Jack,
The subject column on my browser cut off the last
part of your title--at first I thought you wanted to rub
out a twenty three year old after waxing him (why waxing?
that's what I had to find out...)
But on a serious note, from what I know from being a
body repairman, there are three steps to refinishing pastes:
(Rubbing) Compound- This product is used for heavy
removal of oxidized paint, stains, or as the first step in
bringing the "shine" back to wet sanded (1500- 2000 grit)
paints. It used to be classified by the colors orange and
white, based on its abrasiveness; but now compound is
rated on a more-or-less subjective scale by its manufacturer.
It can be used by hand (rarely) or machine wheel (commonly).
A novice should practice first before machine compounding any-
thing important, as it is all to easy to remove all paint from high
areas and edges("rub through"), or melt ("burn") the paint.
Polish- This is used for removal of the "haze" and "wheel marks"
that compound, by virtue of its abrasiveness will leave on a
painted surface. This product has no discernible "grit" when
rubbed between the fingertips; unlike compound, which can
feel like toothpaste or worse. Polish will remove a minor
amount of paint-- just enough to smooth (clear) things up.
This is what most "precleaner"s, "finishing glaze"s, or "safe-for-
clearcoat-finish-restore"s are.
It is a tedious task to use this stuff by hand as the rewards
are so slight for the effort required, so it is applied/removed
by machine most of the time. Some polishes contain paint
protectorants in them, but they are usually weak, and put there
just to get the car out the door to the customers satisfaction.
Hint: for a true "wheel mark" free finish, I usually hand polish
the car after I've just machined polished it.
Wax- This is for protecting the paint. Wax doesn't do a very
good job of restoring "shine" (although it adds "depth", a sort
of increased reflectivity) to faded paint. Wax protects paint
from mild chemicals-like acid rain, U.V. rays, and keeps things
like grease, road tar, insects, dirt, and bird droppings from
getting a grip into the paint, and that make the painted surface
easier to clean when washing.
The watchword for wax is Carnauba. Carnauba is a natural pro-
duct, coming from the Brazilian wax palm tree, and the best
natural ingredient for durability and shine there is. And it smells
nice, too. Silicone is added to good waxes, and I think it is what
stops the UV light, but don't quote me on this, suffice to say it is
an important ingredient.
I've read articles that quote a rep. from Turtle wax (big deal) and
a rep. from Meguire's (a name I trust) and both have said that
their companies put the same ingredients into their liquid and paste
waxes, and that both are just as durable, but they sell both to keep
the customers happy. I'm "happy" using paste wax-- its just ~has~
to be more durable, I mean it's harder to put on right? that's gotta
count for something, I figure.
Apply wax by hand, as this is the last step in refinishing, and a
machine will leave wheel marks here.
JOE IV
TR 250 (and the shiniest
Caravan in Ct)
WALLINGFORD, CT.USA
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