CHOOSING A METAL POLISH

I AM OFTEN ASKED THE QUESTION, “WHICH IS THE BEST METAL POLISH YOU HAVE?” THIS IS A DIFFICULT QUESTION TO ANSWER, DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT INVOLVES THE PREFERENCES OF MANY DIFFERENT INDIVIDUAL POLISHERS. ANOTHER MATTER WHICH MAKES THIS QUESTION DIFFICULT IS CERTAIN POLISHES ARE BETTER KNOWN IN SOME PARTS OF THE COUNTRY THAN IN OTHER PARTS. THERE ARE, HOWEVER, FOUR IMPORTANT QUESTIONS THAT I ASK IN ORDER TO HELP A PERSON MAKE A CHOICE OF METAL POLISH. THESE ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. WHAT KIND OF METAL ARE YOU POLISHING? 2. WHAT CONDITION IS THE METAL IN? 3. HOW ARE YOU POLISHING, BY HAND OR WITH A BUFFER? 4. DO YOU WANT A FAST DRYING METAL POLISH OR ONE THAT YOU CAN WORK WITH LONGER? THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS MAY NOT TELL THE WHOLE STORY, BUT THEY WILL HELP ME TO DIRECT A PERSON IN THEIR CHOICE OF METAL POLISH. IT STILL DOESN’T NEGATE THE FACT THAT THERE ARE INDIVIDUAL PREFERENCES. ACTUALLY, IT CAN BE ALOT LIKE COKE AND PEPSI. IF EVERYBODY LIKED COKE, PEPSI WOULDN’T BE IN BUSINESS, AND OF COURSE THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE. AND THEN THERE IS SPRITE, MOUNTAIN DEW, GINGER ALE, ETC.

IN KEEPING WITH THE FOUR QUESTIONS I HAVE RAISED ABOVE, LET ME SUGGEST SOME POPULAR CHOICES.

KIND OF METAL

ALUMINUM: CALIFORNIA CUSTOMS PURPLE METAL POLISH (VERY EFFECTIVE AND POPULAR FOR MAINTAINING), SPEEDY ALL METAL POLISH (CUTS WELL, PRODUCES A GREAT SHINE, LASTS)), ZEPHYR PRO 40 (SIMPLE, QUICK AND EASY AS ONE DEALER/USER ALWAYS PUT IT), WHITE DIAMOND METAL POLISH (GREAT SHINE AND POLISHERS LIKE IT IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS), GREEN DRAGON METAL POLISH (CUTS WELL, GREAT SHINE, LASTS), WAB #1 & #2 METAL POLISH SET (THE FINISHING POLISH IS EXCELLENT),  EASY CUT METAL CLEANER AND FINAL SHINE & SEALANT (FINAL SHINE HOLDS UP EXTREMELY WELL), THE INTIMIDATOR MICRO DIAMON PRO POLISH (CUTS WELL, POPULAR IN THE MIDWEST AND SOUTH) .

STAINLESS STEEL: PROFESSIONAL TRUCK POLISHER RAVE OVER PHANTOM CHROME & GLASS CLEANER; ALSO, ZEPHYR PRO 40, CALIFORNIA CUSTOMS PURPLE METAL POLISH. ANY OF THE METAL POLISHES CAN BE USED ON STAINLESS.

CHROME: HIGHWAY SHINE ULTRA FINISH FOR SEMIS (NO ABRASIVES, GREAT SHINE AND PROTECTION, EXCELLENT FOR CHROME), WHITE DIAMOND METAL POLISH (VERY FINE, FINER THAN SOME OF THE OTHER METAL POLISHES; ALSO EXCELLENT FOR CHROME), WAB #1 FINISHING POLISH (VERY FINE, WILL ALSO INCREASE THE SHINE ON ALUMINUM AFTER USING OTHER METAL POLISHES), ZEPHYR PRO 40 (AGAIN, SIMPLE, QUICK AND EASY), SPEEDY ALL METAL POLISH , GREEN DRAGON METAL POLISH, BRITEMAX FINAL SHINE & SEALANT (LONG LASTING PROTECTION).

CONDITION

POPULAR FOR HEAVIER CUTTING: SPEEDY ALL METAL POLISH, GREEN DRAGON METAL POLISH, ZEPHYR PRO 40, THE INTIMIDATOR PRO POLISH, CA CUSTOMS PURPLE METAL POLISH WHEN USED WITH THE ALUMINUM DEOXIDIZER.

POPULAR FOR LIGHTER CUTTING: WHITE DIAMOND METAL POLISH (ACTUALLY WORKS WELL IN EITHER CASE), WAB #1 FINISHING POLISH (USE TO FINISH OR MAINTAIN AND IT WILL ADD INCREASED LUSTER), BRITEMAX FINAL SHINE & SEALANT (GREAT SHINE, HOLDS UP WELL).

POPULAR FOR SHINE MAINTENANCE: ZEPHYR PRO 40, CA CUSTOMS PURPLE METAL POLISH, WHITE DIAMOND, SPEEDY METAL POLISH, GREEN DRAGON METAL POLISH, WAB # 1 FINISHING POLISH, BRITEMAX FINAL SHINE & SEALANT, THE INTIMIDATOR BLUE PRO POLISH. ALL OF THESE ARE GREAT CHOICES. FOR DISTINCTIONS (THOUGH NOT MEANT TO BE INTERPRETED TO RIGIDLY), SEE UNDER “KIND OF METAL” – “ALUMINUM”.

HOW APPLIED

HAND APPLICATION: ALL OF THE ABOVE WORK WELL BY HAND.

BUFFER APPLICATION: WHILE ALL OF THE ABOVE POLISHES WORK WELL, ZEPHYR PRO 40, CA CUSTOMS PURPLE METAL POLISH, AND WHITE DIAMOND METAL POLISH ARE POPULAR CHOICES FOR BUFFER APPLICATION. THIS HAS TO DO PARTICULARLY WITH EASE OF REMOVAL. MANY OF MY PROFESSIONAL POLISHING CUSTOMERS SEEM TO PREFER WHITE DIAMOND METAL POLISH. THE ABOVE MATTERS, HOWEVER (KIND OF METAL AND CONDITION), MAY VERY WELL AFFECT ONE’S DECISION HERE.

FAST DRYING?

THE ADVANTAGE OF USING A METAL POLISH THAT DRIES QUICKLY IS THAT IT IS NORMALLY EASY ON AND EASY OFF. SOME POLISHERS, HOWEVER, PREFER A POLISH THAT THEY CAN WORK WITH LONGER AND NOT HAVE IT DRY SO QUICKLY. THIS WOULD BE TRUE IN POLISHING AREAS THAT REQUIRE MORE TIME AND EFFORT SUCH AS AROUND LUGS.

IF YOU WANT A QUICK DRYING METAL POLISH THAT IS “SIMPLE, QUICK AND EASY”, ZEPHYR PRO 40 IS A GREAT CHOICE. SPEEDY IS ALSO A GREAT CHOICE, BUT DON’T LEAVE IT SIT TOO LONG OR IT WILL BE HARDER TO GET OFF. THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE CARNAUBA, POLYMERS, ETC., THAT SERVE TO EXTEND THE SHINE. IF YOU WANT MORE TIME TO WORK WITH A POLISH, WHITE DIAMOND METAL POLISH IS VERY POPULAR WITH MY CUSTOMERS. MOJO, A MORE RECENT POLISH TO THE MARKET, WILL ALSO GIVE YOU MORE TIME TO WORK. THE ONLY DISADVANTAGE WITH SUCH POLISHES, AS ONE OF MY POLISHER HAS POINTED OUT, IS THAT MORE WIPING EFFORT IS INVOLVED IN REMOVING THEM, ESPECIALLY IN VERY HUMID CONDITIONS. A COMPLEMENT TO CALIFORNIA CUSTOM PURPLE METAL POLISH IS THAT IT SEEMS TO FALL SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN.

ANOTHER ISSUE

ANOTHER ISSUE, NOT MENTIONED ABOVE, MAY BE INVOLVED IN CHOOSING A METAL POLISH. THE QUESTION IS OFTEN RAISED ABOUT “DURABILITY”, OR LONGEVITY OF SHINE. KEEP IN MIND, WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT CLEARCOATED SURFACES HERE, SO “DURABILITY” MUST BE KEPT RELATIVE TO THE FACT THAT THE SURFACE IS NOT A STABLE ONE. EVEN SO, ADDING POLYMERS, ETC. TO THE POLISH CAN HELP TO PROLONG THE SHINE. IN KEEPING WITH THIS, SPEEDY METAL POLISH IS POPULAR, DUE TO THE ADDITION OF SILICONE, CARNAUBA AND POLYMERS TO THE POLISH. GREEN DRAGON METAL POLISH AND BRITEMAX FINAL SHINE & SEALANT ARE OTHER POPULAR CHOICES. FINAL SHINE & SEALANT IS USED EITHER AS A FOLLOW UP TO THE EASY CUT METAL CLEANER, OR FOR LIGHT USE/MAINTENANCE. YOU MAY ALSO CHOOSE TO USE WHITE DIAMOND METAL POLISH & SEALANT, OR A PRODUCT LIKE HIGHWAY SHINE ULTRA FINISH, WHICH HAS NO ABRASIVES IN IT SO IT’S NOT FOR CUTTING, BUT HAS SUPERIOR ADHESION CAPABILITY AS A FINISH/MAINTENANCE PRODUCT.

CONCLUSION

ALL OF THE METAL POLISHES ABOVE WILL YIELD EXCELLENT RESULTS. ALL OF THEM ARE FAR EASIER TO WORK WITH THAN THE TRADITIONAL PRODUCTS THAT MANY ARE FAMILIAR WITH. THERE ARE OTHER POLISHES NOT MENTIONED IN THE PRECEDING INFORMATION THAT HAVE A PROVEN USEFULNESS AS WELL. (XTREEM METAL POLISH, FOR EXAMPLE, IS AN EXCELLENT CHOICE IF YOU WANT A POLISH IN THE FORM OF IMPREGNATED COTTON). IF THERE IS A METAL POLISH ON THIS SITE, THERE IS A REASON FOR IT BEING HERE. THE DISTINCTIONS MADE HERE ARE MEANT TO BE HELPFUL, BUT NOT RIGID. YOU MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE OF THE MATTER. THE INFORMATION OFFERED IS BASED ON YEARS OF INTERACTION WITH PROFESSIONAL POLISHERS AND SKILLED AMATEURS. FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME YOUR OPINIONS.