Pure Polishes - Comments, Questions, Suggestions?

[Mike Phillips]

Pure Polishes - Comments, Questions, Suggestions?

Hi everyone,

I need to write an article for a magazine on pure polishes today with the focus on how to apply and remove them. While I'm at it, I thought I would ask our community to give me their input in the way of any comments, questions or suggestions on the topic. Then I'll try to address them in the article.

Any comments, questions or suggestions?

Deep Crystal Polish
M03 Machine Glaze
M05 New Car Glaze
M07 Show Car Glaze
M81 Hand Polish





We also have a pure polish in both our Marine Line and our Plastic Line


M45 Boat/RV Polish
M10 Plastic Polish

[Snowman]

How do you actually determine which polish product you should be using. Are there signs from your vehicle paint that you should recognize and then be able to figure out which polish product to use? Or is it just more of a taste thing and what you prefer with the ease and results of the product?

[Murr1525]

I am not sure if you want specific product questions, but heres one based on Snowmans thoughts:

I have been using DC#2 as a polish. What is the difference between #5, #7, and #81? Esp #5 and #7 seem almost the same?

[Accumulator]

I'll toss in my long-winded $0.02 about #5 since I'm always raving about it It's my favorite product for fresh/uncured paint, especially basecoat/clear. Been using it since the mid-'70s.

#5 does not give quite the same wet/rich appearance as #3/7 but IMO most people would only notice the difference in side-by-side comparisons. While I find those two products to be *very* similar, #5 is different. I prefer #5 for b/c paint and #3/#7 for single stage.

#5 dries more completely than the others and can be used the way most laymen use LSPs. It's very user-friendly, in part because of this. It works great in high humidity conditions and is not prone to streaking or smearing. It gives the impression of truly bonding with the surface of the paint whereas #3/#7 often give the impression of floating on top of the surface of the paint (mostly on perfect finishes where there are no tiny pits/fissures for the #3/#7 to build up in). For this reason, #5 seems best suited to finishes that exhibit no noticeable porosity and a relatively intact surface film.

It can dust a little if applied too thickly. It can leave white staining/residue on some matte black surfaces but this can be cleaned off pretty easily.

I apply it by PC and by hand. With the PC I generally use a finishing pad, but a soft polising pad (soft enough to not cause any micromarring) can be good as it doesn't seem to load up with the polish as readily as a finishing pad if you use a bit too much. By hand I've used both foam and MF applicators with identical results.

While there's nothing in #5 that would require breaking down, I find that working the product for a while during application makes for easier removal, probably because this spreads it out over a wider area and results in a thinner application.

I buff off #5 with plush MFs. There is never a need for cotton as some find there to be with oilier products like #7. If applied *much* too thickly, it can still be removed easily by applying a little more #5 and buffing it all off while the second application is still wet.

It might be my imagination, but repeated applications of #5 appear to offer some small improvement in appearance, more so than I've noticed with #3/#7. When doing this, I try to apply the subsequent #5 applications with less pressure than the initial one. While it makes sense that additional applications would merely dissolve the initial one, I still believe I see a subtle difference.

#5 will generally not survive a normal wash unless topped with a normal LSP; it should be refreshed at every wash when used by itself. It does provide some small amount of protection and provides better gloss and slickness than a well-known similar products offered by another firm (especially noticeable in side-by-side testing).

[ebpcivicsi]

How about addressing questions like:

Why do I need to glaze?
Why is using a glaze good for my paint?
Which product is beast for *my* paint and why?

I think that the general public would also like some input as to how to apply the product. Which applicators work best? What is the best material to remove the excess product with? Should I apply it to one section, or the entire car?

[Mike Phillips]

Keep these comments, questions and suggestions coming, I'm working on the article as we speak, err.. I mean as we post...

[Snowman]

Why is a polish different than a wax or any other product when it comes to drying time? I have wondered why you are suppose to wipe polish off while still wet where a wax you want to set on the paint for say 10-15 minutes. Is there a purpose to this or is it just for ease of removal?

[Blr123]

Are we likely to see the article Mike?

Thanks
Bryan

[matt colvin]

i'd like to see the article posted when completed please.

[RockCrushin150]

Why polish? Is it worth the time and effort? How do I choose the correct polish?

Hope to read that artical myself

- Chris

[Jeff Smith]

Overworking product.

I applied #3, #5 & #7 a couple of weeks ago. I had a heck of a fight with #3 and part of #5. I was applying too much product to the pads, using the wrong pad, and overworking the product. My pads had severe glaze builup, especially arounf the edges. This builup would start flying off throwing dried glaze flakes everywhere. My terry's gummed up bigtime.

After realizing I must be doing something wrong I ran in and posted. ACCUMULATOR came back with a quick response and suggested I was overworking the product and possibly applying too much. I did a little more research in the forums and found information confirming ACCUMULATORS suspicions. I applied less product, switched to the 9006 pad and stopped working it in so much.

By making these corrections I was able to gain a good grasp by the time I started applying #7. It went without a hitch. ACCUMULATOR went on to say that I must be doing something right as many people have a hard time with #7 at the start. I made my mistakes with #s 3 & 5.

Thanks again Accumulator

[Don]

When I started detailing (I originally used #3) I would apply the polish to the pad and 'work' the polish in, one panel at a time, until I covered the entire car before removing.

As I gained experience, I began to remove the polish as I completed each panel. This made me pay more attention to each panel and make sure each section was properly polished before moving on to the next area.

**Edited to add**

Commenting on j333_76484's experience, I have found that while multiple polishings can be good, using too much polish at once is not. Using too much can quickly cause the polish to become almost as hard and as easy to to remove as an armor plate.

[Ranger72]

I love #7, its so rich in oils it just makes your paint explode with depth, vibrance, and reflection! It is simply the best pure polish I have ever used, period. Its amazing how many people skip the polishing step, and just hit up the surface with some cleaner wax. Sure it shines, but the difference between a clean shiny panel and polished glossy relective panel is immense!
-Mike

[MandarinaRacing]

Here's some more:
They basically all do the same (add gloss and nourish paint) so why are there 5 different products? Which one I choose? Could I get better results from product to another? Can they be applied by hand? and last, Which one will give me the deepest, wetest, shiniest, best looking finish?

Alex

[rusty bumper]

Well, in my experiences with Meguiar's polishes (#7 & #81 that is), I find that they don't like a lot of friction, and are easier to apply by hand than by machine.

#81 works great on clear coat paint, while #7 is easier to remove from single stage finishes.