What does wax do besides protect??

here's what CMA says:



Regardless of how fine the finish is now, it will deteriorate and dull. Radiant and ultraviolet energy, acid rain, salt, atmospheric pollution, insect fluids, and bird droppings wage a constant war on your car’s finish. Waxing provides an easily renewable, transparent barrier between the finish and a hostile environment.



Waxing also makes your car, new or old, look better. Quality waxes now combine enriching oils that “wet� the surface with Brazilian Carnauba Wax and/or modern polymers for a high gloss shine. This brings us to the subject of selecting a wax. Waxes can be made from a natural wax, usually Brazilian Carnauba, or synthetically made with polymers and acrylic resins. In choosing a wax, here are some points to consider:
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by YoSteve [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>we tend not work on "legitimate claims" here. we work more on "proven" methods rather than what it says on the backs of labels.[/b]</blockquote>
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by YoSteve [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>here's what CMA says:[/b]</blockquote>
For some reason those two don't really seem to go together.

Steve, I will be convinced by evidence and almost nothing else. As a scientist / engineer I'd expect the same from you . . .
 
I use Klasse by no scientific evidence of my own.



I have not data.



Nothing has been quantified.



I have no chemical formulations and I haven't looked up the chemical structure of the acrylic resins used in it.



I believe that acrylic degrades in probably 2 years and so it has to be replaced before then. Scientifically that's all I know about Klasse.



Yet, I still use Klasse, I might be the biggest hypocrit on the planet for using it, but I'm pretty much going to use Klasse for a long time.



apparently the uv explanation by that research paper that I posted wasn't legit enough for your carnauba comment



why don't you leave this post if you can't say something nice and you should leave my chemical background out of this discussion for none of us judge anyone's opinions by the integrity of their chemical knowledge of the products they choose to use.
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by puterbum [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>For some reason those two don't really seem to go together.

Steve, I will be convinced by evidence and almost nothing else. As a scientist / engineer I'd expect the same from you . . . [/b]</blockquote>
for the record, "proven methods" are evidence, of which are not scientific.
 
I know that puter and steve are not really arguing. It would be nice to have more objective evidence on how all of our products work, but unfortunately, no one has any. That is why DETAILKING's abrasives test, thewaxtest.org, and Steve's CD tests are such awesome contributions to the knowledge base.



Here's a subjective observation that I would like to add. There are a few really old daily drivers in outstanding shape in my neighborhood. One guy has an early 80's Crown Victoria, and a friend of our family has a '75 Nova (in that avacado green that was so popular in the 70's) that both look like new. They haven't been restored- the original owners are still driving them, and they just take really good care of them.



I have talked to both of these owners, and both use carnuba waxes. They haven't heard of polymers. It does seem to me that the carnuba provides protection, because none of the other cars in the neighborhood of similar vintage look like these two. The overwhelming majority of cars from the mid-80's and earlier that are still running have huge white splotches of severe oxidation/fading on the hood, trunk, or roof. When the color of the paint is still uniform, it's much lighter on the horizontal surfaces than on the vertical. For example, I have seen red cars with pink hoods. The hood was originally red- it has just faded over the years.



From the above, it seems to me that carnubas do protect. Cars that stay waxed don't fade as quickly. Carnuba may have a UV retardant additive, so it may not be as good as a polymer like Zaino, but it is clear that it does protect.
 
My personal belief is that the people who wax their cars often are more likely to care about the appearance of the car and thus follow better paint care processes.



Those who don't value the appearance of their car enough to try to enhance it with a wax or sealant of any kind are more likely to use automatic carwashes or follow extremely poor washing guidlines. They also will leave damaging contaminants like gasoline drips and bird waste on the car for longer before taking it off because it isn't a real concern to them.



Stated differently:



If you wax your car, you most likely care about the way that it looks.

If you care about the way your car looks, you will be careful not to damage it and thus the paint will degrade at a slower rate.







The wax in itself may or may not be directly involved.
 
When I was knee high to a tadpole my dad used to wash the old Valient (sp?) all the time, but never waxed it. It was always clean but wasn't protected at all.



sometimes taking care of your car wrong actually makes it look worse (ie, automatic brush washes)



IMO a clean non-waxed car will not do any better than a dirty non-waxed car. The dirt might actually absorb uv. I'm not going to be the one to try it out.
 
Puterbum,

Yup, correlation and causation are two different things. However, I do think carnauba does provide at least some UV protection.

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by YoSteve [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>IMO a clean non-waxed car will not do any better than a dirty non-waxed car. The dirt might actually absorb uv. I'm not going to be the one to try it out. [/b]</blockquote>
Steve, IMO, allowing dirt to stay on the surface of your car will increase the amount of embedded contaminants which will start rusting on your car. This will accelerate the degradation of the clearcoat.
 
yeah, I don't know how that would work ;)



there aren't many people these days that would wash and not wax (or have it waxed)



the dirt in Newbury is magic safe dirt :D Last time I was in Houston I say all these cars that obviously have been neglected all their lives, they looked fine, from a rust standpoint



I think uv is about the worst thing on your car (worse than salt). if your clearcoat is unprotected it will be a lot more vulnerable. maybe, I'll ask a paint specialist some day.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top