How to maximize surface gloss by Hand

Maximize surface gloss by hand.

Hardly a day goes by when I'm not asked, "What wax or paint sealant will give me the best shine?" Aside from quantifying what the customer means by "best" (i.e. high surface reflection which is brightness, depth, which is a darker shine, ease of application or durability) virtually everyone is focused on a product (wax) as a solution and not the process of proper surface preparation. More than half of a great shine is properly preparing the surface. The best wax in the world applied over dull, gritty paint will not produce a great shine. Conversely, a very inexpensive wax will look stunning applied to a properly prepared surface.

Proper surface preparation may be as simple as applying a gloss-enhancing polish (called a glaze) prior to waxing or may require removing paint contamination, oxidation and/or swirls. Start by washing and drying the car and inspect the paint:

Test for paint contamination. Place your hand inside a plastic sandwich bag and lightly run your fingertips over the surface. If the paint is rough or gritty, consider using a clay bar before polishing to improve surface gloss. See, "How to remove paint contamination" on our Problem Solving page.
Inspect for swirls. This is best done in the garage under fluorescent lights (Fluorescent lights are ruthlessly revealing.) but can be done in natural sunlight by looking at the finish from various angles. If the surface is filled with swirls, see our article on, "How to remove swirls" on our Problem Solving page. Removing swirls prior to applying a glaze is optional but will greatly contribute to the overall look of the shine. Glazes that improve surface gloss typically contain polymers that will collect in swirls, visually highlighting them. Depending on the polish you use, you may end up highlighting all the defects in your car's finish, making them more visible! The best solution is to remove or visually reduce swirls before you polish to improve surface gloss.
Is the surface extremely dull or chalky looking? This indicates the presence of surface oxidation. This usually requires compounding. Non-abrasive, gloss-enhancing polishes are not designed to restore dull, oxidized paint. See our article on, "How to restore dull, oxidized paint" on our Problem Solving page before proceeding.

Assuming your car's finish is smooth and relatively swirl-free, proceed with polishing to improve surface gloss.

Polishing with a glaze to improve surface gloss.

If you're confused about polishing, you have every right to be! The car-care industry has blurred the lines between compounding, polishing and finishing by creating multi-purpose products. In the strictest sense, compounding is the removal of swirls, scratches, oxidation and paint defects. Polishing restores surface gloss and finishing is protecting the surface with a wax or sealant. Now we have polishes called "Swirl Removers" with strong solvent cleaners and/or abrasives. These products are part polish and part compound. We also have waxes and paint sealants that clean and protect. These are part finishing products and part polishing products. It can be very difficult for the layperson to select the correct product for a particular application. I've been doing this for over 30 years and I still get confused!

In this article, we show how to improve surface gloss by applying a glaze by hand. We also have an article on, "Maximizing surface gloss using a circular polisher," and "Maximizing surface gloss using an orbital polisher."

A glaze is a gloss-enhancing polish that uses natural oils and/or modern polymers to maximize surface gloss. Glazes do not clean or remove swirls, paint defects or oxidation. After polishing with a glaze, follow immediately with a coat of your favorite wax or paint sealant.

Product requirements:

A Microfiber Applicator Pad or Terry Applicator Pad
A glaze such as Menzerna Finishing Touch Glaze, Meguiar's Show Car Glaze or 3M Hand Glaze
At least one Microfiber detailing cloth

Procedure:

Work on a 18 to 24 square inch area, out of direct sunlight. Apply polish to a Microfiber or Terry Applicator Pad or directly on the paint. This is a personal preference. If applying polish to the applicator pad, I use a liberal, Quarter-size amount of product. If applying to the paint, I apply a couple of 8 inch long lines of polish. Using a moderate to firm pressure, work the polish over the paint using back-and-forth motions. Polish in a side-to-side motion and then in an up-and-down motion until the polish is almost dry.

Apply glaze to applicator pad.	Wipe-on with back-and-forth motion.
Wipe off polish residues using a clean Microfiber or Terry detailing cloth. Continue working in 18 to 24 square inch areas until the complete panel or vehicle is polished.
	Buff off glaze residues.

The surface should be bright, highly reflective and haze free.
Step 3 - Finishing After applying a glaze, finish with your favorite wax or paint sealant/ protectant. You can do this by hand or use the Porter Cable polisher and a Red Finishing Pad. When you're finished, wash all pads in a bucket with soapy water, rinse thoroughly with a garden hose and allow to air dry. Do not machine wash or dry pads.
	We've chosen to apply Blackfire All Finish Paint Protection by hand.
What kind of results can I expect? Using a glaze prior to waxing will produce a deeper, wetter-looking shine on black, red and dark color cars. This richness and depth of shine can not be produced by polishing alone with a "Swirl Remover" type polish. On light color cars, a glaze will create a dimensionality and clarity of reflection that can not be produced by conventional, Swirl Remover, type polishes.
	Wipe on final protectant.

Buff to a bright shine.	Surface is vibrant and deep! Note reflection of clouds!

Note: There is a debate over what category of wax or paint sealant to use after applying a glaze. Purists feel you should follow a glaze with a pure wax or paint sealant. They feel one-step, cleaner/waxes or cleaner/ sealants remove some of the fillers and oils left on the surface defeating some of the purpose of the glaze. Manufacturers of one-step products insist that using their product after glaze compliments the previous polishing step and provides additional gloss enhancement.

From my experience, on solid black or red vehicles, I prefer to follow a glaze with a pure wax or paint sealant. On any other color, I can't discern a difference between using a pure wax or a one-step product.