Newbie Wax CSI - Where did I go wrong?

crcfl

crcfl

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So, yesterday I put a coat of wax on my car. The car is new, has a couple hundred miles on it and doing the baggie test didn't seem like it needed a clay treatment (I will be doing this in the future though and this weekend with my wife's car).

I used Megs Ultimate Liquid Wax after washing with Megs Gold Class and was initially happy with the results:
c6e00058.jpg



However, later that evening as the sun went down I noticed what I think is streaking. Here are a couple pics:

22da6b20-1.jpg


68bb2767-1.jpg


All and all not a huge deal but the ones on the hood annoyed me. I am sure this is user error. I did apply a thin coat in the shade of my garage. I went back a second time and did a quick pass to make sure I got ample coverage. I used a microfiber cloth to buff it and went over the entire car again with another microfiber cloth as a final swipe as described on AutoGeek. (The tips here are amazing, by the way).

This morning, I noticed that the swirls from the application of the paint were very noticeable with the condensation on my car:

f1c34aa6.jpg


d30736ff.jpg

Now that the condensation is gone you can't see them though.

Any insights on what I can do to improve will be great. I did read in the Megs UW thread that some people have experienced problems with streaking - don't know if this is the case. Honestly, I am sure it is more user error. In all I thought the product was easy to work with and wipe off. I should note this is all hand applied, however, in learning more and more about detailing I can see becoming completely OCD about detailing and using a machine in the future. :xyxthumbs:

I am picking up Duragloss 901 soon to wash the car each week and will be putting in an order with Autoweek today for many other products I have read about (including Collitate 845 wax, pinnacle clay bar, ONR, microfibers towels, etc. for the future.). Just didn't know if there was a better wax to work with or if using a QD would help with any of the streaking.

Thanks in advance for your time and insights.

Best,

Chad
 
Hi Chad,

From here it looks as if there's still wax on the panel and it wasn't removed completely during buffing. It also sounds as if you added a 2nd coat of wax on top of the initial application.

In general, I always wait several hours to a full day before overcoating to ensure that the fist application of product has fully cured and dried. If a wax is overcoated too soon there's a good chance that the second application dissolved the first.

Waxes are intended to go on super thin so keep this in mind with applying them.

Try buffing the panel out again and see if this works. In not you may want to strip the wax and add a clay step to ensure you're starting off fresh.

If applying by hand, you really need to focus on using a very small amount. If you question whether you're applying it too thin then you're probably just about right.

If too much Collinite 845 is applied it'll seem like it's sticky or tacky never wanting to completely haze. Additionally, wiping or buffing becomes a sticky mess but as the excess is removed you should see that the buffing becomes easier and that gorgeous gloss comes through.

For years I applied wax by hand because "by hand" is synonymous with the very best...in this case it could not be further from the truth. I remember waxing being a major pain in the butt because removing wax meant allot of hard work and towels. I also remember allot of product ending up on the towel thus wasting much of it and the hard earned cash I payed for it.

Once I realized that waxes were meant to be applied THIN everything seemed to fall right into place. If I took my time manually applying the product and getting it THIN, I generally achieved good results.

One day I decided to try applying Collinite 845 with my Porter Cable 7424 dual action polisher and a soft red pad... I could not believe how easy it was and how thin I could spread the product film. A new approach was born!

When you think about it, just how thick or how thin is that layer of protection we leave on the paint after buffing? I can tell you it's so thin it's probably not able to be measured accurately.

Here's an example to give you an idea of how thin this layer is.

One of my responsibilities is the engineering and development high speed precision metal stamping processes. Typically I deal in real life dimensions as small as 0.00002 inches, that's 20 millionths of an inch. While you might be surprised, your touch is sensitive enough to be able to detect about 0.0002 of an inch just by sliding your finger across two uneven surfaces. That's 2 ten thousands of an inch!

Where am I going with all this you might be asking yourself? It illustrates how thin the wax or protective coating really is that's left after buffing...

THIN is in!

Collinite 845 is a great wax but again, SUPER THIN coats and if possible, apply it with a dual action polisher and a soft red or blue pad...
 
Thanks Bobby! I have learned a great deal from many of your posts on this forum. I do appreciate the time and insights.

I have buffed and rebuffed the car a number of times now to no avail. Though I tried to apply the wax thinly - I am sure it was probably still too heavy. Actually, given your example - I know it was too thick.

The bottle had mentioned to give it a second pass to make sure you had covered the area. I can see how I could have removed some of the initial wax in the process.

It looks like I will be washing the car again, trying my hand with the clay, and giving Collinite 845 a try once it comes in.

Thanks!

Chad
 
Chad,

Detailing and waxing is as much of an art as it is a science.

Finishes on cars are different and even within the same make and model. Airborne contaminates, harsh chemicals in commercial car washes, wind, dust, dirt, rain, birds, bugs, and everything out there can't wait to attack that finish.

Learning what works and what doesn't is all part of our education and as this knowledge base builds deciding what to do becomes very natural.

Washing with solution of Dawn dish liquid combined with some citrus based all purpose cleaner will generally remove the products you've just applied.

This is about what I use..

  • Dawn dish liquid - 1 Tablespoon
  • All purpose cleaner - 1/4 cup
  • Water - 2 gallons
To test, try working on one panel, preferably a flat one; wash and clay should prepare it for the next step.

I used to think that claying a new car was sort of a waste of time but as that experience and knowledge began to build it quickly learned that this wasn't true. Between the time a car rolls off the assembly line and the time the customer sees it, it can literally be months and these are parked outdoors in the elements.

The photo below is a fresh clay after only doing 1/2 the hood on a 2011 Hyundai Elantra.. This car was only 3 months old.

Clay-01.jpg


Testing to see how dirty the paint it with a plastic baggie does hold some benefit I suppose but I generally clay as part of my process, then I know I'm starting off with a clean slate..

Don't overlook the benefit of a sealant. Sealants are synthetic waxes however much more durable. I always like to apply a sealant, allot it to cure then overcoat it with a nice wax...
 
crcfl said:
It looks like I will be washing the car again, trying my hand with the clay, and giving Collinite 845 a try once it comes in.
Click to expand...

Be sure you master laying down a thin coat before moving to the 845. May people new to "proper" waxing have had all kinds of issues with 845 by applying it to heavy.
 
I never have used it. I think I might get some and apply it this winter. I guess I will see then :)
 
I don't get it either. It's the easiest thing to apply that I have.
 
BobbyG said:
Chad,

Detailing and waxing is as much of an art as it is a science.

Finishes on cars are different and even within the same make and model. Airborne contaminates, harsh chemicals in commercial car washes, wind, dust, dirt, rain, birds, bugs, and everything out there can't wait to attack that finish.

Learning what works and what doesn't is all part of our education and as this knowledge base builds deciding what to do becomes very natural.

Washing with solution of Dawn dish liquid combined with some citrus based all purpose cleaner will generally remove the products you've just applied.

This is about what I use..

  • Dawn dish liquid - 1 Tablespoon
  • All purpose cleaner - 1/4 cup
  • Water - 2 gallons
To test, try working on one panel, preferably a flat one; wash and clay should prepare it for the next step.

I used to think that claying a new car was sort of a waste of time but as that experience and knowledge began to build it quickly learned that this wasn't true. Between the time a car rolls off the assembly line and the time the customer sees it, it can literally be months and these are parked outdoors in the elements.

The photo below is a fresh clay after only doing 1/2 the hood on a 2011 Hyundai Elantra.. This car was only 3 months old.

Clay-01.jpg


Testing to see how dirty the paint it with a plastic baggie does hold some benefit I suppose but I generally clay as part of my process, then I know I'm starting off with a clean slate..

Don't overlook the benefit of a sealant. Sealants are synthetic waxes however much more durable. I always like to apply a sealant, allot it to cure then overcoat it with a nice wax...
Click to expand...

Thanks for the formula to remove the wax and the additional info! It looks like I will either order the Ultima Paint Guard Plus or the Wolfgang Deep Gloss Sealant and then follow it up with the Collinite 845 or the Pinnacle Liquid Sovereign (getting a sample of that as well). Obviously, the easier the application the better (in my case!) :)
 
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