Benefits of applying wax etc vs. by hand

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blackf0rk

New member
What would you say the benefits are of applying wax to your cars finish (with the correct pads) as opposed to applying it by hand? And, how much (wax etc) do you use per panel/car when applying it my machine?



Just looking for everyone's varied opinions and experience here.
 
You are going to find all kinds of answer. Some will say you use less wax by hand. Some will say you get better and faster coverage with an applicator. Some will say the hand thing is just marketing from high end waxes.



I used Victoria Red Concours by hand a few times but I now do it with an applicator. I feel I can put a thinner layer and can spread it more evenly.



EDIT: Hold on, You posted on the machine polishing forum so I guess you mean application by machine vs by hand with an applicator. My bad...



I usually use a black pad and a PC/UDM to apply wax. You want a very thin film as applying too much can be a PITA to remove. I invert the jar, let the wax slide off, and move it around the pad (6.5" LC black pad) circularly once. Thats usually enough for about a panel to a panel and a half. I think I apply it faster by PC but there are guys, like Scottwax, who say they apply it faster by hand.
 
I've always been a hard core apply by hand guy. Even when i started posting on here I thought the PC craze was unfounded at best. But my supplier let me test it out for a few weeks and I'll tell you I can defiantly apply the wax much faster and possibly a little more even using the PC set up. Kapinnn says it right though thin is in when it comes to applying wax. To thick and it's such a pain to get off completely. So for applying my vote has recently changed to applying by machine over hand.
 
We should be sure to differentiate by hand as meaning "Bare Hands" no applicator - as is common with Zymol and other high end waxes.



My experience has made me prefer applying was by machine (UDM) over hand because it is MUCH faster and more even. Love it!!



-Frank
 
i apply lsp's by PC with 4" pads and feel i get better coverage and into the paint more evenly (will do it by hand with a foam applicator in tight spots). it's personal preference like anything else...
 
I apply liquid wax by hand using black side of a Sonus SFX Pro foam applicator. Being that it is 4" X 6", I can spread two coats pretty quickly over body panels. When I get a UDM I cannot imagine being able to do it faster. Does liquid sealant really need to be "worked in" like a polish, AIO, or a paint cleaner to make using a UDM beneficial?
 
Coupe said:
I can still wax faster by hand and i can still get the same thin even coverage by hand.
Click to expand...



I'll race you :). It'll be like Paul Bunyan vs. the steam logger guy.



On a semi-related note, do most of you you guys who wax via machine apply directly to the pad, or with a bottle in one hand and the PC in the other (dots on the paint, lift the machine onto them)?
 
Some waxes (e.g., #16) just seem better suited to machine application than do others (e.g., 476S). #16 is almost like it was *made* for application via machine, it does its "turn the paste wax liquid" thing even better by machine.



With #16, I use so little that despite using it on pretty big vehicles and applying rather frequently, a can lasts me over a *decade*. I end up using more 476S because going for an ultra-thin application doesn't seem worth the effort, which is sorta the opposite of how I use all my other LSPs.



FWIW, I do almost all my LSP-by-machine work with the Cyclo, not the PC. Only LSPs I always do by hand are KSG and UPP (and Souveran on the Jag).



Oh, and AFAIK the only reason to do the bare-hands method of application (or perhaps the latex-gloves method ;) ) is because certain high-carnauba-content waxes supposedly need to be melted/softened by bodyheat lest they cause micromarring. I did the bare-hands thing with Souveran a few times just to see what it was like, and I didn't notice any benefit over using a foam applicator.
 
I use to be a by hand guy but after using a PC I have noticed that you can go thinner and more even layer of wax . I usually buff by hand .... just enyoy to see the shine .
 
themightytimmah said:
On a semi-related note, do most of you you guys who wax via machine apply directly to the pad, or with a bottle in one hand and the PC in the other (dots on the paint, lift the machine onto them)?
Click to expand...



Apply product directly to pad, if paste wax I try to scrape as much as I can back *off* the pad, if liquid I just try to use as little as I can get away with.



One other thing about the hand/machine choice- the motions of guiding a machine across the panels are very different from the motions of applying by hand. I simply prefer moving the machine. I originally started doing it when I had shoulder problems, it was the most I could do to wash a vehicle, couldn't have done anything else if not for the machines, and using them didn't bother my injured shoulders at all.
 
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