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Originally Posted by dinfern22
Well, shit! I just read up on some people saying sealant is way better than carnuba wax and it protects the paint way better. And also glazes like the one i got are for hiding swirls instead of fixing them! Dammit. Is this correct?
Whats the main difference between carnuba wax and a sealant, do they yield different results, and which one is overall better? Also if polishing is for hiding swirls, what if my paint doesn't have any, will the glazes suffice? Thanks!
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Main difference between a Carnuba and a sealant is the longevity of the product and the desired effect. Carnuba will give you a much deeper shine and make the paint look "wet", a synthetic wax or sealant can add some shine but its main selling point is that it will stay on the surface for months vs. the Carnuba which will only last a few weeks. A lot of people will seal with a synthetic wax/sealant and then layer a carnuba wax on top of that. As for the sealant it's really up to you and what you want to spend. There are plenty of options out there ranging from synthetic polymers that will last months, ceramic coatings that will last years, and even clear vinyl paint protection films.
As for sealants, and fillers, think of the paint in layers, like this:
A sealant or wax will be your top layer, on top of the clear coat. This layer is there to help protect and preserve the clear coat, and layers beneath it. Swirl marks could be through that sealant layer or into the clear coat itself. Applying more sealant or a filler will fill those in and make the surface appear to be smooth and have less defects. Although as the sealant or filler wears away the defects will come back.
Once bad enough you'll look at doing a correction, or using a compound and polish. This is when you call up a professional detailer as the chance to damage the painted surface is pretty high. Although with today's dual action polishers the risk is substantially less than it was in the past with buffers/polishers. The main action of compounding or polishing is to level the paint surface. As you can imagine, this is not something that you'll want to do often as we have a very finite amount of clearcoat to work with.
As humfrz notes Clay bars are safe, just don't drop it and use plenty of lubricant with it or it'll just stick to everything. Most kits come with a quick detailer, but you could also use wash solution with it. Also be sure you re-apply a wax or sealant after claying as the clay will remove your current protective layer (unless it's something more on the "permanent" side such as a ceramic or vinyl)