Acid Rain Spots - These spots are produced when the sun evaporates standing water on the vehicle's surface. They fall into two categories, mineral deposits and acid-etched spots. Mineral deposits are white, calcium or salt deposits left on the surface after water evaporates. These deposits can be easily removed with a pre-wax cleaner (polish) or a clay bar. Acid-etched spots are depressions in the paint or clear coat. Acid etched spots are removed by removing the very thin, layer of paint or clear coat that contains the defect. This is accomplished by compounding, polishing and finishing with a wax or sealant.
Carnauba Waxes - Waxes are typically blends of Brazilian Carnauba Wax (nature's hardest, natural wax), polymers, oils and gloss agents in a petroleum solvent base. Waxes create an easily renewable, glossy, transparent barrier to protect a vehicle's finish against a hostile environment. Waxes have withstood the test of time having been used for over 100 years to protect painted surfaces. Waxes are considered to be paint-friendly and are preferred by many enthusiasts for their deeper, richer shine. On the down side, Carnauba starts to melt at 160 degrees F. which limits its durability. A general rule of thumb for all Carnauba waxes is: 50% of the wax is gone after 30 days, 75% is gone after 60 days and after 90 days the surface should be re-waxed.
Circular Polisher - (Also called rotary or high-speed polishers) These are the same professional, machine polishers used by automakers and body shops for removing sanding swirls, scratches and paint defects. These machines are best used for compounding which abrades away or levels the top paint surface. The pads do rotate on circular polishers. Most circular polishers have detent speed settings which allow the operator to control the speed up to a pre-determined limit. Many enthusiasts are afraid of these machines but they shouldn't be. When used in the 900 to 1100 rpm range, these machines are very safe for novice users. Unlike orbital polishers where the pad is used flat on the surface, a circular machine is tilted slightly to work only on the side of the pad. Professionals will use a circular polisher to remove swirls, scratches and paint defects and then follow with an orbital polisher for polishing (removing compounding haze) and finishing (applying a wax or paint sealant). The Makita 9227 and DeWalt 849 are examples of circular polishers.
Compounds - Compounds are formulas of lubricants, solvents, water and abrasive minerals in either a liquid or paste construction. Compounds are designed to remove (abrade away) a portion of the top paint or clear coat layer which contain sanding swirls, scratches, water spots or blemishes. They are available in many different grades of abrasiveness or "cut" depending on the severity of the problem to be corrected. Compounds are best used with a circular polisher but can produce acceptable results with dual-action polishers if the defect is minor. Compounds typically leave the surface dull. This surface dullness is called haze or compounding lines and is removed by polishing with increasingly less abrasive polishes.
Dual-action Polisher - (Also called orbital polishers) These machine polishers mimic the random motion of hand application. The pad does not rotate, it oscillates in very short movements. It will appear that the pads on these machines just "vibrate" on the surface. This is correct. The pad is not supposed to "turn". Orbital polishers offer the greatest safety as they can not generate enough heat or cut to damage the paint. Because the pad does not rotate, orbital polishers can not create swirls. These are excellent machines for enthusiasts but are also used by professionals for finish polishing, final waxing and buffing. These polishers can remove very light swirls but can not remove deeper swirls, scratches or paint imperfections. The Porter Cable 7424 is an example of a dual-action or orbital polisher.
Orbital Polisher - (Also called dual-action polishers) These machine polishers mimic the random motion of hand application. The pad does not rotate, it oscillates in very short movements. It will appear that the pads on these machines just "vibrate" on the surface. This is correct. The pad is not supposed to "turn". Orbital polishers offer the greatest safety as they can not generate enough heat or cut to damage the paint. Because the pad does not rotate, orbital polishers can not create swirls. These are excellent machines for enthusiasts but are also used by professionals for finish polishing, final waxing and buffing. These polishers can remove very light swirls but can not remove deeper swirls, scratches or paint imperfections. The Porter Cable 7424 is an example of a dual-action or orbital polisher.
Oxidation - Oxidation is the dulling and/or hazy appearance of a vehicle's top paint or clear coat finish. Oxidation is caused by accumulated exposure to ultraviolet light and environmental pollution. Black, red and dark color paints oxidize quicker because these pigments absorb more ultraviolet light than light color paints. Correction requires removing a portion of the top paint or clear coat that contains the oxidation. This is best accomplished using a compound and a circular polisher but acceptable results can be obtained with an orbital polisher.
Paint Sealant - (Also called synthetic waxes and paint protectants) These are formulas of man-made polymers, oils, and gloss agents designed to protect painted and/or clear coated automotive finishes. They can be water-based, petroleum solvent-based or a combination of both. These formulas offer several advantages over Carnauba Waxes. They are very durable, capable of lasting six months or more, are easy to apply and wipe off and produce a very bright shine. Water-based and oil-in-water emulsions are very paint friendly making them perfect for historic, collector and exotic vehicles. They create a very hard, glass-like barrier which resists detergents, acid rain and pollution. On the down side, some enthusiasts feel synthetic waxes produce a "sterile" shine that is bright but lacks emotion. While this may be true of some products, other synthetic protectants can be engineered to mimic the look of Carnauba. The word "sealant" is being dropped by many manufacturers as it implies that it prevents the paint from "breathing". This is a myth. First, paint does not breath. In the curing process, paint should be exposed to the air so solvents can evaporate. After 30 days, cured paint should be protected or "sealed" with some type of natural or synthetic "wax".
Polishes - (Also called pre-wax cleaners) Polishes are formulas of oils, solvents, water, clays and minerals designed to improve surface gloss and remove old wax or sealants, minor swirls, compounding haze, and light oxidation. Polishes may or may not contain fine abrasives, silicones, fillers and waxes. They do not have the "cut" of compounds and typically burnish the surface to a mirror-like gloss rather than abrade away paint. Polishes can be applied by circular polishers, dual-action polishers or by hand. Unfortunately, there is no industry standard on what constitutes a polish and some manufacturers use the word "Polish" to describe their paint sealant which adds to consumer confusion. In the strictest sense a polish is a gloss-enhancing, cleaner not a protectant but some products do contain wax or sealants which blurs the line between polishes and protectants.
Pre-wax Cleaners - (Also called polish) Polishes are formulas of oils, solvents, water, clays and minerals designed to improve surface gloss and remove old wax or sealants, minor swirls, compounding haze, and light oxidation. Polishes may or may not contain fine abrasives, silicones, fillers and waxes. They do not have the "cut" of compounds and typically burnish the surface to a mirror-like gloss rather than abrade away paint. Polishes can be applied by circular polishers, dual-action polishers or by hand. Unfortunately, there is no industry standard on what constitutes a polish and some manufacturers use the word "Polish" to describe their paint sealant which adds to consumer confusion. In the strictest sense a polish is a gloss-enhancing, cleaner not a protectant but some products do contain wax or sealants which blurs the line between polishes and protectants.
Rotary or High-speed Polisher - (Also called a circular polisher) These are the same professional, machine polishers used by automakers and body shops for removing sanding swirls, scratches and paint defects. These machines are best used for compounding which abrades away or levels the top paint surface. The pads do rotate on circular polishers. Most circular polishers have detent speed settings which allow the operator to control the speed up to a pre-determined limit. Many enthusiasts are afraid of these machines but they shouldn't be. When used in the 900 to 1100 rpm range, these machines are very safe for novice users. Unlike orbital polishers where the pad is used flat on the surface, a circular machine is tilted slightly to work only on the side of the pad. Professionals will use a circular polisher to remove swirls, scratches and paint defects and then follow with an orbital polisher for polishing (removing compounding haze) and finishing (applying a wax or paint sealant). The Makita 9227 and DeWalt 849 are examples of circular polishers.
Scratches - A scratch is a deeper break in the paint or clear coat. Scratches that go part way through the top clear coat can be removed by compounding, polishing and finishing with a wax. You should not attempt to remove a scratch that goes through or almost through the clear coat. As a general rule, if you can feel a scratch with your fingernail, you should not attempt to remove it completely. Deeper scratches can be made to look better by hand rubbing with Eagle One Scratch Remover and finishing with a wax.
Silicone - Silicone is a chemical polymer that can be engineered to posses exceptional water repellency, gloss, slipperiness and bonding properties. Silicones are commonly used in automotive products to enhance gloss, make product application and removal easier and improve durability. Silicones got a bad reputation in the early 50's when they were found to cause "fisheyes" in freshly painted panels that were not properly cleaned. Early silicones were also very greasy which attracted dust and dirt. Today, silicones can be engineered with almost any property but the myth of silicones being "bad" persists. For this reason, manufacturers typically refer to their products as containing "modern polymers" and drop the word "silicone" from their literature. In fact, today's automotive products would not be as good as they are without these modern miracles.
Swirl marks - These are curved, minor scratches in the top paint or clear coat surface. Swirls can be created by using an abrasive polish or compound, wool buffing pads or by setting the speed too high on a circular polisher. Very fine swirls can be created when washing or drying the vehicle if a grain of sand or any grit gets trapped between the sponge (towel) and the car's surface.
*NOTE-
The only way to remove a swirl is to abrade away the surrounding paint or clear coat to the lowest point in the swirl. This is best accomplished with an abrasive compound and a circular polisher. Swirls can be visually reduced by hand or with an orbital polisher using a non-abrasive polish. While these polishes are often called "Swirl Removers", they do not actually remove the swirl. They typically use a solvent cleaner to round-over the top edge of the swirl which robs sunlight of a sharp edge to cause a reflection. Fillers in the polish then fill-in the swirl. Waxing over the polish seals the fillers in place, visually hiding the swirl. This is a cosmetic fix, not a cure. As the wax ages the swirl will re-appear and the process will need to be repeated.
Synthetic Wax - (Also called paint sealants and paint protectants) These are formulas of man-made polymers, oils, and gloss agents designed to protect painted and/or clear coated automotive finishes. They can be water-based, petroleum solvent-based or a combination of both. These formulas offer several advantages over Carnauba Waxes. They are very durable, capable of lasting six months or more, are easy to apply and wipe off and produce a very bright shine. Water-based and oil-in-water emulsions are very paint friendly making them perfect for historic, collector and exotic vehicles. They create a very hard, glass-like barrier which resists detergents, acid rain and pollution. On the down side, some enthusiasts feel synthetic waxes produce a "sterile" shine that is bright but lacks emotion. While this may be true of some products, other synthetic protectants can be engineered to mimic the look of Carnauba. The word "sealant" is being dropped by many manufacturers as it implies that it prevents the paint from "breathing". This is a myth. First, paint does not breath. In the curing process, paint should be exposed to the air so solvents can evaporate. After 30 days, cured paint should be protected or "sealed" with some type of natural or synthetic "wax".
Waxes - (Also called Carnauba Waxes) Waxes are typically blends of Brazilian Carnauba Wax (nature's hardest, natural wax), polymers, oils and gloss agents in a petroleum solvent base. Waxes create an easily renewable, glossy, transparent barrier to protect a vehicle's finish against a hostile environment. Waxes have withstood the test of time having been used for over 100 years to protect custom painted surfaces. Waxes are considered to be paint-friendly and are preferred by many enthusiasts for their deeper, richer shine. On the down side, Carnauba starts to melt at 160 degrees F. which limits its durability. A general rule of thumb for all Carnauba waxes is: 50% of the wax is gone after 30 days, 75% is gone after 60 days and after 90 days the surface should be re-waxed.
