Nick’s unsolicited Zaino tips and tricks

Nick T.

Nick T.

New member
Here are some of the Zaino tips and tricks that I’ve learned over the past 18 months and several bottles of Z-2 and Z-5:



First and most important - if this is your first application of Zaino it is very important to start with a swirl and micro-mar free paint surface. Zaino contains no oils to alter the refraction of light from these marks, and its clarity will only amplify them! Start off on the right foot; Dawn wash, clay, polish, glaze, and wash with Z-7 before the first coat of Zaino.



Instead of doing the entire care with Z-6 before applying Zaino, wipe down each area (1/2 of the hood, a door, etc.) with Z-6 immediately before applying the sealant. It seems to give a slightly higher shine. Speculation: maybe the Z-6 loosens the cross-linking for a short while and aids in bonding.



Micro-marring is a problem with polymer sealants; use only a light pressure when applying and buffing! Preferably use microfiber applicators and buffing cloths. Check them frequently for debris pickup!



Moisten the applicator with Z-6 before applying the sealant. It lets you get a thinner and more even coat, which in turn makes buffing require less pressure. Remoisten the applicator after each two or three areas as needed.



Especially important: Don’t put the Zaino on the applicator in a small circle as Mr. Z recommends on the Zaino web site, draw a “Z� on the applicator with the Zaino. This is even more important if you’re doing a Z3, Z4, Z-8, Z28, or a Nissan Z-car (or if you’re related to Zorro)!



After applying the Zaino wait until it’s thoroughly dry, then wait a little longer to ensure good bonding. It can sit overnight or even longer without harm.



When buffing use only light pressure. Shake out the buffing cloth very frequently and also visually check for debris pickup. I prefer white MF towels since that makes it easier to spot any trash. If there is an area where you put on too much product, then use Z-6 to aid in buffing - not more pressure. It’s not necessary to buff off each and every hazy spot - the finish coat of Z-6 will take care of that.



After buffing go over the entire care with a light wipe down of Z-6 then stand back and admire your work!



Now that you’re finished with the car, hand wash the applicator with Dawn and set it out to dry. When dry or nearly dry mist it with Z-6 and put it in a Zip-Loc .After 5 or 6 uses on each side, throw the applicator away and start with a new one! If you have any Z-2/ZFX or Z-5/ZFX left over, it may be kept in the refrigerator overnight with no hardening and no apparent effect on its quality.



It’s not necessary to use ZFX on each coat of Zaino. Mr. Z says to use it on every tenth application. I use it every second or third time.



If you don’t have a bottle of Z-1, it’s still a useful product even if you have ZFX. When dealing with my self-induced marring I spot polish with 3M SMR if needed, then 3M IHG, wipe with Z-6, and top with Z-1 and Z-5. It’s impossible to mix a small amount of Z-5 and ZFX.



All comments, improvements, suggestions, and flames appreciated.



Standard disclaimer: I am not a professional detailer, just an OCD sufferer and a charter member of the Anal Retentive Z3 Owners Association. YMMV!
 
Nick T. said:
Here are some of the Zaino tips and tricks that I’ve learned over the past 18 months and several bottles of Z-2 and Z-5:



First and most important - if this is your first application of Zaino it is very important to start with a swirl and micro-mar free paint surface. Zaino contains no oils to alter the refraction of light from these marks, and its clarity will only amplify them! Start off on the right foot; Dawn wash, clay, polish, glaze, and wash with Z-7 before the first coat of Zaino.



Instead of doing the entire care with Z-6 before applying Zaino, wipe down each area (1/2 of the hood, a door, etc.) with Z-6 immediately before applying the sealant. It seems to give a slightly higher shine. Speculation: maybe the Z-6 loosens the cross-linking for a short while and aids in bonding.



Micro-marring is a problem with polymer sealants; use only a light pressure when applying and buffing! Preferably use microfiber applicators and buffing cloths. Check them frequently for debris pickup!



Moisten the applicator with Z-6 before applying the sealant. It lets you get a thinner and more even coat, which in turn makes buffing require less pressure. Remoisten the applicator after each two or three areas as needed.



Especially important: Don’t put the Zaino on the applicator in a small circle as Mr. Z recommends on the Zaino web site, draw a “Z� on the applicator with the Zaino. This is even more important if you’re doing a Z3, Z4, Z-8, Z28, or a Nissan Z-car (or if you’re related to Zorro)!



After applying the Zaino wait until it’s thoroughly dry, then wait a little longer to ensure good bonding. It can sit overnight or even longer without harm.



When buffing use only light pressure. Shake out the buffing cloth very frequently and also visually check for debris pickup. I prefer white MF towels since that makes it easier to spot any trash. If there is an area where you put on too much product, then use Z-6 to aid in buffing - not more pressure. It’s not necessary to buff off each and every hazy spot - the finish coat of Z-6 will take care of that.



After buffing go over the entire care with a light wipe down of Z-6 then stand back and admire your work!



Now that you’re finished with the car, hand wash the applicator with Dawn and set it out to dry. When dry or nearly dry mist it with Z-6 and put it in a Zip-Loc .After 5 or 6 uses on each side, throw the applicator away and start with a new one! If you have any Z-2/ZFX or Z-5/ZFX left over, it may be kept in the refrigerator overnight with no hardening and no apparent effect on its quality.



It’s not necessary to use ZFX on each coat of Zaino. Mr. Z says to use it on every tenth application. I use it every second or third time.



If you don’t have a bottle of Z-1, it’s still a useful product even if you have ZFX. When dealing with my self-induced marring I spot polish with 3M SMR if needed, then 3M IHG, wipe with Z-6, and top with Z-1 and Z-5. It’s impossible to mix a small amount of Z-5 and ZFX.



All comments, improvements, suggestions, and flames appreciated.



Standard disclaimer: I am not a professional detailer, just an OCD sufferer and a charter member of the Anal Retentive Z3 Owners Association. YMMV!
Click to expand...



I have been using ZFX on every coat. I usually do two or three in a 5 hour peroid which requires it.
 
When I do three coats in one day I also use ZFX with each coat. Also, when doing three coats I let it rest for a day or two before adding another coat. Mr. Z said that the rest period is needed to allow proper curing of the new bond.
 
Nick T. said:


Especially important: Don’t put the Zaino on the applicator in a small circle as Mr. Z recommends on the Zaino web site, draw a “Z� on the applicator with the Zaino. This is even more important if you’re doing a Z3, Z4, Z-8, Z28, or a Nissan Z-car (or if you’re related to Zorro)!
Click to expand...



Your special "Z" technique is interesting...



Thanks for the light-pressure buffing suggestions and the washing tips though. Applied correctly, Zaino usually does not require too much effort to be removed or buffed out. My car is 6-months old and I don't see any noticeable optical difference in misting it with QD or not. However, let me try again by applying immediately before the Z2 coat.



Aloha!



:wavey
 
Nick T. said:
First and most important - if this is your first application of Zaino it is very important to start with a swirl and micro-mar free paint surface. Zaino contains no oils to alter the refraction of light from these marks, and its clarity will only amplify them! Start off on the right foot; Dawn wash, clay, polish, glaze, and wash with Z-7 before the first coat of Zaino.
Click to expand...








Just my 2 cents,



To be sure the surface is well prepped, first you should wash with any car wash, clay and polish. Skip the glaze as it is all fillers and oils, THEN dawn wash. Z7 is specially formulated NOT to remove waxes, and the specificly theZ polish. The only reason to Dawn is to remove the oils and silicones from the polishing step. If you still have marring, instead of glaze, go back and polish again. If you Z7 as the last step there will still be lots of oils and silicone left which can inhibit the bonding of the Z.
 
Avalanche and joed1228, you’re both right about IHG being mostly fillers and oils. It’s the fillers that you want, not the oils. Both the fillers and the oils in IHG are very susceptible to UV rays. IHG must be topped with something before exposure to the sun or it will quickly be gone.



Here’s what I’ve done successfully on many swirls and some scratches caused by a cat sliding off of my hood:

Work on the spot damage with IHG and a cotton ball until I’m satisfied with the smooth reflection. Wipe down the work area with a little premixed Z-7 that I keep in a spray bottle. Then a wipe with Z-1, then Z-5, buff when dry. Lately I’ve been getting rid of the oils using Z-6 instead of the Z-7 solution and it seems to work as well. I’ve had no trouble with this method. If the Zaino wasn’t bonding well, then the IHG would soon evaporate in the direct sun.



Awhile back I put some intentional scratches on the bumper of my Jet Black roadster and experimented with various products and techniques for dealing with them. The clear winner was 3M SMR for deeper scratches and 3M IHG for finer scratches. P21S GEPC is also excellent for finer scratches and seems to be more UV resistant. I always follow SMR with GEPC and then IHG when working on spot damage.



As always, YMMV!
 
Nick T



I couldn't agree more with your entire method. I do almost exactly the same thing using IHG and have seen no ill affects.



Two points that you made which I will echo.



1. The finish must be perfect, if not the zaino will make it look worse. Z5 is useless filling micro marring, don't count on it to help.



2. Light pressue is paramount. Dark cars especially will show micro marring with even the slightest pressure. I am now dealing with them on three coats. I attempted to cover them with some Siouveran with no luck.



As a caveat I use 100% cotton cloths to apply. The Z applicators are NG! I wash them every time. Now that I think about it I should, as you suggest, throw it out and use a new one. That may have caused the marring. And of course lubricate with Z6



Thanks for your post.

Bruce
 
Wow! Threads like this are EXACTLY why I joined!



Here are the steps I see as neccessary for my first Zaino app.:

-Wash, using whatever

-Z18 (Clay)

-Z5 (Polish)

-Wash, using Z7

-Z5 if needed

-Z6(pre.)

-Z2

-Z6(post.)

-Repeat coats if wanted.

Whew! this seems like a lot of work, although I should be able to do all those in 1 day, having only to wait up to 24hrs. before another Z2 layer- correct?
 
audio1der - here’s my take on your plan:



For the first wash use a liquid dishwashing detergent such as Dawn. This will remove all the carnauba, road oils, etc. that may be on your paint and make claying easier.



When claying be sure to use plenty of lubricant. Normal carwash solution in a spray bottle works fine.



Z-5 is not a polish, only a filler - and not a very good one. It will fill very fine scratches, but it takes many coats to be effective. Depending on how much marring you have, here are my steps: #1 3M SMR, #2 P21S GEPC, 3M IHG. If you only have a few minor marks skip #1 (or just do spot polishing) and start with #2. If your paint is near perfect, then skip #1 and #2. After using these products it is necessary to wash with Z-6 to remove residual oils and abrasives prior to applying the Zaino protectant.



I’d start with Z-5/ZFX and continue with it until you’re happy with the swirls, then switch to Z-2. Try to get really thin and even layers of Zaino. with a little experience you should be able to do two full coats with one ounce of product. Remember to use only light pressure when buffing. If you have difficulty removing some of the dried Zaino don’t do the natural thing, adding pressure. Fight the impulse to press harder and just buff more and maybe use a little Z-6 as an aid.
 
This spring I plan to make the Z leap. I've been a Carnauba guy forever, but I'm ready to switch!



Here's my plan, what do you think:



-Shampoo car with Zymol Clear

-DACP with PC

-#9 with PC

-#7 iwith PC (if needed to bring down any residual hazing)

-DAWN

-Z steps



Sound good?
 
jcattarulla said:
This spring I plan to make the Z leap. I've been a Carnauba guy forever, but I'm ready to switch!



Here's my plan, what do you think:



-Shampoo car with Zymol Clear

-DACP with PC

-#9 with PC

-#7 iwith PC (if needed to bring down any residual hazing)

-DAWN

-Z steps



Sound good?
Click to expand...



You can use Z7 in place of dawn
 
Nick,

I have a question. I topped Zaino with souveran, hoping it might cover some of the micro marring I have. It didn't, but it does look very deep and wet. I want to remove the wax and attempt to get those very slight swirls out.



My question is this:



Assuming the micro marring was caused DURING the Z2 process. I have three coats, applied over three weeks, and I believe my technique was good. Assuming the above is correct........



Can I fill the marring with IHG on top of the 3 coats of Z? Then apply more Z after a Z6 wash?



Z5 is useless, (i believe) for this.



Or....



Will I have to take it down again with SMR?



Thanks;

Bruce:bow
 
Bruce - -



Yes, IHG will fill fine scratches, but it may take several coats! If the marring is deeper than very fine, then you’ll probably be better off going to an abrasive.



If it were my car I’d first pick and area, say 18�x18�, that has representative marring for use as a “practice� area. Wash with Dawn to get rid of the Souveran, try IHG. If that doesn’t do the trick, then go to a very mild abrasive such as P21S GEPC and hopefully you won’t have to resort to SMR. When using the abrasives experiment with your polishing technique to see how to get the best results.



I don’t think that you really need to polish down to where the marring is totally polished out. Once you have decreased the depth and rounded the sharp edges of the scratches, then IHG should be able to do the filling.



If you want to really see what is going on with the marring, stop by a good camera store an pick up a couple of Bausch & Lomb Hastings Triplet loupes. 10X and 14X are perfect for this. If you only buy one, then I'd get the 10X. Higer power than that takes some practice before it's useful.



A few months ago a cat jumped on my hood, and as it slowly slid off it tried frantically to bring its sliding to a halt before finally jumping off. Left two rows of four rather deep scratches about 9� long! I went over them lightly with SMR until the edges were rounded, but they were still deep. Whenever I had a few spare minutes I’d go down to the garage and rub in a few layers of IHG, wipe with Z-7, then top with Z-1 and Z-5. It took many cycles of doing this - I didn’t count, but it was maybe 30 to 40 cycles, possibly more - but eventually the scratches were invisible. I’ve since learned that Z-6 will work just as well to remove the IHG oils, and may remove less of the filler.



With Zaino I don’t think that there is any way that you can avoid getting some micro-marring, no matter how light a touch you have and how careful you are about cleanliness. On Monday UPS will be bringing me some Blackfire II and I’ll do some playing with that on top of my Zaino. Reportedly it is more friendly than Zaino to a topping of carnauba.



Good luck with your swirls!
 
Just so I understand, IHG on top of Z2 is ok? It won't harm Z?



If that doesn't work I'll need gepc, which WILL, or WON"T strip Zaino and if it does strip it, I'll be starting over, yes?



Thanks
 
IHG does not appear to have any abrasives and I haven't seen any sign of it removing any of the Zaino. Both SMR &GEPC are abrasive and with enough rubbing they will go through the Zaino. If you don't want to replace the Zaino, then the trick is to polish just enough to alter the refraction by rounding the edges of the scratches.
 
I'm ready to order my products- finally.

I'm getting Z1, Z2, Z6 & Z18.

I'm also going to use 3M products to remove my swirls, rather than Z5 (thanks, Nick!)

My car is 2 years old, and well cared for- I have no scrathes, but there are lots of swirls.

Will IHG be enough, or can I only use SMR? (I'd really rather use only 1)

Also, I should do this step after a wash, but before Z1, correct?



I'm not after a show-car shine, as much as a well-protected car. I'm only worried about swirls as you all say they'll be magnified by the Z2 & Z6. Otherwise, they don't bother me.

Thanks so much for your time,

Audio
 
I strongly recommend getting both 3M SMR and 3M IHG. SMR has some abrasives and will round the edges (or completely remove) of the swirls - reducing the refraction of light. IHG has fillers and oils - the filler will hide the marring, but the oils must be removed before topping with Zaino. Use a mild wash so as to not remove the filler. IHG is a good topper for SMR - increases the gloss. IHG must be topped with Zaino (or a carnauba) or it will quickly disappear since it is not UV resistant.



I also strongly recommend that you get ZFX instead of Z-1. It’s expensive, but well worth the price. You only use 3 or 4 drops for one ounce of Z-2, and that is enough for two coats on your entire car (unless you have an SUV). ZFX gives much quicker bonding time and lets you apply up to three coats of Z-2 in one day. After your first 2 or three coats using ZFX, then you can use Z-2 without the ZFX for the next 6 to 8 coats, then one more time with ZFX. I keep both ZFX and Z-1, and use the Z-1 when I’m working on an area that only requires a small amount of Zaino.



Washing with Z-7 seems to me to give a better base for the Zaino than other car wash solutions that I’ve tried. Maybe the Z-7 preps the paint for better bonding?



Do your first wash with Dawn or the Zaino will not bond well.



P.S. I don't care what Sal Zaino says, microfiber applicators and buffing cloths work much better with Zaino than cotton terry!
 
Thanks for the info, but now I'm just confused, and put off from using Zaino.

I don't want to be measuring drops, I have no access to syringes, it's too many steps, too many different pieces to buy, and too much to think about.

Is there not any easier way, that maybe doesn't offer the gloss, but gives goo protection?

Honestly, I don't even want my car as shiny as many of the members's cars here. I'm happy with the shine of premium over the counter waxes- I just wanted something that lasted longer, and now I feel I'm over my head.

Maybe I just need to re-read all the posts I've printed- sorry to be a downer.
 
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