2Shiny
01-29-2006, 02:25 PM
If anybody has any terms or abbreviations they've been confused with, please post them in this thread.
Here is a list I've come up with. I'm sure I'll think of others in the future, but I'm mainly relying on the other members to give me suggestions about other terms and abbrevations that they don't understand.
AIO - Klasse All-In-One. A chemical paint cleaner that also leaves behind an acrylic layer of protection.
Basecoat - the color coat of a paintjob. Often under a clearcoat.
Carnauba - the most commonly used form of wax in car waxes. Naturally produced by a palm tree in Brazil to shield its leaves from the sun's ultraviolet radiation. Several grades of carnauba are available, characterized by the amount of impurities in the wax.
Chemical cleaners - nonabrasive cleaners that work by chemical reaction to remove stains and oxidation.
Claybar - A malleable bar composed of synthetic "clay". This plastic-like material holds a high amount of very tiny abrasives. The claybar serves to sheer off any contaminants that are stuck in the paint. A perfectly smooth surface results after proper use. Use of a clay lubricant is essential to allow the clay to glide across the surface without scratching.
Cleaner wax - A product that has paint cleaners in it, usually chemical cleaners, and also leaves protection behind in the form of carnauba wax.
Clearcoat - a colorless layer of paint, applied over the basecoat.
Dual Action Polisher - a polisher that spins in a circle but also wobbles. This "dual-action" spreads the heat produced over a larger area, which prevents any damage to the paint from localized overheating.
Fillers - tiny particles that serve to fill in swirls/scratches, effectively hiding them. Fillers need to be covered with a wax or sealant to remain in the scratches, otherwise they will quickly wear off.
Glaze - A product, often nonabrasive, that has a primary purpose of filling scratches.
ISA/ISO - Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol. Can be used 50:50 with water to remove any wax/sealant from a surface.
Mechanical cleaners - (abrasives). Cleaners that work by mechanical action, slowly removing paint until the desired result is reached.
Meg's - Meguiar's.
MF - Microfiber. Microfiber towel.
Oxidation - A condition often seen with neglected paint. Forms a haze in the paint, causing an old, faded look. More prevalent on single stage finishes, but also happens with clearcoated finishes.
Paint Cleaner - Product that serves to remove oxidation, stains, stubborn bugs, etc... from the paint surface. Also works to remove water spots from glass.
PC - Porter-Cable 7424 or 7336 dual-action polisher.
Polish - An abrasive product, which serves to remove swirls and scratches from the paint. Swirls or scratches CANNOT be removed without an abrasive polish. Many manufacturers mislabel their products as polishes. Zaino Show Car Polish and Meg's Step2 Polish are two examples. They are both non-abrasive products. Zaino is a polymer sealant, and Meg's Step2 is a glaze.
Quick Detailer (QD) - A spray-on product that usually contains light lubricants, gloss-enhancers, and slickness-enhancers. Used often to remove light dust from a vehicle, or to add a bit of extra gloss/slickness to the vehicle. Many QDs contain protectants in the form of carnauba wax, polymers, acrylics, or silicones.
QEW - ProtectAll Quick and Easy Wash. A no-rinse wash soap that was designed for washing RVs in campgrounds, where a hose is not available. Often used for washing vehicles of apartment dwellers. It can be used inside of a garage, so it's very handy for use in the winter. Also very handy for mobile detailers, because they don't have to reclaim any water.
RIDS - Random Isolated Deep Scratches.
RMG - Clearkote Red Machine Glaze. A cleaner wax with light abrasives and fillers.
Rotary - A circular polisher that spins at high speed. Spins in a perfect circle, effectively concentrating high heat. Only for use by experienced professionals. Severe damage can result with improper use.
S&G - Poorboy's Spray and Gloss quick detail spray.
Sealant - A polymer protectant. Often superior to waxes in durability and slickness.
Single Stage Paint (SS) - Paint that has only one layer, the basecoat. There is no clearcoat to protect it. A single stage paint is determined by rubbing a bit of polish onto the paint. If the towel or applicator turns the same color as the paint, you have single stage paint.
Swirls (swirl marks) - tiny micro-scratches in the paint finish, distributed uniformly across the entire vehicle. Most often caused by improper washing. Coarse towels, dirty mitts/sponges, and automatic car washes with brushes, are all common culprits of swirls.
Wax - A protectant that utilizes the UV-shielding abilities of carnauba wax. Occasionally, beeswax or paraffin wax is blended in as well. Often poor durability compared to sealants.
WW - waffle-weave drying towel. Superior in absorbency/softness to chamois, both genuine and synthetic. Used dry on the vehicle, so it can absorb far more water than a chamois, which needs to be wetted before use.
Let's make this list longer! If anyone can think of more terms/abbreviations, let me know.
Here is a list I've come up with. I'm sure I'll think of others in the future, but I'm mainly relying on the other members to give me suggestions about other terms and abbrevations that they don't understand.
AIO - Klasse All-In-One. A chemical paint cleaner that also leaves behind an acrylic layer of protection.
Basecoat - the color coat of a paintjob. Often under a clearcoat.
Carnauba - the most commonly used form of wax in car waxes. Naturally produced by a palm tree in Brazil to shield its leaves from the sun's ultraviolet radiation. Several grades of carnauba are available, characterized by the amount of impurities in the wax.
Chemical cleaners - nonabrasive cleaners that work by chemical reaction to remove stains and oxidation.
Claybar - A malleable bar composed of synthetic "clay". This plastic-like material holds a high amount of very tiny abrasives. The claybar serves to sheer off any contaminants that are stuck in the paint. A perfectly smooth surface results after proper use. Use of a clay lubricant is essential to allow the clay to glide across the surface without scratching.
Cleaner wax - A product that has paint cleaners in it, usually chemical cleaners, and also leaves protection behind in the form of carnauba wax.
Clearcoat - a colorless layer of paint, applied over the basecoat.
Dual Action Polisher - a polisher that spins in a circle but also wobbles. This "dual-action" spreads the heat produced over a larger area, which prevents any damage to the paint from localized overheating.
Fillers - tiny particles that serve to fill in swirls/scratches, effectively hiding them. Fillers need to be covered with a wax or sealant to remain in the scratches, otherwise they will quickly wear off.
Glaze - A product, often nonabrasive, that has a primary purpose of filling scratches.
ISA/ISO - Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol. Can be used 50:50 with water to remove any wax/sealant from a surface.
Mechanical cleaners - (abrasives). Cleaners that work by mechanical action, slowly removing paint until the desired result is reached.
Meg's - Meguiar's.
MF - Microfiber. Microfiber towel.
Oxidation - A condition often seen with neglected paint. Forms a haze in the paint, causing an old, faded look. More prevalent on single stage finishes, but also happens with clearcoated finishes.
Paint Cleaner - Product that serves to remove oxidation, stains, stubborn bugs, etc... from the paint surface. Also works to remove water spots from glass.
PC - Porter-Cable 7424 or 7336 dual-action polisher.
Polish - An abrasive product, which serves to remove swirls and scratches from the paint. Swirls or scratches CANNOT be removed without an abrasive polish. Many manufacturers mislabel their products as polishes. Zaino Show Car Polish and Meg's Step2 Polish are two examples. They are both non-abrasive products. Zaino is a polymer sealant, and Meg's Step2 is a glaze.
Quick Detailer (QD) - A spray-on product that usually contains light lubricants, gloss-enhancers, and slickness-enhancers. Used often to remove light dust from a vehicle, or to add a bit of extra gloss/slickness to the vehicle. Many QDs contain protectants in the form of carnauba wax, polymers, acrylics, or silicones.
QEW - ProtectAll Quick and Easy Wash. A no-rinse wash soap that was designed for washing RVs in campgrounds, where a hose is not available. Often used for washing vehicles of apartment dwellers. It can be used inside of a garage, so it's very handy for use in the winter. Also very handy for mobile detailers, because they don't have to reclaim any water.
RIDS - Random Isolated Deep Scratches.
RMG - Clearkote Red Machine Glaze. A cleaner wax with light abrasives and fillers.
Rotary - A circular polisher that spins at high speed. Spins in a perfect circle, effectively concentrating high heat. Only for use by experienced professionals. Severe damage can result with improper use.
S&G - Poorboy's Spray and Gloss quick detail spray.
Sealant - A polymer protectant. Often superior to waxes in durability and slickness.
Single Stage Paint (SS) - Paint that has only one layer, the basecoat. There is no clearcoat to protect it. A single stage paint is determined by rubbing a bit of polish onto the paint. If the towel or applicator turns the same color as the paint, you have single stage paint.
Swirls (swirl marks) - tiny micro-scratches in the paint finish, distributed uniformly across the entire vehicle. Most often caused by improper washing. Coarse towels, dirty mitts/sponges, and automatic car washes with brushes, are all common culprits of swirls.
Wax - A protectant that utilizes the UV-shielding abilities of carnauba wax. Occasionally, beeswax or paraffin wax is blended in as well. Often poor durability compared to sealants.
WW - waffle-weave drying towel. Superior in absorbency/softness to chamois, both genuine and synthetic. Used dry on the vehicle, so it can absorb far more water than a chamois, which needs to be wetted before use.
Let's make this list longer! If anyone can think of more terms/abbreviations, let me know.