polish, wax, sealant, glaze... I'm confused!! Help!

[stimpy32]

So many terminologies!.. Just followed a thread here about polishes - or rather i think it was waxes.. Folk mentioned the dodo juice and the bill hamber double speed wax. Then they mentioned sealing...

Looked it up and it reads as a similar thing - confused. I'm assuming the "sealant" should do just that, but where does the wax come in?..

I've got a vito in Cavansite blue which basically only looks good in Florida like sunshine what could bring this out?

I've also got an older car in a grand prix white that's had a respray and looking to protect / super shine this up ( already got a stone chip :-(), what would be best?.

Oh, and for the van would one of them G3 miss be useful? I need to clean that thing up quick with low maintenance whereas i don't mind a bit more time on the older steed...

Any advice welcomed.

 

[Toobad]

Polishes are abrasives used to correct imperfections like swirls and scratches. In their purest form, they offer no protection.
Sealants are protectants used after a polish. They produce a high gloss, sterile finish best suited to lighter coloured cars.
Waxes are also protectants to be used after polishing. They generally don't last as long as a sealant but many prefer the oily, mile-deep gloss they can produce on darker coloured cars. Hybrid waxes contain both sealant and natural wax to try to give you the best of both worlds. Sealants that come in paste form are sometimes confusingly also just called wax because they are applied in the same way but the correct term should be synthetic wax.

You can apply a wax over a sealant to alter or reinforce the protection properties but never, never, I say NEVER, apply a sealant over a wax. A Farecla G3 clay mitt is used to ensure the surface you are about to abrade (ie. polish) is as free of contaminants as possible. This is an essential process for any paintwork about to be polished as it will remove all previous protection so you can start with a virgin surface. Polishing over contaminants such as tar spot remnants will result in "marring" which simply means a less than perfect finish.

 

[daveenty]

Nothing to add to the above really. Very descriptive and accurate.

The initial cleaning will take a while, especially on a van, though once done correctly will be relatively simple and quick to maintain.

To summarise: -

Wash
Clay
Polish
Seal
Wax

 

[OneForTheRoad]

i used poor boys wax sealant for the 1st time at the weekend , very impressed with it . apply with wet sponge applicator , leave for an hour then rub off , effortless and no dusty residue . £13 a bottle at car parts 4 less .

 

[Alex225]

Toobad has it nailed there really.

Polish - removes scratches, makes things shiny
Glazes - Enhance that shine, often contain fillers to mask light swirls etc.
Wax - Protects the shiny finish from the above
Sealants - Add another layer of protection and acts as another layer of protection

To be honest OP, if you're starting out with making your car look better a simple combination of polish and wax or sealant will work really well for you.

I assume you'll be applying things by hand rather than machine. Give Autoglym Super Resin Polish (£20) a go and then coat it with something like Collinite 845 (£20) wax. The Super Resin isn't particularly abrasive but will remove light marks and contains fillers so mask swirls etc. I've used it for years and always have a bottle somewhere, will leave a really nice finish. Two coats of Collinite will last 6 months+ and leave it beading rain nicely. A nice simply combination that I've used on and off for a long time.

There are loads of other options of course so I'm sure there's some other suggestions en route but it doesn't have to be overly complicated or expensive to get your car looking great.

 

[stimpy32]

Thanks lads, I think i sort of had a bit of a clue it's just many products seem to have confusing / mixed titles.

So with the new painted vehicle it would definitely be beneficial to do a seal i assume?. This paint has been on the car for over a year so should be stable - the car has only had maybe 3 outings since then. I have used meguiars gold - i assume that is a wax, so would need to polish this off before being able to seal? Or actually do i mean clay it off?..

Does using the sealant really help minimise maintenance - i.e. mean easier to clean? And once you have this on you won't want to do any claying or polishing - that is until it needs re doing?.

I do have a buddy who uses a DA and has offered many times to help but personally i just have my hands at home.. Though if it would help hugely i could always make the purchase...

Thanks again!..

 

[Alex225]

Trust me there's plenty of confusing products out there. Even ones that say Wax and then Polish within the instructions. Which is it a bloody wax or a polish? haha

In terms of using a sealant, they are essentially chemical waxes, do the same thing give or take. It just so happens you can wax on top of them for additional longevity.

If would recommend polishing the paintwork before you opt to seal it, that'll remove any wax that's on there and prep the paintwork for a sealant.

Once you've applied the sealant, you wouldn't want to be claying or polishing until you reapply. Both of those stages would remove the sealant so I'd say 6-12 months of straight forward washing.

 

[tbourner]

There are also some polish-wax hybrids which claim to be mildly abbrasive to remove very fine swirls whilst symultaneously adding protection. I don't use them personally but might be fine for a reasonably good paint surface.

 

[stimpy32]

Cheers lads. Have ordered some Bilt Hamber stuff to start with...

With regards if i use the sealant and then wax over this, would i still use something like the G3 mitt? just to get crud off first or is that too abrasive so just do a funky wash and dry...

Would one still over wax periodically in that regime?.

Thanks for bearing with me!..

 

[tbourner]

I generally do a wash (2 bucket method, woollen mitt, Sonax shampoo), then a clay (just water with very weak shampoo as a lubricant), then a polish if I think the paint needs it, then I wax without sealing first (Harley Wax with a soft applicator pad and microfibre towels).
This lasts about 6 months usually, with normal washing in that time just using the wool mitt and shampoo - never used a clay mitt but you wouldn't want to clay during interim washes as you're meant to seal/wax each time after claying.

 

[David404]

If you are going to the trouble (and cost) of polishing/sealing/waxing a car I'd suggest claying the car, this is done immediately after washing. A previous poster has suggested a Farecla G3 clay mitt, I'd second this, Halfords sell them think they are £15/£20.

Clay mits are VERY easy to use, require mimimal effort and make a massive difference. As previously noted they remove all previus waxes/sealants but they also remove embedded contaminates in the paint. Rub the paint surface gently with a clay mitt and you WILL feel the difference, starts off feeling slightly abrasive then goes smooth as the contaminates are removed. Its not abrasives in the mitt youre feeling its the gunk in the paint.

 

[Toobad]

Here's an example of the sequence for the application of all the "magic potions". Hopefully it will clear up any confusion about what comes after what.

I put yesterday's glorious weather to good use and gave Red Ken his annual tart up. Having already flatted the orange peel that now comes free with all new cars when he was only one day old, I really didn't want to remove even more of the clearcoat. Even though I'm meticulous when washing him he has accumulated the inevitable light swirls and scratches over the last 2 years. I decided to use an extremely fine polish (from the boating world actually) and a soft foam pad on my dual action polisher. This combination removed about 90% of the damage and I used a glaze to mask the remainder. A glaze is used in the detailing world to "polyfilla" the microscopic valleys in the clearcoat which constitute a scratch and restore a flat surface. And of course, the flatter the surface, the better the reflectivity and the higher the gloss.
Two coats of Blackfire Wet Diamond paint sealant topped off with two coats of Blackfire Midnight Sun carnauba wax and the job's a good 'un. I've yet to find a combination that can produce such immense flake pop and that oily mile-deep glossy finish that suits darker coloured cars so well. Although photos just can't do the end result justice, here's Red Ken in all his retina-searing glory:

The effect can readily be achieved by hand polishing, it just takes a little more time and dedication. Many would say driving the car would be a far better use of their time but, with both feet already firmly in the OCD camp, I find detailing both relaxing and immensely satisfying. These are sources for the products used, just click on the names below:

Nanotech Super Gloss Polish

.50 Cal Glaze

Blackfire Wet Diamond Protectant

Blackfire Midnight Sun carnauba wax

 

[daveenty]

I've been using Blackfire products for a long time now and totally agree with the above.

I bought the "Wet Ice over Fire" kit many years ago and still have a fair bit left. I first used it over 6 years ago and would still recommend it today. In fact I've just done the 190E with it and it's looking good. I've tried various other products but always come back to this one.

No photos as I've no time today.

 

[stimpy32]

TooBad - JUST WOW!!!! It looks amazing on screen so must look insane in the metal!..

Sadly i have just took receipt of some Bilt Hamber products but shall bare this Blackfire gear in mind for the future definitely. My Vito is Cavansite dark metallic blue which frankly just looks like navy blue most of the time but i would imagine with the Blackfire it would really pop...

I've got a clay mitt on order too... And definitely considering a DA now - the vito has scratches and the newly painted white car could really do with some flatting imo....

So which DA polishers are folk using or are they all the same?...

And thanks again so much lads.

 

[daveenty]

So which DA polishers are folk using or are they all the same?

THIS ONE seems to be getting the best reviews and is the one I use. I use it with Hex Logic pads, orange, green and white from the same site.

 

[Toobad]

I'd second @daveenty The 8mm orbital throw and the extra power of the uprated motor hits the sweetspot for dealing with the very hard clearcoat Mercedes use. I have a DAS6 PRO+ with a 15mm orbital throw and whilst it will cover the real estate quicker, I think the more concentrated footprint of the PRO is better suited especially if you are considering flatting some orange peel. Use the discount code DAS6GROUPBUY and you should get the price down to £99.95 delivered on the CYC site.

The shape of the newer Chemical Guys HexLogic Quantum pads allows you to lean in a bit heavier when polishing and the extra grunt of the PRO won't stop rotation when you do. I assume the white respray isn't as hard as the paint on the Vito, just remember you can't put back what you take off so always start with the least aggressive combination of polish and foam pad and confirm it isn't doing the job before stepping up a grade. Have a look at the latest One-Step auto-reducing polishes, they can save you a lot of time by doing the job of both a cutting and finishing polishes because the longer you work it, the abrasive particles reduce in size to produce a finer and glossier finish. Scholl Concepts are a leading German company in polishing technology. Have a look at their S20 Black polish and their pad combinations. I used their S3 Gold XXL polish and black+white sandwich Spiderpad to flatten the orange peel on Red Ken but be aware, at this level of aggressiveness, you would burn through soft Asian paint in the blink of an eye!

Premium Rubbing Compounds | Scholl Concepts

 

[stimpy32]

Thanks lads. That Das Pro unit looks to be good value, i shall go with that. Overwhelming choice of pads and polish but i'll have a look.

As to the paint on the white car, its not a cheap a car and wasn't a cheap respray - but as to what paint they ACTUALLY used i couldn't confirm!!.. It's been over a year now so should be hardened atleast..

 

[flowrider]

I have been thinking of getting a DA polisher and the DAS6 was one on my list but I cant get the DAS6GROUPBUY code to work on the Clean Your Car website.

 

[Toobad]

It was working when I did a trial buy on Tuesday and it is still working today for me even after clearing all cookies in both Edge and Opera. I think it only works if you add the machine alone and not a pad/polish combo. It took my Cart value from £114.95 down to £99.95. If you can't make it work you could always try DW05 for a 5% reduction on your total Cart value.

 

[flowrider]

Thanks, you are correct the group buy code is for the DA only and not the kits.