What exactly is car polishing?

[toey]

I read a bit about this on the net, and the general idea I get from it is that car polish is a form of sanding the paint using an abbrasive to make it smooth and shiny. But does this mean that, well in theory at least, everytime we apply car polish we are sanding off a layer of paint? So that if we keep doing it we would be ruining it??

Also, what is the difference from car wax?

[bogan_vk]

cut and polishing akes a layer off just polishing puts a coat of wax on your car and the way i see it you can polish as much as you want but i wouldnt cut and polish too much

[SthEastCustoms]

your theory is correct to an extent everytime the cut is used on a panel it gets in and cleans off the highest layer,

polishing in a word adds a layer.

[toey]

So should I apply car polish to take a layer off, and then apply wax to put a layer on?

[WogBoyz]

So should I apply car polish to take a layer off, and then apply wax to put a layer on?

thats the idea use the polish to clean the paint up then use a good wax only use the polish every 6 months or so and wax, once a month

[toey]

Thanks guys...and is wax applied on the same way as polish, that is, just rubbing in circles with a soft cloth?

Sorry, I am a real newbie to cars.

[Kal123]

Have a read of this guide..

http://www.detailguide.com/PDF/Mothe...uide_0_All.pdf

[toey]

Cool, thanks Kal!

[maldotcom2]

People say polishing is cleaning the paint and correcting minor defects, but how does that work with clear coat finishes? Surely if you're correcting paint problems you've long since removed the clear from that area?

Wax is simply a protective coating for all the hard work you've done polishing. It also makes washing easier.

[Car Care Products]

Polishing in its true sense is defect removal. You do not polish a car to make it shiny or to protect the paint finish. You will polish paint work to restore an oxidized or faded finish, remove swirl marks, remove water marks, remove/diminish scratches etc

What is a ‘polish’ is a bit more open ended and often what causes confusion. Polish products are generally one of the following:
- Abrasive polishes; which will physically refinish the paint surface by removing <1/2 microns of paint. These can be a mixture of diminishing abrasives or micro abrasives.
- Chemical polish; often referred to as paint cleaners.
- Filling polishes; Often referred to as glazes, they will fill light marks and imperfections but as the filling agent breaks down the marks will reappear.
- All in One (AIO) Polishes: Contain a mixture of abrasives and filling agents and are often designed for hand application where you can not generate the correction that you will get by machine polishing.


To further complicate things, some products are referred to as polishes because they make the finish shiny. Think Zaino Z2 and Duragloss products which are actually paint sealants. Typically Americans refer to any product that will make your car shiny as a polish where as Europeans talk about abrasives polishes.

So polish if you need to correct or remove a defect. If you want to make your car look shiny or have more depth then you need to apply a wax or paint sealant. If you are unsure what to use then feel free to email us and ask for a personal recommendation based on your car and its level of use.

[toey]

Wow thanks CCP, and here I was planning to polish my whole car just to make it shiny! Lucky I've only done the front and bonnet.

So what is the difference between wax and paint sealant?

[Bravotwozero]

Wow thanks CCP, and here I was planning to polish my whole car just to make it shiny! Lucky I've only done the front and bonnet.

So what is the difference between wax and paint sealant?

Sealants are synthetic and last longer than natural waxes such as carnauba. I use Zaino Z2 Pro as a sealant (synthetic) & P21S over the top (carnauba). I lay down 2 coats of Z2 & 3 coats of P21S every 6 months and my car looks mint.

Bear in mind that your results will greatly depend on your prep work. Poor prep work will result in a poor finish. Also hand polishing is waste of time imo. If you're not confident with a machine then get a professional to do it. Then maintain with regular waxing. I love waxing. The P21S goes on smooth as an looks amazing, and it only costs a little more than the junk that they flog at supercrap. Carcareproducts sell both these products.

[toey]

Bravo, by prep work you mean polishing?
I like to do it myself because, not only does it save me money, but it makes me feel proud of my car

[TMM]

People say polishing is cleaning the paint and correcting minor defects, but how does that work with clear coat finishes? Surely if you're correcting paint problems you've long since removed the clear from that area?

Wax is simply a protective coating for all the hard work you've done polishing. It also makes washing easier.

When you correct paint you only remove as little as possible - a minuscule layer, thousandths of a millimeter. By removing the defects (scratches/swirls, etching from bird poo) from the clear coat you will achieve a much deeper and glassy finish. If you 'burn through' the clear coat when polishing, then the panel has to be resprayed.

Deep scratches can be made a bit better with polishing by rounding off the sharp edges of the scratch. It won't be removed, but it will be less noticeable. To correct them properly without removing a crapload of paint you need to fill it in.

Most of the "polishes" that are intended to be used by hand are made up of very mild abrasives and lots of fillers. Therefore you are masking the scratches rather then removing them. The fillers wear off after a while and the scratches will come back.

To permanently correct a deep scratch, it can be filled in with touchup paint. The touchup paint is then flattened with high grit sandpaper, and then the area is polished to remove the marks from the sandpaper.

[VicVXBerlina]

This is just a repeat of what others have said, Polish is used create a clean fault free base for your Waxes or sealants wich actualty gives you the paint protection from the elements and inhances the prep work, this is what gives you the shine. There are variants in polishes/compounds from Chemical which are used to clean very mild contamination (dirty paint) then your abrasives, which are use to remove faults ei: swirls & sratches, these have there own ratings in harshness, so depending on the severity of the imperfection is the need to what type of Polishes are required (yes you may need more than one). As an analogy It is like creating a mirror which is a reflective background (silver, chrome) with glass over the top, so you try to get your base or paint as shiny as posible with the prep work (Polishes) and then put your LSP over the top to protect & enhance your base(The Glass). So the goal of any Pro Detailer is to get the surface of the car so flat & smooth, using polishes, so the light reflects back at you, giving that Wow factor & your Wax or Sealant gives all that work the protection & last little bling to bring it all out .

[Bravotwozero]

Bravo, by prep work you mean polishing?
I like to do it myself because, not only does it save me money, but it makes me feel proud of my car

Yeah that's part of it but I'd recommend running over the car with a clay bar before polishing. Maybe even paint cleanser as well. Just make sure there is nothing on the surface before you apply wax. Even polish residue will have detrimental effects. I usually give my car a wash with Morning Fresh before I apply wax just to make sure I've removed any residue that might be left over from claying or paint cleansing.

I know there's a fair bit to take in but the more research you do the more prepared you'll be.