Opinions of Ardex Stereo Glaze & COB wanted

[ronmart]

I recently took my well detailed black Mercedes to the dealership for its annual maintenance and they managed to park it under a tree which got sap all over it. When I mentioned this they offered a free detail, which I reluctantly took them up on.



Well to my surprise they did a good job, so I asked them what they used. My service rep said they used Ardex stereo glaze (no # mentioned) for the polish and COB (for black cars).



I hadn't heard fo either of these products, so I was interested in more info from people more knowledgable than myself.



Some quick searches on MSN and Google came up with some limited info, but I was hoping to get a hold of someone with first hand experiences with these products. I also don't have a clue what COB stands for.

 

[Capt. Paintball]

There are 3 Stereo Glaze products. Ardex describes Stereo #3 as a good quality one step product for details where time is limited. Auctions, "spot" deliveries (which where I work means the customer is waiting, has 4 kids with them, has to go to work/soccer practice/court/etc--not to be confused with Ardex's "Spot Delivery" brand spray wax) etc. It is te most "aggressive" of the three stereo products I use, but it has no real cutting power. It is a glaze, so it has filler. If using it alone, (which I almost never do) I would use a polishing pad.



Stereo 2 is described as a "machine brightener" It is minty green in color, and is used as a polish/glaze. Ardex touts this as one of their best products. I would use it after the cutting stage, since it has a glazy finish to it. They recommend using it with a polishing pad on dark colored cars. They claim it lasts a long time, but in my experience, it does wash away if not sealed in with a wax or sealant. And for black cars, I prefer their Seal B product, (NOT "COB") which is grey in color and is used to cover up defects, and make black look, uh, blacker. Seal B is after polish, and needs wax and sealant to keep it on the car. Rumor has it, this is the product closest to the fabled "Ebony", a product all the old-timers rave about for black cars.



Stereo 1 is bright and light yellow, similar to Stereo 3, but less aggressive. It is a final polish step, or a wax, or both. meaning it can be applied with a pad, and polished off if you need to get the car out quick.



I have over 30 different polishes, and I believe the Ardex Stereo Glaze line is pretty good for light work. I have used these products in all different kinds of combinations over the years. For example, when I first got the product, (and wanted to see what these products were made of) I tried a 3-2-1-B-sealant combination on moderately messed up dark colored cars, and they turned out nice.

 

[ronmart]

There are 3 Stereo Glaze products. Ardex describes Stereo #3 as a good quality one step product for details where time is limited. Auctions, "spot" deliveries (which where I work means the customer is waiting, has 4 kids with them, has to go to work/soccer practice/court/etc--not to be confused with Ardex's "Spot Delivery" brand spray wax) etc. It is te most "aggressive" of the three stereo products I use, but it has no real cutting power. It is a glaze, so it has filler. If using it alone, (which I almost never do) I would use a polishing pad.



Stereo 2 is described as a "machine brightener" It is minty green in color, and is used as a polish/glaze. Ardex touts this as one of their best products. I would use it after the cutting stage, since it has a glazy finish to it. They recommend using it with a polishing pad on dark colored cars. They claim it lasts a long time, but in my experience, it does wash away if not sealed in with a wax or sealant. And for black cars, I prefer their Seal B product, (NOT "COB") which is grey in color and is used to cover up defects, and make black look, uh, blacker. Seal B is after polish, and needs wax and sealant to keep it on the car. Rumor has it, this is the product closest to the fabled "Ebony", a product all the old-timers rave about for black cars.



Stereo 1 is bright and light yellow, similar to Stereo 3, but less aggressive. It is a final polish step, or a wax, or both. meaning it can be applied with a pad, and polished off if you need to get the car out quick.



I have over 30 different polishes, and I believe the Ardex Stereo Glaze line is pretty good for light work. I have used these products in all different kinds of combinations over the years. For example, when I first got the product, (and wanted to see what these products were made of) I tried a 3-2-1-B-sealant combination on moderately messed up dark colored cars, and they turned out nice.

Awesome - thanks!



Currently I'm using Griots Machine Polishes for polishing, Klasse products for sealant, and P21s for wax. However, none of these are glazes that can help with the inevitable swirls that the polish can't remove without going too deep. The idea of a glaze with a color pigment is a new concept for me but one that seemed to work well on my car.

 

[Capt. Paintball]

These products do not get rid of the inevitable "spider webbing" that is revealed in direct sunlight or at night on the reflection from overhead flourescent lights, they just cover them up (50-75%) for the time being. What you put over it to protect the application will determine the length of time the product stays on the car.



They also will not get rid of heavy swirl marks from heavy compounding. They will merely cover them up, and less successfully than spider webbing. I have seen some people make the mistake of "cutting" the car with a gritty compound, then slapping the Seal B, etc. on as a last step. There needs to be 1 or more polishing steps in between, and a final, "seal-up the process" step after.



They will do nothing for holograms, which on a black car look wavy, like the Northern Lights.



They can be applied with a rotary, DA, or by hand--I prefer the machine. wipe/blend the excess with a MF towel. Do not wash the car at least until you put on the wax/sealant. I prefer to do my steps, CAREFULLY, apply the SealB/etc, apply wax/sealant, wipe off the excess from vehicle, apply vinyl/tire dressing, do the windows... done. No "afterwash"