View Poll Results: Best polish/wax for darker colors applied by hand
Zaino
17
31.48%
Menzerna
7
12.96%
Blackfire
0
0%
Tropi-care
8
14.81%
Klasse
1
1.85%
Pinnacle Souveirgn
2
3.70%
Mequiars NXT
17
31.48%
3m Perfect-It
2
3.70%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 54. You may not vote on this poll
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04-12-2009, 07:31 AM
#3
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you can only do so much by hand. if youre serious about detailing, a portercable is the best investment you can buy. ive used TC swirl cutter, and it does work very well. also, 3M finesse-it.....NOT perfect-it, is supposed to work very well also.
remember, a polish and wax are 2 different things. a wax wont remove swirls. a wax or sealant is just that.....makes a sealing top coat over your paint. if you want to take swirls, you need a swirl remover. thats why TC calls it the 'TC swirl remover', and their wax or sealants are called just that. same with meg's scratch-X and any of their waxes/sealants.
if you want a full detail, start with a swirl remover, then end with a wax or sealant. personally, i use TC swirl cutter, then megs #26 hightech yellow wax.
remember, a polish and wax are 2 different things. a wax wont remove swirls. a wax or sealant is just that.....makes a sealing top coat over your paint. if you want to take swirls, you need a swirl remover. thats why TC calls it the 'TC swirl remover', and their wax or sealants are called just that. same with meg's scratch-X and any of their waxes/sealants.
if you want a full detail, start with a swirl remover, then end with a wax or sealant. personally, i use TC swirl cutter, then megs #26 hightech yellow wax.
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04-13-2009, 10:23 AM
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Bottom line is that you won't remove swirls and scratches by hand, at least not effectively. There's no quick and easy way to do it. Gotta have a buffer like a Porter Cable.
04-13-2009, 11:08 AM
#10
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Yesterday I was at the location of one of our customers in north central Iowa to show the effects of Menzerna SIP using the FLEX polisher on the quarter panel of their burgundy Ford Expedition. The owner said they had tried to clean it up using a rotary polisher but it was still cloudy and had a fair amount of scratches. After several minutes using just the SIP/orange pad/FLEX combo, I removed all the cloudiness, scratches and greatly improved the color quality.
At this point, there were no more scratches or micro-marring. After a quick swab with a 50/50 mix of IPA and water, this will remove any residue, oils or fillers to show any remaining defects. For darker colors, I like to use our black based carnauba creme alone or applied on top of our sealant.
04-17-2009, 09:44 AM
#14
At this point, there were no more scratches or micro-marring. After a quick swab with a 50/50 mix of IPA and water, this will remove any residue, oils or fillers to show any remaining defects. For darker colors, I like to use our black based carnauba creme alone or applied on top of our sealant.
04-17-2009, 11:34 AM
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A 50/50 mix of isopropyl alcohol and distilled water is great for stripping the surface of waxes and sealants plus removing the fillers/oils/residue when polishing or compounding the surface. This swabbing will expose any remaining scratches or micro-marring. You can then address any areas that need more work.
04-17-2009, 07:30 PM
#16
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It hurts my heart to see Meguiars NXT in the lead...haha
I used this stuff a few weeks ago (was out of Zaino) and even after two days, the water was not beading up on my car's surface. Terribly disappointed.
I'm going back to Zaino, never had any problems with it and suits my needs.
I used this stuff a few weeks ago (was out of Zaino) and even after two days, the water was not beading up on my car's surface. Terribly disappointed.
I'm going back to Zaino, never had any problems with it and suits my needs.
04-17-2009, 10:22 PM
#17
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As for the light swirls nothing by hand would work on the light swirls and cat scratches. I finally broke down and got a PC and Menzerna product. Unreal results. I then tried Zaino to see what it was all about. The finish was great but you really have to love your car to wax it five times. By the time I was done I didnt even want to look at the damn car.
04-17-2009, 11:06 PM
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As mentioned, to remove scratches a machine will work best however for a wax/sealer, 2-3 coats of Klasse high gloss sealant glaze by hand is extremely easy to apply and buff off, if done correctly, and gives the appearance of adding brilliant clear to your paint and lasts very long.
My truck is always outside and still beads water a year and a half later, plus it is extremely reasonable especially considering how little you use and how long it lasts.
The results are amazing with very little effort!
I have used Pinnacle Souveirgn Carnauba Paste Wax and In my opinion it is too soft (I think they say it will last 1-3 month). I didn't notice much of a difference in gloss of depth for it to warrant it's price.
Last edited by DriftR; 04-17-2009 at 11:18 PM.
