Compound, polish, glaze.
What's the difference?
The difference between
compounds, polishes and glazes can best be described as the amount of cleaning
power or abrasiveness in the product. The most abrasive products are
called
compounds. These products are designed to remove (abrade away) a
portion of the top paint or clear coat layer which contain sanding swirls,
scratches, water spots or blemishes. They are available in many different grades
of abrasiveness or "cut" depending on the severity of the problem to
be corrected. Compounds are best used with a circular polisher but can produce
acceptable results with dual-action polishers if the defect is minor. Compounds
typically leave the surface dull. This surface dullness is called haze or
compounding lines and is removed by polishing with increasingly less abrasive
polishes. Unfortunately, there is no industry standard to quantify when a
"polish" becomes a "compound" and one manufacturer's polish
may have the same cutting ability (abrasiveness) as another manufacturer's
compound.
We feel these products among
others fall
into the compound category:
Products that contain solvent cleaners or very mild 
abrasives are called polishes, pre-wax cleaners or paintwork
cleaners. They can vary from having very mild natural solvents to
quite strong petroleum solvents and may or may not contain fine
abrasives, silicones, fillers and waxes. Polishes prepare the surface
for waxing, remove old wax or paint sealants, visually reduce swirls and
minor blemishes (usually through the use of fillers) and restore surface
gloss. They do not have the "cut" of compounds and typically
burnish the surface to a mirror-like gloss rather than abrade away
paint. Polishes can be applied by circular polishers, dual-action
polishers or by hand. Unfortunately, there is no industry standard on
what constitutes a polish and some manufacturers use the word
"Polish" to describe their paint sealant which adds to
consumer confusion. In the strictest sense a polish is a
gloss-enhancing, cleaner not a protectant but some "polishes"
do contain wax or sealants which blurs the line between polishes
and protective coatings.
We feel these products
among others
fall into the polish category:
"Glazes" are typically used at
automotive manufacturing plants and by paint and body shops on freshly
painted surfaces. Their primary function is to improve the brilliance
and clarity of the paint. They may contain fillers to hide very minor
imperfections (swirls) and may or may not offer any protective
qualities. Glazes revitalize the look of all paint finishes through oils
and "wetting agents". Glazes are almost always body-shop safe
which means they do not contain any silicones. After a vehicle is
painted or touched up it may be compounded to remove minor defects,
polished to remove compounding haze or surface dullness and a glaze
applied to create a uniform, deep, "wet" shine before it is
delivered to the consumer. Because glazes tend to create a
"wet-look" shine they have come to be used by enthusiasts to
maximize shine on show cars, historic and exotic vehicles and even
daily drivers. Glazing does not replace polishing with a polish. A
vehicle should always be polished first, a glaze applied and usually
finished with some type of wax or paint sealant (on cured paint).
We feel these products
among others fall into the glaze category:
