Theres too much wrong adivse given on this thread. It seems like most people are confusing what products actually do.

Clay bar will remove bonded containments like tree sap, bird sh.it, road tar. Which will help the wax or sealant bond to the paint better.

Polish is will remove defects like scratches, swirl marks, oxidation intern bringing out a better shine. You only need it if you have those problems.

Glaze (which I belive most people are confusing with polish) aka pure polish by Meguairs will help fill some of the smaller defects in the paint and add oils that bring out a better gloss and depth.

Sealant is man made that contains polymers and other ingredients to protect the paint from water spots, bird bombs, and uv rays.

Wax is pretty much the same as sealant but contains carnauba as an ingredient. It *generally* doesn't last as long as a sealant but that depends on the maker.

 

Polishes don't really cut that much. If swirl marks are bad enough, polish is a waste of time and a rubbing compound is needed.

I stick to the Meguiar's Deep Crystal '3-step' process. Cold wash, clay, paint cleaner, polish, wax.

There are so many variants of products, that's why people are 'confused,' including you. Not all polishes have cutting agents in them (shouldn't really say that because glazes, polishes, compounds, etc all cut). If you go to the Meguiar's website and go to the Polishes section, it's nothing but glazes, so they categorize a glaze as a polish. You do seem to know what you're talking about though.

 

For the Meguiars clay bar which like I said before I totally recommend, you can pretty much use any motion you like. It is non-abrasive..actually I feel as any clay bar is non-abrasive. Any who, you can use a circular motion.

 

And for anyone who is serious about removing swirls, I suggest Meguiars M1-105. This stuff is Meguiars most aggressive formula.

 

It becomes abrasive it picks up the dirt and you still are running it over the paint.

 

I never found a point to circular vs non-circular motion. If the cloth or whatever has dirt on it, it's still going to scratch the paint either way lol.

 

The only thing that is good with the Deep Crystal is the paint cleaner. The rest is junk. The wax doesn't last long or make a big difference in apperance. I haven't tried the "polish" from that system personaly but every review on other forums says it not much of a polish.

Polish can and will, with the right pad, remove sanding marks. A big factor is how hard the clear coat is. Rubbing compound is not needed for our soft clear coats.

Meguairs doesn't call glaze by glaze as I have said in my earlier post. They call them pure polishes which contain very little if any cut to them. They also have a line called showcar glaze which most of the products in that line are paint cleaners and pure polishes (glazes).

I think alot of the confusing comes from how most companies market their products like Turtle Wax's liquid clay bar system. Its not a clay bar and doesn't do what a clay bar does its more of a paint cleaner. Every company does that with their products to an extent.

 

You'll notice a long scratch before you will notice going in a circular motion. I guess its all user preference. Either way kneed the clay often.

 

Probably should have said that I use a paste wax alternative instead of the deep crystal wax. I've never really found liquid waxes useful. Even if they are, they just don't seem like they do as much as pastes.

And that's what I meant by the confusion. Some companies call a glaze a polish, some call a polish a compound, etc etc.

Also since you seem to know what you're talking about. I've managed to restore some color in the hood of my 95 Accord, but there is still a very noticeable blemish. Any recommendations on how to restore the color? I've tried polish, meguiars ColorX (seemed to work the best out of everything), etc.

 

Maybe you should watch this video which was made by Mike Phillips. He is Meguiars top administrator and moderator for there forums, in lame terms..he is a professional.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfEfLGL59GI

 

Seppuku is right. The claybar picks up dirt, causing it to become abrasive. The exact reason why a claybar that has been dropped is garbage. If you want an exaggeration, pick up a small rock, roughly 2" in size, put it in the claybar, rub the car with the side that has the exposed rock.

The physical clay itself is non-abrasive. The dirt on the clay is abrasive. A dirty claybar is abrasive.

 

Also I forgot to mention that you are picking up tiny blemishes and tiny grains of dirt with the clay bar. Your not picking up giant rocks with your clay bar. Clay is simply used to remove these things from your paint that washing cannot do. Also the quick detailer acts as lubricant for the clay allowing it to glide easily along the surface of your car. Remember, claying your ride is a prep process..that means the additional scratches you add during the prep process can be removed with the follow-up.

 

And like i said, you dont pick up large enough things on your car that would dramatically damage your ride. You pick up small blemishes and oxidation. When was the last time you saw a rock 1"+ that has engraved itself on your paint?

 

Like I said, it was an exaggeration.

Now let me show you this. This is the claybar that I was using on my Accord, which has never seen a claybar in its 15 year life. This was a small section of just the hood, roughly 6x12"


Clay bars become abrasive. If they didn't, they would last forever and would never need changing.

 

Clay bars can last a pretty long time because they are impermeable. Leave it in your garage for an entire year exposed..the bar is still usable. How do I know this is plausible? Because I have left my clay bar over 1 1/2 year through an entire Chicago winter and hot summer. The bar still works like a champ. The picture you showed above isnt anything new, its just a clay bar that did its job. Either way, my whole point was that you can use the clay bar in any motion. Would it matter if you stroked the bar up and down instead of a circular motion? You are still using the clay bar on the surface of your ride.

 

I know that bar is still good, the reason why I kept using it and why I was folding it inbetween sections. What I'm trying to say, is that a claybar does in fact, become an abrasive material after use. Watch the video again and listen to the part when he moves his hand from clean to dirty. He's going from a nonabrasive material (the claybarred section) to an abrasive material (the non-claybarred section). The sound you're hearing on the dirty section, is the dirt on the surface, which is an abrasion. When clayed, the dirt transfers from the paint to the claybar, thus causing the claybar to become abrasive. It doesn't just magically disappear in between. It's miniscule, but it is abrasive.

 

Yes but the bar starts out as non-abrasive. Of course over time the bar will become useless. Nothing last forever. As you have stated the obvious in the video, the video also supports what I am saying..which is that the bar is non-abrasive from the start. Either way you need the bar to do what washing cannot. Plus you keep folding the bar in order to keep all the dirt on the inside. The dirt is minuscule as you have stated, so imagine how easy it is to fold the clay bar and start out with an non-abrasive surface. Me and you both know this so it should be end of conversation. I think the OP gets the idea.

 

That's what I've been saying lol. It's nonabrasive, then becomes abrasive. You've been making it sound like you were trying to say that the clay will never become abrasive lol.

 

LOL

 

that's the reason i use mine during the rinse cycle after a wash. the more water the more everything gets diluted and rinses away.