Maximize surface gloss
using a dual-action polisher.
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 using a dual-action (Porter
Cable 7424) polisher. We also have an article on, "Maximizing
surface gloss using a circular polisher," and "Maximizing
surface gloss by hand."
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:
Procedure:
- Place the White Foam Polishing Pad on
the backing plate and attach to your machine polisher using the
adapter (if needed).
- Work on a small area, 18 to 24 inches
square, out of direct sunlight.
- Apply glaze directly to the surface.
- Mist the polishing pad very lightly
with water.
- With the machine off, spread the glaze
over the surface using the foam pad. This coats the foam pad with
glaze and reduces polishing paint temperatures.
- Press the White Polishing Pad against
the paint and turn the machine on. Set the speed dial on the
polisher between 3-1/2 and 4.
- Work the pad over the surface in a
figure 8 pattern. Go over the area in a left-to-right figure 8
pattern and then an up-and-down figure 8 pattern.
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Apply glaze to
paint.
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Put foam polishing
pad on
machine's hook and loop backing plate.
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Mist polishing pad
with water.
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Spread glaze with
machine off.
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Set the speed dial
between
3-1/2 and 4,
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Work in a figure-8
pattern.
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- Go over the area several times or
until the glaze starts to dry.
- Inspect the results. Wipe off
polishing residues with a clean Microfiber cloth and inspect the
surface. (Do not spray the surface with the alcohol and water
solution. This would remove fillers and gloss agents that you
want to stay on the surface.)
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Wipe off residues
with a Microfiber
cloth and inspect the surface.
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The surface should be bright, highly reflective and
haze free. |
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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 Grey
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.
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We've chosen to
apply Blackfire
All Finish Paint Protection by hand.
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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.
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Wipe on final
protectant.
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Buff to a bright
shine.
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Surface is vibrant
and swirl-free!
Note reflection of clouds!
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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.
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