What is meant by "Pure Polish"?

[cardriver]

I did a quick search that didn't yield any juicy bites, so here goes...

Far as Meguiar's is concerned, what is meant by a "pure polish"? From what I understand, the pure polishes really don't have anything to do with polishing...which in my mind, basically paint correction.

The 2 "pure polishes" that I'm aware of, namely Deep Crystal System Polish, #7 in the Mirror Glaze line, and #45 High Gloss Polish in the Marine/RV lineup, aren't really used for polishing, correct?
instead, they are used to nourish the clearcoat with enriching oils, right?
(I know when and where to use them. I'm more concerned with the terminology that Meguiar's uses here).

So am I correct in thinking that "Meguiar's paint-enriching oils are called polishes, even though they don't really have anything to do with polishing"?
I guess I'm just wondering why these things are called "pure polishes" .

Someone want to clear this up for me so I can rest easy? Thanks!

[Murr1525]

Yeah. It is easy to get tied up in "old school' terminology, and 'other companies' terminology, and then what Meguiars calls things.

Yes, when Meguiars says polish, they mean add oils to the paint. Pure polishes include DC Polish, #3, #5, #7, and #81.

The term for cleaning paint and swirl removal is clean. The paint cleaners, compounds, etc would be under that term.

[Mike Pennington]

Hi cardriver,

Keep in mind, we have been around for 108 years and some of our terminology covers early paint styles...

As stated above polishes do create brilliant high gloss before waxing is done.

When paint was "older" you could use a pure polish (no cleaning ability) to do correction and create gloss since the paint was non catalyzed and pretty easy to massage. Hence the saying "hand rubbed lacquer"...You could actually use a pure polish to remove defects. In some areas, this style of paint is still used in the refinish industry.

As paint evolved / advanced it became "harder" and "hand rubbing with a pure polish" became obsolete due to the hardness of the paint. At that point in time we began introducing "cleaner/polishes" ( M09, M83, M80, M82 just to name a few). These are essentially pure polishes with some mild abrasive / cleaning properties to them. This had to be done to actually remove material and remove the defect (swirls etc...) due to the nature of the paint.

Now days ,we still make pure polishes and cleaner polishes to address the different needs of people and paint

Hope this helps

[cardriver]

Thanks for the info, gentlemen. I suppose it's smart to have an understanding of current terminology as well as "older" terminology and how certain terms came to be. I guess it's easy to become confused when different companies or people have different ideas of certain processes...and then you throw in "time" to the mix and sometimes it's hard to keep up . That answers my question, anywho.

By the way, since my question is answered, can/do you delete or close such threads, or do you simply keep them open for future reference for others?

[Mike Pennington]

I guess it's easy to become confused when different companies or people have different ideas of certain processes...and then you throw in "time" to the mix and sometimes it's hard to keep up .

We agree it is confusing But we do appreciate you posting the question. That's why we are here

By the way, since my question is answered, can/do you delete or close such threads, or do you simply keep them open for future reference for others?

We would prefer to keep the thread open, since we know there are others who will have the same thoughts and may want to chime in

[Eddie6th]

After I bought my brand new Insight with Black pearl paint,I noticed a scuff mark on the front of the wing. It was an abrasion,but not as heavy as cobwebs,and DC2 did successfully remove it. I don't know if this would have worked on another vehicle with harder paint. I have used it to remove scratches and swirls on soft single stage paints(not automotive),and NitroCellulose finishes on musical instruments.

This was also a problem I had,as I didn't understand the 'meguiar's' terminology. I do now,and use the products accordingly.

[Fly Bye]

What is meant by "Pure Polish"?

This is a grey area. It's been said before, differen't companies/manufacturers, use differen't terminology for differen't tasks/products.

The actual physical act of smoothing, leveling, making flat & perfectly fine/ultra smooth is known as "polishing". Now, Meguiars considers/refers to a product that has no abrassive properties, a "pure" polish. Although a Meguiars "pure" polish has no abrassives, if an aggressive method is used to "work" the product, (by hand, or by machine/device, rough cloth ect.) it is generating friction, hense polishing.

By adding higher abrassive properties to these "pure" polishes, in essense, they are still polishes, because the physical act in which they are used, is "polishing". A product that has no wax or oil, which has abrassives whether mild or heavy, in Meguiars terminology is called a cleaner, or a compound. Yet, the physical act in which these products are used...is polishing/burnishing, creating friction as a means of leveling a finished surface as to make smooth & shiny. In my mind, a polish may, or may not have wax or oils in it.


Here is a description of Meguiars Compound Power Cleaner M84:

Compound Power Cleaner contains aggressive abrasives to boost cleaning power and efficiency. Specially formulated for fast, safe cleaning. Quickly removes Meguiar’s® Unigrit® 1200 grit sanding marks. Diminishing Abrasives™ cut quickly, then reduce to a polishing rouge, while Buffered Abrasive™ action lubricates the finish to prevent scouring.

http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/produc...?T1=MEG+POW+32




Note the words "polishing rouge" in the description. A polishing rouge is a term for "fine compound". The names buffing compound and polishing compound are used interchangeably and refer to fine/meduim abrasives. The diminishing abrassives in Compound Power Cleaner, according to the description on Meguiars website, reduce to a polishing rouge. A polishing rouge is a "fine compound". In essense, Meguiars is refering to Compound Power Cleaner M84 as, a "polish".

Basically, you can call a product anything you want, the fact is, if you're creating friction, in essense, you are polishing/rubbing/compounding. Now whether you call, or refer to a product as a cleaner, or a compound, if you engage in an act that causes friction, leveling or smoothing, you can still call the product whatever you desire, but the physical act of generating friction, making smooth & shiny is known as polishing or compounding.

I firmly believe that just because a product does not have wax or oil in it, does not mean that you cannot polish with it. The name of a product, and what you do with it are two differn't things. For example, if I am going to remove some swirls from a paint finish, I am going to "polish'' them out. If the lable on the product says "cleaner", or "compound", that doesn't change the fact that the actual physical act of removing the swirls, is the physical act known as "polishing".


I like what Mike P posted above:

When paint was "older" you could use a pure polish (no cleaning ability) to do correction and create gloss since the paint was non catalyzed and pretty easy to massage. Hence the saying "hand rubbed lacquer"...You could actually use a pure polish to remove defects. In some areas, this style of paint is still used in the refinish industry.

As paint evolved / advanced it became "harder" and "hand rubbing with a pure polish" became obsolete due to the hardness of the paint. At that point in time we began introducing "cleaner/polishes" ( M09, M83, M80, M82 just to name a few). These are essentially pure polishes with some mild abrasive / cleaning properties to them. This had to be done to actually remove material and remove the defect (swirls etc...) due to the nature of the paint.

Mike is saying that in the old days when paints were softer, you could use a product with no abrasive properties to them, yet these products would level the finish, thus making it smooth and shiny. The product may not have been very abrassive, or abrassive at all... period, but the physical act of the method in which these products were used, caused friction, and is the definition of the english word, "polish".

Anything that causes friction can be considered a polish. the word "polish" is not solely synonymous with the word "oil".

The name on a lable is exactly just that, a name.

[FRS]

Great info, thanks all.

[georgegeorghiou]

hI Guys does swirl x contain compound, i mean how does it removes swirls?

[Murr1525]

SwirlX has chemical cleaners, SMAT (Super Micro-Abrasives) and polishing oils, making it a cleaner/polish.