How to get if a Compound/Polish is Water-based or not?

[maxisiri]

HI, Planning to order the new Lake Country Hydro-Tech pads that are specific for Water-based polishes and Compounds so I was trying to find which Compound/Polish are Water-based...anyone know Where I can find that information? I have a lot of Compounds and Polishes (3M , Optimum, Wolfgang, Meguiars, etc.) but don´t know how to get if they are water-based or not. Is there any chart available like the one of the aggressive Scale (Autogeek Swirl Removers & Compounds Comparison Chart)? which is by far the best I found on that matter. Thanks in advance.

[Mister B]

[ryandamartini]

HI, Planning to order the new Lake Country Hydro-Tech pads that are specific for Water-based polishes and Compounds so I was trying to find which Compound/Polish are Water-based...anyone know Where I can find that information? I have a lot of Compounds and Polishes (3M , Optimum, Wolfgang, Meguiars, etc.) but don´t know how to get if they are water-based or not. Is there any chart available like the one of the aggressive Scale (Autogeek Swirl Removers & Compounds Comparison Chart)? which is by far the best I found on that matter. Thanks in advance.

Mike did a huge writeup just recently using the hydro tech pads with Wolfgang aka Menzerna polishes. He had a very favorable review for them. They each have unique levels of cut and I would think they would help with overall product soak even if designed for water based polishes

[maxisiri]

Mike did a huge writeup just recently using the hydro tech pads with Wolfgang aka Menzerna polishes. He had a very favorable review for them. They each have unique levels of cut and I would think they would help with overall product soak even if designed for water based polishes

Hi, Thanks for your reply....can you provide me mike´s writeup link regarding the hydro tech pads with Wolfgang and Menzerna Polishes...I can´t find it and I am very interested on reading that writeup. What you are saying is that those hydro tech pads will work excellent on any compound/polish water-based or not water-based? Thanks in advance!

[maxisiri]

[Mister B]

I think the write up he may be referring to would be the 57 Chevy Extreme Makeover in which Mike used the Hydro Tech Pads and Wolfgang products on the Flex.

[Mike Phillips]

Sorry for the delay in replying, I've been mostly offline since Sunday and won't be back online full-time for a few more days.

The best way to find out would be to contact the manufacture to find out from the source.

Just to note, saying something is BLANK-based is a pretty strong statement, I see people typing things like be below all the time,

• Water-based
• Silicone-based
• Oil-based
• Carnauba-based
• Polymer-based

Unless you're the chemist, I'm not sure how you would know unless the company that manufactures the product specifically states that somewhere in their packaging.

I'm not a chemist but I think it's safe to say there's a difference between a water-based product and water-soluble product. You could have a product that's NOT water-based but it could still dissolve in water or be water-soluble.

So be carefully how you choose to describe a product if you're unsure as on discussion forums bad information can be copied and pasted without verification.

From experience, most products marketed into the body shop or re-finishing industries would be water soluble, for example compounds and polishes that are safe for use on fresh paint so that the sling and splatter could be washed out of cracks and crevices using soap and water. I would never say "all" products sold into body shops are water-soluble because honestly I don't know that to be a fact.

In the big picture, if a product is designed to be applied and worked against the paint using a machine then it should work just fine with the new Lake Country Hydro Pads.

So far, everything I've used with them works great.

[ricks778]

I was thinking looking up the MSDS sheet might tell you.

[Mike Phillips]

I was thinking looking up the MSDS sheet might tell you.

Keep in mind, a company only has to list ingredients required by certain criteria, not every ingredient in the product. There was a time that some companies would list everything because there was nothing to hide, then when people started trying to dissect the product by what was listed in the MSD sheet a new trend started and that is to only list the minimum as required by law.

Again, the BIG PICTURE would be if a company states their product can be applied by machine using a foam pad, unless there's some specific recommendation as to the type or design of the foam pad, without this specific recommendation it will be perfectly fine to use the product or products with the LC Hydro-Tech pads.

[Kevin Brown]

Hi Mike!

I know this thread is about compounds and polishes, but the confusion applies to other stuff, too.

I also catch myself loosely using the terms water based or solvent based quite a bit.
Since water is a solvent... (well, it is!), even these terms are not technically accurate or specific.
Oftentimes, I am referring to the carrying agent as being a water or petroleum solution.

So, if I am telling someone to, "...Wait for the tire dressing to soak in before wiping the excess", I then mention that, "...the dressing is not soaking in all that much. Instead, the carrying agent is evaporating, which gives the illusion that the tire dressing is soaking in." If the dressing uses water or a water-blended liquid to carry the protecting agent(s) onto the tire, it is best to let the carrying agent evaporate. Otherwise, most of the protecting agent will be wiped away as easily as it was applied.

Other examples of carrying agents?

Kool Aid!
A bit of a stretch, but a packet of flavor particles are added to a pitcher of water, and the water "carries" or "suspends" the flavor particles. Whether the flavor particles completely dissolve or not (officially termed instilled- the opposite of distilled) is debatable (I do not wish to debate this point) .

Aerosol spray paint!
Generally, a petroleum solvent is used to suspend or carry resins and other ingredients onto a surface. Some ingredients are added to allow the paint to smooth out prior to drying. Others are used as a propellant to aid in lifting the paint out of the can and through the nozzle. As the solvents evaporate, the remaining ingredients attach to the surface.

Those are two examples, but there are many others.

Products that move or push material out of the aerosol can via pressure are referred to as propellants or propelling agents, and most times are petroleum solvents (they can double as carrying agents, too!). Propellants tend to evaporate very quickly (acetone, butane, methyl ether, etc.) and are often damaging to delicate surfaces. This is why a guy should not blast his air vents to the point of saturation when using an aerosol interior dressing.

Okay, so I think I've written a bit too much on the subject... Hey, I was on a pizza break.