SMR/IHG specifics

A

audio1der

New member
I have a "Radium" car [read; that blah, silvery-gold pewter color] which even when nicely waxed, just doesn't have a lot of depth. It's the nature of the color. Do I really need to use IHG after SMR, if I'm going to use Z1 before my Z2...(full Zaino treatment)



When using SMR to get rid of swirls, do I need to have an intermediate step between coats of it?

How long do you let the car sit in between coats/buffs of SMR?

Also, what about aplicators? Sponge (generic colores in a pack?)?

Terry? Foam? Are the cheapy pads as good because you can discard them after each use?

Thanks in advance- this is my first time using these products, and I'm a little nervous!;)
 
When using SMR by hand, use a foam pad. I would do one panel at a time, and when the whole car is done, wash it to remove the filling oils and evaluate. If you are not happy with the results, then try another coat. You might need a more aggressive product if 2 coats don't work. If this is the case, I would recommend using a PC over hand application. Remember, it's very difficult to get ANY car PERFECT!



When you are done, wash the car to remove oils. DO NOT USE IMG as ZAINO will not bond to it. You shoud be happy with Zaino on your "pewter" color. It will give it a reflective look. I attached two examples. If this isn't the look you are desiring, then you should experiment with other products......



<img src=http://zainobros.com/files/photos/pewterlg.jpg>



<img src=http://zainobros.com/files/photos/goldhoodlg.jpg>
 
NO, these are samples of zaino on "pewter gold" from the zainobros website. Just wanted to show some examples.....



I have some cool reflections though!



<img src=http://fototime.com/29273791F43F318/standard.jpg>



<img src=http://fototime.com/A486AFB4897243B/standard.jpg>



<img src=http://fototime.com/197AC8388FF9778/standard.jpg>
 
Thank you very much, DETAILKING!

That helps me out very much.

Now all I have to find is a good Canadian source of mf's.

Our Wal-Mart just doesn't stock the same products as in the US.:nixweiss
 
audio1der said:
Now all I have to find is a good Canadian source of mf's.

Our Wal-Mart just doesn't stock the same products as in the US.:nixweiss
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See or ask if Zellers is restocking on Turtle Wax MFs yet. Someone told me they are "on order". These go for $3 ea. and are of good quality. They currently make up the bulk of my MF collection.



Scottwax and a few others have suggested using a folded terry cloth with polishes to get more strength out of them. It might be worth remembering if your swirls are not cooperating. Also, don't forget you really have to work the SMR into the paint, and be prepared to sweat a bit...
 
Thanks for the tip:bounce

I'm not wprried about pouring some elbow grease into the finish; I used to use the Mothers 3-Step carnuba system. Talk about work.(without benefit, I may add. Hence the Zaino switch):(
 
audio1der said:
Thanks for the tip:bounce

I'm not wprried about pouring some elbow grease into the finish; I used to use the Mothers 3-Step carnuba system. Talk about work.(without benefit, I may add. Hence the Zaino switch):(
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You're welcome. You might want to consider repeating the last 2 steps of the Mothers system someday. :) One important thing to remember about detailing is that PREP IS EVERYTHING. You probably didn't get good results from the Mothers Ultimate system because your paint is too faded or swirled for it to correct. The Step 1 pre-wax cleaner included with the system is very, very mild stuff, and won't do much for anything worse than very minor oxidation and even less for swirl correction. It sounds like you needed a stronger polish.



I guess what I'm saying is that the way the paint looks prior to icing the cake with glazes and waxes is the way it will look afterwards too (except maybe a bit glossier on top). I tell you, it's a weird look when you have shiny wax ontop of faded paint! :p Don't expect miracles from the Zaino system all by itself if the paint needs fixing first, but once you have your paint polished up all glossy and swirl-free you can experiment with the looks of the Zaino and Mothers systems and see which one you like better. :xyxthumbs
 
3M SMR contains very little oil, it's mostly mild abrasives. IHG contains a lot of oils and fillers, but no abrasives. Zaino can be successfully applied on top of either of these products if the oils are first removed!



This is what I’ve been doing for quite some time to deal with micro-marring on my Jet Black paint: SMR until I’m happy with the results, then IHG to fill any remaining marring and any micro-micro-marring induced by the SMR - - just like going from a course sandpaper to finer and finer grades. Then I spray the work area with a shampoo/water solution and wipe it down thoroughly, then repeat with Z-6. The oils are gone and the fillers remain. Next is a wipe with Z-1 and a topping of Z-5 or Z-2. This hasn’t failed me yet and I’ve done it countless times!
 
Both IHG and SMR contain oils. These oils are the "fillers" that you are seeing and need to be removed by washing the car before applying zaino. I would also do this to evaluate the paint to make sure you removed all your swirls with SMR. Using IHG after SMR and before using Zaino is a wasted step in my opinion. the oils are washed off, and it is a VERY mild abrasive.
 
I would agree, they both contain a good amounts of mineral oil....and in order to have the best possible crosslink, which is a little more involved than just 'bonding'(which all products do), it's best to remove these fillers before application as they would compromise the crosslink process onto your paint.
 
asjk07 said:
I would agree, they both contain a good amounts of mineral oil....and in order to have the best possible crosslink, which is a little more involved than just 'bonding'(which all products do), it's best to remove these fillers before application as they would compromise the crosslink process onto your paint.
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A little chemistry clarification.

The crosslinking that is occurring with Zaino is only between the Zaino polymers, not with the surface (clearcoat). Yes, for Zaino (per Sal Zaino) to maximize its "bonding" to the finish the surface should be as oil-free a possible. In order to maximize the paint's appearance a little of this bonding strengh may need to be compromised. The little bit of filler that is present ( unless finish is totally marred) will not greatly effect the protectant's bonding. I agree with Nick's experience (testing). I personally would rather have 3 months of protection of a flawless appearing finish than 6-9 months of a more flawed appearing finish. Since audio1der is dealing with a very forgiving color (Pewter) this glazed induced compromise may not be needed or necessary. Black, dark blues, dark greens and sometimes reds require as much "make-up" as possible.:wavey
 
BlkZ28, good points. Yeah, paint is definitely not going to rearrange its own fully cured polymeric make-up to join with the Z polymers. The point I was trying to get across is that by curing or crosslinking while directly cationically attached to the paint surface, you’re maximizing the durability of the product. This cationic bond is compromised if there are oils/fillers between Z and the paint surface.



But with that said, I totally agree with your preference for having a 3 month flawless finish vs. a super durable coat that might show more imperfections.



I’ve used Zaino both ways for a while now and the difference seems to be in the number of coats you apply. If you apply 3-6 coats of Z over a glaze within two days, durability does not seem to be compromised as I get 6-8 months of slickness and beading. With just a single coat (w/ZFX), slickness and beading seem to die out in 3 months. So for some reason or another, applying multiple coats in a single day seems to negate the way an SMR or glaze compromises Z’s bonding whereas just applying a single coat is affected a little bit.
 
Hi asjk07, :bow

I perfectly understood your post and was not criticizing your very valid points but just expounding on one of the beliefs that Zaino will not work on a "made-up" surface. Some first time users ( unlike ourselves) stick to this theorem and sometimes become dissatisfied with their results. If one is accustom to the marr hiding ability of many protectants are quite disappointed by Zaino's optical clarity ( inability to hide imperfect finish and/or poor prep). Most driven vehicles need some type of "make-up" to present their best appearance and I do not think that Zaino should be penaltized by not ultimatizing the prepped surface (SMR/paint cleansing/glazing), especially since it is not recommended to apply "make-up" ( toppers) on top of Zaino.

Just would like to see everyone using Zaino get the best appearance, with some probable lose of durability, when used on an imperfect carvas ( driven vehicle). Zaino is a wonderful protectant but like most products will benefit from some outside help ;) ( filler/glazes).:wavey
 
blkZ28Conv said:
I perfectly understood your post and was not criticizing your very valid points but just expounding on one of the beliefs that Zaino will not work on a "made-up" surface. Some first time users ( unlike ourselves) stick to this theorem and sometimes become dissatisfied with their results. If one is accustom to the marr hiding ability of many protectants are quite disappointed by Zaino's optical clarity ( inability to hide imperfect finish and/or poor prep). Most driven vehicles need some type of "make-up" to present their best appearance and I do not think that Zaino should be penaltized by not ultimatizing the prepped surface (SMR/paint cleansing/glazing), especially since it is not recommended to apply "make-up" ( toppers) on top of Zaino.

Just would like to see everyone using Zaino get the best appearance, with some probable lose of durability, when used on an imperfect carvas ( driven vehicle). Zaino is a wonderful protectant but like most products will benefit from some outside help ;) ( filler/glazes).:wavey
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Very well stated!! :xyxthumbs
 
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