What's the best way to apply paste waxes by hand (and other questions)?

MikeWinLDS said:
Don't you have to wait long periods of time for the different coats of Zaino to dry off before adding on another layer? Unless you're talking about something else, how is that faster?
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Mike,



Zaino cure times depend on what products you purchase and the humidity conditions when you apply it. Do a search because there is an absolute tonne of information surrounding Zaino here but I'll provide you with a very very quick snippet.



Sal created ZFX to accelerate the curing time of Z2 or Z5 so that multiple coats can be applied in one day. However, it is very expensive but goes a long way. When you see how much accelerator you get, you can't believe you just dropped $20 plus for it (something like 60 drops of material!)



If you go with ZFX, in most temperature conditions, it will take about 1/2 hr to 1hr to cure to the point where you finger wipe test is clear (no smearing). It allows you to apply up to 3 coats per day.



If you go without ZFX, then it takes substantially longer and you can only apply 1 coat per day so that the product has sufficient time to setup fully. Some people have waiting 24 hours but I've found 2 - 4 hrs depending on humidity to be sufficient to buff and allow another 20 odd hours to let is setup fully.



Also, to get very thin coats, a damp foam pad really helps in the spreadability of the product.



Klasse for instance is different. There's a new Wipe On Wipe Off (WOWO) method that a board member here developed and a lot of members really like it. It isn't the approach endorsed by Klasse but it seems to work very well according to the people tha use it.



To get good, unfustrating results. It's really important that you research "the product", as each product has it's own quirks on how to use it irregardless of it's class i.e. wax, sealant, polish etc. There are general principles but they don't apply to every product



i.e. No. 16 - if you let it setup too long, you had better have Popeye arms to get it off.



Paco
 
Faster is relative to the products you comparing.



Simply stating that Zaino is faster than waxing is completely wrong.



I can probably apply 4 coats of S100 (or more) in the time it takes me to apply, wait and buff 1 coat of Zaino.



Paco
 
I have always preferred pastes, but someone on another forum made a good point about paste waxes and contamination.



Often, the applicator picks up particulates off the car, especially along the bottom, that then get transferred to the can of wax. I've had this happen with Souveran, and it's not fun.



Sure, in a perfect world you got ALL the dirt off by washing, but I'm sure that we've all picked specks off our applicators.



This doesn't happen with liquids. Although the applicator will still pick up particulates, there is no risk of transferring them to the remaining product.



Food for thought. It might make me choose liquids more often.







Tom
 
I can probably apply 4 coats of S100 (or more) in the time it takes me to apply, wait and buff 1 coat of Zaino.
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I can finish a coat of Zano in less than 1.5 hours, probably closer to 1 hour - 1/2 hour to apply, 1/2 hour wait and 1/2 hour to buff.

That is actually only 1 hour of work (probably closer to 1/2 hour) with 1/2 hour of wait in between.
 
Just got some #7 glaze and #26 paste. How long should I wait before I buff off the polish (Meg's Deep Crystal) and glaze? I'll wait for 30 minutes on the wax to let it cure before buffing off like you suggested.



If I buff these products (polish, glaze, wax) off too quick and don't let it have time to set will it affect the shine I get dramatically?
 
Good question. I use Zymol's Estate Wax, and they only prescribe a hand application.



Many other waxes you could have your choice of either a orbital buffer or by hand.



Either method will give you excellent results if applied correctly. I prefer to use my hands in applying wax, so as I can personally connect with the paint and car while applying the wax. You will also get the first look at any contaminants and specks on your paint while you are putting on and taking off wax.



Hope this helps.
 
Mike,



No. 7 is tricky to use but can produce some really good results. Mike Phillips wrote a great how to here on this board about skinning it. Search for it.



Paco
 
Accumulator said:
Do it the way you *did* it, but scrape the applicator against the rim of the tin and squeeze out as much wax as possible. It's pretty amazing how *little* wax you really need. One normal-sized tin of wax should last for years.



Yeah, use as little as you feel you can get away with. Make it a challenge, "how little can I use?" ;)
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Wow, maybe it was because the first time I used a paste waste it was TW Super Hard Shell and it's not a quality wax, but I just put some #26 paste on my car using that method of scraping the side of the tin and it went on very slick and smooth. For my whole car I did about 20 very small scrapes (I barely used any at all, amazing). I noticed the wax was liquidy in some parts and a little harder in others. I tried to just scrape up the harder parts against the side of the tin until it was a little liquidy so I wouldn't have chunks all over my car.



Also, are the foam applicators better than the terry bonet type ones? I was using the foam applicator that came with the #26; does that make a difference? Before, I was using Zymol cleaner wax with a terry bonet applicator and it seemed like I used up a lot more product than the #26. I'm not sure if that's because of the type of wax I was using or the type of applicator or what.



And with the polish or glaze, I can't remember which, maybe it was the glaze. I was using the terry bonets for the polish and glaze, and I don't know if I was applying it on too rough or what, but I could see some red (car color is red) on the applicators towards the end of the job. What's that all about? Didn't see any on the foam applicator when I was applying the wax though.
Accumulator said:
Whether or not beading can be used as an indicator can be a very contentious topic :o



A big change in beading/slickness/appearance does, *IMO* indicate some kind of degradation of the LSP.
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Are there any other methods other than visual perception (which might be sometimes hit and miss, unless you're talking about long periods of time of not washing and waxing; for example, if I wash and wax my car and then wait until like a month later before doing anything to it, I can definately see some change, but changes within a week's time or a couple weeks, not so sure) that people use to gauge the durability of a certain product?







Thanks for the links Paco. As for the polishing and the glazing. I'm not sure if I did it right or wrong, but I followed Mike Phillip's method with the wiping off. I'll still waiting to buff off the wax, so I can't tell how much of a difference it makes. I'd probably see better results if I used a PC or some tool like that, since all that rubbing the stuff in takes up a lot of energy. Along the lines of applying the polish, glaze, and wax, does it matter if I'm applying it in a circular pattern of motion, or can I just rub all this stuff on straight up and down or left and right? I like seeing the circular pattern though.
 
MikeWinLDS said:
... are the foam applicators better than the terry bonet type ones?
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I always use foam for LSP application and MF (or CBT) for removal. I don't use terry for anything except (very rarely) for aggressive polishing. Terry just isn't soft enough IMO.



Are there any other methods other than visual perception ...that people use to gauge the durability of a certain product?
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Most products also lose the "freshly waxed feel". Between how it looks, how it feels, how water and QD behave on it, and how contamination sticks/doesn't, you should be able to tell when things start to degrade. Once you get used to how well protected paint is, you'll know when it's not protected any more.



...applying the polish, glaze, and wax, does it matter if I'm applying it in a circular pattern of motion, or can I just rub all this stuff on straight up and down or left and right? I like seeing the circular pattern though.
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As long as you don't induce marring (dirt between applicator and paint, coarse applicator, etc.) it doesn't matter what pattern/motion you use. PCs go in all sorts of directions ("random orbital"), for instance and nobody ever says *they* should go front-back in straight lines. But if you *do* induce marring, straight, front-back scratches are usually less visible than circular ones. So just don't mar it and you can go in circles.
 
Durability:



Some waxes are designed to sheet water to prevent water spotting so beading isn't a good bench mark for them.



Plus, beading is a function of how slick the surface is and not the level of protection the wax is providing. Therefore, if you don't wash often, the surface tension on the clear will be less and therefore, produce larger beads. Industrial fallout, pollen etc. can all effect the waxes ablility to bead.



Hence why beading can be a debatable topic.



My own personal opinion is that if you wax a minimum of every 6 weeks, you'll probably be more then protected.



If you use a sealant, then every 3 months would be fine.



If you leave in a very very hot climate, then waxing every 3-4 weeks (or more often), is advisable as wax will not hold up very well in very hot conditions.



If you live in an area with a lot of fallout, then wax more often etc.



Paco
 
What's fallout? And I live in the burning desert, so I just wax whenever I wash, which is usually at least once monthly and more when it gets dirty.





Also, what to do if your car is a single stage paint and doesn't have a layer of clear coat? Does that require using different products, techniques, or care? I probably won't be able to get the shine and gloss on par with cars with a clear coat, huh?
 
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