Car Care Tips

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CAR CARE TIPS

Written By Greg Dumond
AUTO CARE TIPS
PROTECTING YOUR INVESTMENT

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "POLISHING", "WAXING" AND "COMPOUNDING" YOUR VEHICLE (part 2)

Compounding in its basic understanding is the use of; or aggressive act of, abrading severely damaged or dull paint. Compounding is going one step further than polishing, since this process requires a more aggressive cleaner to revitalize old dull and worn out paint. Compounding is what gives new life to traditional paint finishes, such as acrylics and enamels. Generally, paint that has become rough to the touch, either by means of paint overspray or an accumulation of environmental excretions, needs to be compounded. This process quickly and effectively levels the paint by smoothing the surface and removing dead oxidized paint. Compounding removes the upper most layer of oxidized material by actually stripping or cutting the first layer of paint.
Compounds are created at different levels of aggressiveness. The more coarse compounds contain a higher ratio of cleaning agents, usually between 12 to 15 percent. Larger particles of abrasive grit are used. The substance commonly found in heavier compounds is an abrasive product called silica. Silica compounds are combined with other chemical cleaning agents and lubricants to remove surface oxidation. You can usually judge the degree of abrasive ingredients in the compound by placing a dab of product in between your fingers. Again the concept of compounding is to cut out heay oxidation and to level the paint to an equal plane.

A GENERAL RULE OF THUMB: Compounding should be a last resort to clear an old faded finish. Always test an area first with a milder polish or chemical cleaner. If good paint clarity is achieved with a lesser abrasive produt, you will not have to strip as much of the paint, and in the long run the life of the paint job will be greatly extended. If an aggressive compound is used, the paint should be renourished and sealed with a conditioner.
The compounding process dries and chafes a paint finish. Dry paint must be revitalized by adding back valuable conditioning oils naturally found in paint. Chafing the paint is very much like chafing or drying our your skin after shaving your face with a razor blade. As with compound, the razor blade removes a layer of protection. To prevent dryness to the newly exposed skin, a nourishing cream must be applied. Just as the surface of skin has pores so does the painted surface of an automobile. These exposed pores must receive nourishing oils to protect and condition the paint skin. Nourishing oils help to resore and brighten the color pigmentation in the paint, and to slow down further oxidation by preventing evaporation and drying of the paint surface.

THE END