Wax with a machine?

P

Preachers Sheets

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I had a PC and bought a Cyclo last year (don't know if I should of kept the PC) but I was wondering if applying a liquid wax with the finishing pads on the Cyclo would make the wax shine a little more than applying it by hand.



Has anyone used a machine to apply wax?



What wax did you use?



Did you notice a difference in shine from applying by hand to the machine?
 
I only use pastes with my Cyclo these days, but it worked fine with liquids too. I dunno if it looks better, but I feel that I'm doing a better job.



#16 and Collinite 476S by Cyclo are downright enjoyable to do, IMO. I take 'em off with the other Cyclo, using suede-style MF bonnets from TOL. Usually requires a little by-hand follow up with a CBT though.
 
joed1228 said:
I had a PC and bought a Cyclo last year (don't know if I should of kept the PC) but I was wondering if applying a liquid wax with the finishing pads on the Cyclo would make the wax shine a little more than applying it by hand.



Has anyone used a machine to apply wax?



What wax did you use?



Did you notice a difference in shine from applying by hand to the machine?
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It is just easier and takes less time and effort. No other big difference. You buff off with you MF towel by hand anyways... (Unless you decide to buff it with a high speed rotary)
 
Accumulator said:
I only use pastes with my Cyclo these days, but it worked fine with liquids too. I dunno if it looks better, but I feel that I'm doing a better job.



#16 and Collinite 476S by Cyclo are downright enjoyable to do, IMO. I take 'em off with the other Cyclo, using suede-style MF bonnets from TOL. Usually requires a little by-hand follow up with a CBT though.
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Give their diaper bonnets a shot. I was impressed.
 
I really like applying my waxes and sealants by PC. I find its easier physically (no more "wax on, wax off" little circles) to do and I find that I can get a thinner application of product with a machine. It saves me time and because I'm using less product per vehicle, it saves me money too. The only differences that I saw between a hand application and a machine application is that by hand, products were more difficult to remove (from using too much product) and that the machine application was more uniform (i sometimes missed a spot or two by hand).
 
3Dog said:
Give their diaper bonnets a shot. I was impressed.
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If the diaper bonnets are cotton they won't be soft enough for what I'm doing. I've had light micromarring (visible under magnification) when buffing with very soft, plush cotton so now I'm being *very* careful about what touches my paint.



I've had some unpleasant surprises from even MF (Viper brand MF bonnets) and now I'm all gunshy about bonnets I haven't tried before. The Jag didn't look quite right after using the Viper MF bonnets on it and when I inspected with magnification I found very light micromarring, similar to what I get with Charismas. Really surprised me as the Viper bonnets (and the Charismas too for that matter) sure seemed soft enough. I'm just gonna use the Ultra Suede bonnets and replace them regularly. Wish they'd make the CBT bonnets in 4".
 
I prefer to apply waxes/sealants by hand. There are always those spots that you just can't get to with a machine, so you'll have to do some by hand anyway. Plus if you're using a thin liquid, you'll waste a lot of product that gets absorbed into the pad.



originally posted by Accumulator I take 'em off with the other Cyclo
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The other Cyclo? You have two?
 
I used a random orbital to apply liquid wax. The benefits that I experienced were:

1) When applying the wax over a glaze, the layer of glaze is less disturbed and I don't get uneven patches after waxing.

2) The layer is applied more uniformly, so the look is better.

3) The layer is thinner, so buffing is extremely easy.



Downsides:

1) More product is required/wasted. I don't recommend it for expensive carnaubas.

2) You still need to use a hand applicator pad for places that you cannot reach.
 
Yeah, and on a practical note (or a rationalization, take your pick ;) ) I believe in redundant systems. Why stop to change pads/nozzles/whatever if you don't have to? I especially like having a complete setup for each side of the vehicle when I wash.
 
Accumulator said:
If the diaper bonnets are cotton they won't be soft enough for what I'm doing. I've had light micromarring (visible under magnification) when buffing with very soft, plush cotton so now I'm being *very* careful about what touches my paint.



I've had some unpleasant surprises from even MF (Viper brand MF bonnets) and now I'm all gunshy about bonnets I haven't tried before. The Jag didn't look quite right after using the Viper MF bonnets on it and when I inspected with magnification I found very light micromarring, similar to what I get with Charismas. Really surprised me as the Viper bonnets (and the Charismas too for that matter) sure seemed soft enough. I'm just gonna use the Ultra Suede bonnets and replace them regularly. Wish they'd make the CBT bonnets in 4".
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I do use Autopia'a CBT bonnets on my Cyclo. When they first came, I thought these can be for a 6" plate. They look so much smaller than normal bonnets.Anyway They will fit over a polishing pad and the velcro cup. Something you might want to think about.
 
I dont like use sealants by PC as I found I was using a lot more product.



But #16 and 4 inch pad set up makes removal as easy as the like of Souveran and P21s. Well worth doing if you like #16 as it allows a super thin layer. Apart from this all my LSP work is done by hand still and the PC used for polishing and glazing.
 
3Dog said:
I do use Autopia'a CBT bonnets on my Cyclo...
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Thanks for kick-starting my thought processes on this :D Yeah, a lot of bonnets *look* like they're not sized right but work great anyhow. The TOL suede-style MF bonnets I use on the Cyclo look like they're really made for a 5" PC-type application and IMO it doesn't really matter as long as the pad doens't fit so badly that you get some weird abrasion effects from folds/ridges getting loaded with product (at least it's not an issue with soft materials like we're discussing).



I'll have to order some CBT bonnets up and try them and I honestly might not have thought of it had you not suggested it. Sounds like a real boneheaded oversight now, when I consider those TOL bonnets, but there you have it.
 
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