Microfiber Cloths, Orbital Polishers

[ROBERT CROSS]

Has this subject been covered before?

Call, best products & C/S, been using them for a long time.

Bob

[m.hony]

All the threads on that search link say "wax".
None say "sealant".
All the products for sale say in the 2nd link "wax" not "sealant".
I'm really thinking the 2 words are synonymous.

[m.hony]

A Google search reveals:
Carnauba Car Wax vs. Paint Sealants

Learn the facts on Car wax!

You have two basic choices when it comes to paint protection: carnauba wax or synthetic paint sealant. Here you’ll find information on each so you can choose the paint protection that’s right for you.


Carnauba Waxes

Carnauba wax is the preferred car wax of collectors and concours enthusiasts because it creates a rich, warm glow. It doesn’t appear to sit on the paint. It transforms the paint into a deep, liquid pool that shimmers under changing light conditions. The more carnauba wax, the more shine.

The wax is produced by the Brazilian Tree of Life, a palm tree, in order to coat its leaves. The wax provides protection from the sweltering sun and it sheds water so it falls onto the ground and is absorbed by the tree’s roots. If you think back to junior high science class, you might remember that plants release oxygen through their leaves. For this reason, carnauba wax is breathable. Good for the tree and good for your paint.

Carnauba is rock hard in its natural form. When the leaves of the Tree of Life are harvested, the wax flakes off as the leaves dry out, or they are put into a machine that removes the wax. It comes off in hard flakes. Car Wax makers have to blend the wax with oils, petroleum distillates, or a solvent called naptha (commonly used to thin wood varnishes and paints) in order to make the wax workable. The very best carnauba-based car wax is only about 1/3 natural carnauba. It’s probably for the best since the price gets higher and higher as the concentration of carnauba rises. When a product advertises “pure carnauba car wax” or “100% carnauba car wax”, they are referring to the purity of the carnauba that is in the product, not the product as a whole. One example is Mother’s California Gold Pure Carnauba Paste Wax.

That brings us to grading. Carnauba is harvested and then graded according to color, purity, and where it was grown. Trees grown in the northern area of Brazil produce the highest grade carnauba. The yellow wax is the most pure and therefore receives the highest grade. This is the grade most commonly used in high end car waxes and in the pharmaceutical industry as a pill coating.

Some manufacturers refine the yellow wax again into an ultra-pure white wax to ensure that the wax produces the clearest, most reflective gloss once applied to the paint. Such is the case with Pinnacle Souveran and Pinnacle Signature Series II.

As you’ve already read, carnauba protects the leaves of a palm tree from the intense heat and humidity experienced in Brazil. The carnauba car wax repels water and, consequently, most contaminants. When applied to any surface, carnauba retains these characteristics. Therefore, an application of a carnauba-based car wax to your vehicle will protect it from UV rays, heat, moisture, oxidation, and environmental contamination. And it looks like a million bucks!

The drawback of carnauba waxes, if you can call it a drawback, is that it does not last as long as a synthetic sealant. A carnauba car wax finish will wear off in approximately 6 to 8 weeks. It depends heavily on the climate in which you live and whether or not your vehicle is garaged. Daily commutes in a hot, humid climate mean a shorter life span for your carnauba wax coat. If you enjoy regular waxing, then the life span of a carnauba wax is just one more reason to indulge in your favorite hobby!
Pinnacle Souverän[emoji769] sets the standard for carnauba paste waxes!
Pinnacle Souverän[emoji769] sets the standard
for carnauba paste waxes!
In a nutshell, carnauba car wax is the wax of enthusiasts. It appeals to people who want the absolute most stunning show car shine available and are willing to spend a couple of hours every month or so to get it. Most of them will tell you it is time well spent.

[mikeinca]

Originally Posted by m.hony

The drawback of carnauba waxes, if you can call it a drawback, is that it does not last as long as a synthetic sealant. A carnauba car wax finish will wear off in approximately 6 to 8 weeks. It depends heavily on the climate in which you live and whether or not your vehicle is garaged. Daily commutes in a hot, humid climate mean a shorter life span for your carnauba wax coat. If you enjoy regular waxing, then the life span of a carnauba wax is just one more reason to indulge in your favorite hobby!

And there's the reason why I don't use the same carnauba wax on my TT or truck that I use on my garaged vehicles.

Waxing my garaged and covered sports car with carnauba wax is a labor of love, with the deep glossy finish as the reward. But who wants to wax a giant travel trailer every 6-8 weeks? Not me, anyway.

What little you lose in gloss finish (and the difference isn't really noticeable, especially on a silver TT) you make up for with much longer lasting protection using a quality sealant. For a vehicle or trailer which is exposed to the elements on a regular basis, synthetic sealants are a better choice, IMHO.

[m.hony]

In general it seems carnauba waxes are natural and sealants are synthetic.
I bet you average ordinary car wax is synthetic too if it doesn’t say carnauba wax on the packaging.
I have been curious about these new easy on/easy of polymer sealants being advertised now, but I’m afraid they aren’t much more than MeGuiar’s Instant Detailer.

[mikeinca]

Originally Posted by m.hony

In general it seems carnauba waxes are natural and sealants are synthetic.
I bet you average ordinary car wax is synthetic too if it doesn’t say carnauba wax on the packaging.
I have been curious about these new easy on/easy of polymer sealants being advertised now, but I’m afraid they aren’t much more than MeGuiar’s Instant Detailer.

I use Meguiars Qwik Detailer too. Great product for what it does. But it's completely different than either Meguiars #20 Polymer Sealant or their #21 Synthetic Sealant, both of which are not spray-on, but rather viscous liquids which are applied like a wax either by hand or machine and then buffed out.

As I've mentioned before, I used the #20 sealant on my F150 5 or 6 months ago. The truck has been parked outside in the elements and washed about once a week since then. The protective sealant is holding up well, and the finish still looks pretty good, if I do say so myself!

[ROBERT CROSS]

.....64 yr old original paint. Griot's Poly Wax.

.....14yr old Airstream. Griot's Paint Sealant.

The Burb & 350GLK get Griot's One Step Sealant.

YMMV...but we be happy.

Bob

[m.hony]

Originally Posted by mikeinca

I use Meguiars Qwik Detailer too. Great product for what it does. But it's completely different than either Meguiars #20 Polymer Sealant or their #21 Synthetic Sealant, both of which are not spray-on, but rather viscous liquids which are applied like a wax either by hand or machine and then buffed out.

As I've mentioned before, I used the #20 sealant on my F150 5 or 6 months ago. The truck has been parked outside in the elements and washed about once a week since then. The protective sealant is holding up well, and the finish still looks pretty good, if I do say so myself!

I use Meguiar's Instant Detailer- a clear liquid in a spray bottle for the motorcycle (even works on helmets) and in-between washing/waxing on the Airstream and cars. There are other similar products in the motorcycle world like Pig Snot and S500 and Honda Brite Total Cycle Cleaner.
I use Meguiar's Quick Detailer - a semi-viscous not-quite-as-hard-as paste wax wax-on wax-off product just like Turtle Wax or Nu-Finish or whatever brand paste wax. It goes on easier and wipes off easier with less white residue left in the cracks and panel gaps.
Our local Advance Auto Parts had Griot's in the store a couple of years ago. I never got around to trying it because I had mass quantities of other products on hand.

[mikeinca]

Originally Posted by m.hony

I use Meguiar's Instant Detailer- a clear liquid in a spray bottle for the motorcycle (even works on helmets) and in-between washing/waxing on the Airstream and cars. There are other similar products in the motorcycle world like Pig Snot and S500 and Honda Brite Total Cycle Cleaner.
I use Meguiar's Quick Detailer - a semi-viscous not-quite-as-hard-as paste wax wax-on wax-off product just like Turtle Wax or Nu-Finish or whatever brand paste wax. It goes on easier and wipes off easier with less white residue left in the cracks and panel gaps.

Somehow, product names are being scrambled.

Anyway, the Meguiars Quik Detailer pictured below is what I was referencing. It's a liquid which is sprayed on as a mist and then wiped off, removing surface contaminants and enhancing gloss. It has lubricating properties which also make it useful if you are using a detailing clay bar.

I googled both Meguiars Quick Detailer and Instant Detailer and the Quik Detailer product is what came up in both cases. I'd be curious to know more about the "semi-viscous not-quite-as-hard-as paste wax wax-on wax-off product" you refer to. Meguiars has a lot of different products so I've probably missed something.

[m.hony]

The 1 gallon jug of wax has the same name- Meguiar's Quick Detailer.
The bottle you pictured used to be named Meguiar's Instant Detailer.
Either that or I am having an incorrect memory. I can find no reference whatsoever to what I thought was Meguiar's Quick Detailer.
I knew which product you were referring to. The little maroon spray bottle...
Apparently, according to a quick Google search, Meguair's has many products named Meguiar's Quick Detailer.
Anyway, the search confirmed my belief that all of those spray on products do the same thing- basically a waterless wash.

[mikeinca]

Originally Posted by m.hony

The 1 gallon jug of wax has the same name- Meguiar's Quick Detailer.
The bottle you pictured used to be named Meguiar's Instant Detailer.
Either that or I am having an incorrect memory. I can find no reference whatsoever to what I thought was Meguiar's Quick Detailer.
I knew which product you were referring to. The little maroon spray bottle...
Apparently, according to a quick Google search, Meguair's has many products named Meguiar's Quick Detailer.
Anyway, the search confirmed my belief that all of those spray on products do the same thing- basically a waterless wash.

IIRC, the stuff in the maroon bottle *did* used to be called Instant Detailer.

As you say, many of the spray on liquids are similar and basically waterless washes, but the #20 Polymer Sealant is not a spray on liquid or a waterless wash and is altogether a different product used for a different purpose.

[Tsunami-v2]

I have been using Mother for a very long time. I only wax this truck maybe twice a year, but it gets a bath several time year and a sprits of Mothers Detailer after every bath. This truck is a driver, not a trailer queen. Since I already had the products on hand, I use them on my AS. It's a personal preference and nothing more.

[Mike G]

[QUOTE=mikeinca;2017369]I use Meguiars Qwik Detailer too. Great product for what it does. But it's completely different than either Meguiars #20 Polymer Sealant or their #21 Synthetic Sealant, both of which are not spray-on, but rather viscous liquids which are applied like a wax either by hand or machine and then buffed out.

You can't use a spray bottle with Meguiar's #20? Thanks.

[mikeinca]

Originally Posted by Mike G

You can't use a spray bottle with Meguiar's #20? Thanks.

Mike,

No, it's too thick for that. There are spray on waxes but this stuff is a heavier liquid and needs to be applied with an applicator; sponge, terrycloth, foam pad on a buffer, etc. It goes on easily though, and the haze that results after it dries is easy to wipe off; more so than most waxes.

BTW, I keep talking up this stuff like I work for Meguiars or something. I don't. I've just used a lot of this type of product over the years and have had been impressed by this one.

[m.hony]

https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=...QwjwIXQ&adurl=

This is a link to the gallon jug of wax on wax off semi viscous past I use which also has the name MeGuiar’s Quick Detailer.

[mikeinca]

Originally Posted by m.hony

https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=...QwjwIXQ&adurl=

This is a link to the gallon jug of wax on wax off semi viscous past I use which also has the name MeGuiar’s Quick Detailer.

Very interesting! One is "Quick" the other is "Quik".

Based on the "cut" scale on the front of the jug the "Quick Detailer" is rated a "4". I have Meguiars #205 Professional Ultra Finishing Polish" which is also a "4" and I bet it's used for a similar purpose; removing light swirl marks and defects. The #205, at least, isn't a wax or protectant and the finish should be waxed or sealed after use. And neither the #66 or the #205 are like the Quik Detailer which isn't at all abrasive and, as you mentioned earlier, is a waterless cleaner and gloss enhancer.

Thanks for sharing that info. Clearly, Meguiars needs to clarify their product nomenclature!