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November / December 2016 22 I n this article, I'm covering how to use the different rubbing and polishing compounds to smooth out your car's paint by removing scratches and defects in its finish. Rubbing and Polishing compounds, what's the difference? That is a good question. Depending on the manufacturer, they may be the same. Some brands have white polish that they call rubbing compound and others have strong cutting compounds they call polish. You will want to know how abrasive a compound is before using it on your car's finish. Rubbing and polishing compounds are abrasive and work like sand paper to smooth out the paint's surface, so you don't want to use the wrong compound on your Porsche's paint. A polishing compound is a substance that is mildly abrasive. It is used to remove contaminants from the paint and will also smooth the paint by removing a small amount of paint. Polishing compound will remove light scratches in the finish of your automobile. Rubbing compound works in a similar manner to polishing compound, but is more abrasive. This means that the rubbing compound will remove more paint and is used for smoothing out larger scratches and other significant damage to the car's painted finish. Picture the painted finish of your car as a smooth, mirror like surface. Over time, dust, dirt, and other contaminants build up on that smooth surface. Unfortunately, the process of washing this dirt and dust away causes the fine particles to act like sandpaper; scratching and digging grooves into the once smooth clearcoat surface. As these fine scratches build up, the surface becomes dull and hazed. Paint correction is the use of polishing agents to slowly remove microscopic layers of clearcoat to once again make the surface smooth and mirror like. Think of wax as makeup for your car. It is simply a coating which fills in the scratches, making them harder to see. Over time the wax is worn and washed away, once again, revealing the underlying scratches. In terms of paint correction, wax is purely cosmetic. It will make your car look good for a short time but does nothing to remove the underlying scratches. Removing the scratches requires the slow removal of microscopic layers of clear coat to level out the surface. Compounding agents or leveling agents are specifically formulated liquids that, when added to the rotating pad of a buffing or polishing machine, act as extremely fine grit sandpaper to slowly shave down the clear coat surface. Once the compounding agents have done the heavy lifting, a polish is then used to remove any final haze and add to the depth and clarity of the finished surface. You can then use a glaze to bring out the deep color of the car's finish. Now you have a perfect finish, but it is not protected from all the contaminants and weather. Wax's main function is to protect paint from these elements, and adding shine is a minor and THE CLEAN CORNER By Spencer Cochran Rubbing & Polishing Compounds A HOW TO REVIEW