heard of many people using these types of products for a long time and when they went to get their car repainted, the painter had a terrible time with fish eyes especially on non metal panels. These products are often hawked by sellers using the fire test, the spray paint removal test and the acid test. Most all have seen them at one time. Major respected wax makers like Meguiars and Mothers would never, ever consider putting DMS into their products.
5. Synthetic Waxes: They do not rely on natural waxes for protection. They are often polymers that cross link on the surface of the paint after a curing process has taken place. They in fact, almost create an extra layer of clear coat on the surface. These also come in two different flavors: A. Cleaner Synthetics (example would be Liquid Glass) and B. Non Cleaner Synthetics (example would be Zaino) Synthetic products are much newer than carnauba products and tend to offer greater durability and a clearer shine. Where as carnauba products create a look similar to glazes with an oil type shine.
Last edited by KevinSS; 08-23-2003 at 12:41 AM.
It's about time someone did this. Good job.
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