This is a very interesting subject for some of us, as many people “refer” to the so called “Rubbing Compound” when in reality, rubbing compound is a “Generic term” giving to the “rub-bin compound” as in the early days it was “Rub” in a circular motion by hand, with the aid of the compound, it just happens that the name has been misused for many other products pretty much like some people call an “Allen Key” when the true is that is a “Hex Key” there’s no “Allen” anywhere in there, but the name has become the “recognized name”
We can define the term “Rubbing Compound “ in many ways, even that many manufactures still refer to the so called “Rubbing Compound” but
The ONLY and true definition of “Rubbing Compound" is:
A commercially prepared mixture of abrasive powder and lubricant that is used for a final rubbing of a finished surface; often sold in automotive stores.
However, we can go as far as saying that Rubbing Compound is a wrongly used term as people will refer to things like
Resurrect the gloss in your boat's gel coat
Fast cutting compound with a finishing material
Light Duty Rubbing Compound is a liquid rubbing compound that will remove light oxidation, minor surfaces scratches and marks
Liquid formula rubbing compound, light-medium oxidation or heavy.
Removes stains, medium oxidation, and light scratches. Use on fiberglass, metal, and painted surfaces. Great for hand or buffer application.
A polish that contains abrasives harsh enough to remove layers of "dead" paint. Useful in radical restoration procedures, rubbing ...
A specially formulated emulsion of materials designed to remove paint surface imperfections such as scratches, oxidation, stains, and acid rain ...
And the list is very long, if you consider that people even call this “Rubbing Compound”
Spot Remover
Light Cut Compound
Medium Cut Compound
Heavy Cut Compound
And so on, they are all “Compounds” not rubbing Compound, So if we were to “recommend you a Rubbing Compound” which one could we possible refer to?
First we must define what is that we are after, does the surface contain Oxidation? Is the paint dull due to the usage of the wrong car shampoo, are Swirl Marks the issue?
Depending on the condition after the evaluation we can then proceed with the proper selection of the product.
One way that we used to evaluate the condition of the surface is using an old fashion trick, place a thin plastic bag over your hand. If you feel very small “bumps” then you need to strip all the wax and start fresh, this task can be accomplish via our oxidation block which will remove all the contaminants from the vehicle surface, as you can see we already have tackled a mayor flaw without the use of “Rubbing Compound”
If we continue further on the evaluation of the surface this will tell us what products are the ones in need, I’m providing a photo of the actual condition of the surface from a customer’s car, and this is the hood of the vehicle as found.
After the initial evaluation we were able to choose the correct products, as you can see from the finished product we never used any “Rubbing Compound”
Before
After
And the finished product using a “Swirl Remover” which is, a uniquely formulated product that when used properly quickly removes swirl marks and leaves a clear glossy finish. It contains no silicones or fillers. Works well on all painted surfaces and equally as well on clear coats.
As you can see from the finished product we never used any “Rubbing Compound”
