not what brand, not what process, but how does it work?
10-20-2006, 05:42 PM
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not what brand, not what process, but how does it work? i like to think that i take pretty good care of my car. it's washed regularly, clayed, waxed (whatever my dad has laying around, meguires last time i think), etc. granted, it still has some swirls, some water spots here and there, especially when i get busy and they get reintroduced into the paint. i've read some of the write-ups, i know what brands of products you guys would recommend, don't misunderstand... that's NOT what this is about. i can follow directions, read up on "how to" and make it happen. no... i'm more interested in a detailed explanation as to what each of these is actually doing? i know it sounds stupid, but i use these things without even really understanding how they work. rubbing compounds, glaze, claybar (removes contaminents, i understand), filler, etc. i just wanna know what's really happening as i'm sitting there rubbing this stuff on my paint. this is the first black car i've ever owned, hence i've really taken an interest in the health of my paint and i think it's irresponsible not to know why you're doing what you're doing. help guys!
*note... let's keep the sarcasm to a minimum here. i have the general idea as to the end result of the use of these products... i.e. a filler is filling in the swirls, but i want to know HOW this is happening. Thanks!
*note... let's keep the sarcasm to a minimum here. i have the general idea as to the end result of the use of these products... i.e. a filler is filling in the swirls, but i want to know HOW this is happening. Thanks!
10-20-2006, 07:47 PM
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Well a polish is an abrasive (rubbing compound being one of the most abrasive and a glaze being one of the least) so through friction/heat it smooths out the imperfections in the paint. It's kind of like sanding with the added element of heat. Think of it this way, if you put your fingernail into the top of a candle it will leave an imprint (in this case a scratch on a car). By lighting the match and it melting (heating up and morphing due to the friction of the polish and the applicator) the imprint gets filled in. A claybar is used to remove surface contaminants so as it passes over each spec of dust/dirt/tar/etc it gets caught in the clay and removed from the paint's surface, leaving the surface smooth. As for a filler, the only kind of example I can think of is to think about a cheese grater. Think of all the holes it has in it and how when you glide the cheese over it, the holes catch it and (if they weren't holes but just pits, as it would be on a car) then it would just fill the holes until they didn't catch it anymore. Once the hole is filled, there is no ridge left to catch any more of the cheese and (if the cheese was the same color as the grater) you would not be able to see the holes as easily anymore.
10-20-2006, 09:28 PM
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Excellent explanations from Arctic! I hope this clears up any conception that these products interact with the paint on a chemical level. I had one guy tell me once that claybars get rid of scratches. 
Speaking of claybars, there's a theory that a claybar is actually an abrasive that works by essentially "filing" off large imperfections (IE sanding) that rise above your paint, as opposed to picking it up.
Do keep in mind that by re-leveling your clear coat in your attempts to reduce the visual appearance of scratches, that you're also wearing away a finite coating. This is why highly-abrasive/one-shot methods like wetsanding are often discouraged for most cars.
I also schooled myself in the art of detailing once I got the black Z in my sig. It's my daily driver, so it's a full-time job to keep it looking nice. I've made many mistakes along the way, the biggest one was pairing the wrong polish/compound with a PC7336. IMO the only thing as important as your process, is your pairing.
Anyway, the results are well worth it every time, even though they usually don't last past a week. Understanding the fundamentals of how each type of product works is crucial to understanding its intended application, so it was a good question.
Speaking of claybars, there's a theory that a claybar is actually an abrasive that works by essentially "filing" off large imperfections (IE sanding) that rise above your paint, as opposed to picking it up.
Do keep in mind that by re-leveling your clear coat in your attempts to reduce the visual appearance of scratches, that you're also wearing away a finite coating. This is why highly-abrasive/one-shot methods like wetsanding are often discouraged for most cars.
I also schooled myself in the art of detailing once I got the black Z in my sig. It's my daily driver, so it's a full-time job to keep it looking nice. I've made many mistakes along the way, the biggest one was pairing the wrong polish/compound with a PC7336. IMO the only thing as important as your process, is your pairing.
Anyway, the results are well worth it every time, even though they usually don't last past a week. Understanding the fundamentals of how each type of product works is crucial to understanding its intended application, so it was a good question.
10-20-2006, 11:32 PM
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A clay bar is not abrasive(if used correctly) and it does not remove defects, bonded contaminents actually stick to the clay bar and are pulled off the paint leaving a clean surface this is an important step. A paint cleaner such as mequiars ScratchX has diminishing abrashives and when properly used removes paint material around scratches and swirls eliminating them. A pure polish restores oils to your paint creating a better shine, it is not abrashive.
10-22-2006, 11:23 AM
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Originally Posted by benchpresser356
A clay bar is not abrasive(if used correctly) and it does not remove defects, bonded contaminents actually stick to the clay bar and are pulled off the paint leaving a clean surface this is an important step. A paint cleaner such as mequiars ScratchX has diminishing abrashives and when properly used removes paint material around scratches and swirls eliminating them. A pure polish restores oils to your paint creating a better shine, it is not abrashive.
And a polish does not restore oils to the paint, because the paint has (or should have) a layer of clear above it.
10-22-2006, 11:36 AM
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Then why use pure polish/glaze at all?
It's always been my understanding that they contain oils/chemicals that bond to paint, clearcoat obviously, that help create gloss. In a sense, the paint has been "nourished," though of course, no oils are going to go through the clear to replenish or treat paint in any way.
It's always been my understanding that they contain oils/chemicals that bond to paint, clearcoat obviously, that help create gloss. In a sense, the paint has been "nourished," though of course, no oils are going to go through the clear to replenish or treat paint in any way.