IPA , Isopropyl alcohol

Superdutytd said:
I'm not familiar with WG products, is that some sort of paint cleanser/chemical polisher?
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Yes. It removes old waxes and polishes, minor imperfections and enhances the gloss of the paint, making it a perfect finish for the sealant.

It can also be used over the sealant to bring back some brilliance as needed.

WG has a complete paint system that takes care of all your needs and it's top notch.


Wolfgang Concours Series Car Care, paint sealant, german car care products, wolfgang paint sealant, car wax
 
Go with the family brand rubbing alcohol compound as it is a higher percentage of IPA.

If they are the same or similar price, then you're getting better value for money with the Family brand compared with the Green Cross.

Also, I know that on the back of the 3M command adhesive packages they say to wipe the area that is going to have the adhesive applied down with rubbing alcohol so I'm surprised you've not heard it called rubbing alcohol before.
 
OK, before a rudely state that this whole IPA thing is a crock of something, can someone explain to me the principle here.

I mean, assuming:
- a typical routine would be wash/dry/paint cleanser/polish with or without abrasives/sealant and-or wax
- a typical polish may or may not have abrasives, but it puts some nourishing oils into the paint
- no-one here would dry their paint by washing with Dawn

then why would one want:
- to dry their paint with an organic solvent such as IPA when they would not do it with Dawn
- to wipe away the oil they carefuly put into the paint while polishing? (

Am I missing something here?
 
Buy 91% IPA and mix it with water 50/50.
If you can't get 91% IPA, and you have to settle for something weaker such as 70%, then don't add as much water to the spray bottle. Personally, I just use 91% IPA straight up but that's just me.

IPA wipe-downs are for the following:
-To strip all existing protection to start fresh. Especially helpful if you want to start over without polishing the vehicle again, and the base coat product you want to use is a non-cleaning product.

-After polishing a vehicle using dedicated polishing products because some polishes leave oils behind which make it hard to truly inspect your work to see how much paint correction you were able to achieve. You don't have to do an IPA wipe-down if you don't have to...some of us prefer it, some of us don't.
 
Tex said:
OK, before a rudely state that this whole IPA thing is a crock of something, can someone explain to me the principle here.

I mean, assuming:
- a typical routine would be wash/dry/paint cleanser/polish with or without abrasives/sealant and-or wax
- a typical polish may or may not have abrasives, but it puts some nourishing oils into the paint
- no-one here would dry their paint by washing with Dawn

then why would one want:
- to dry their paint with an organic solvent such as IPA when they would not do it with Dawn
- to wipe away the oil they carefuly put into the paint while polishing? (

Am I missing something here?
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It really depends on what wax/sealant you plan to use for your LSP.

Some sealants like Zaino require a squeaky clean surface in order to get the best bonding. It is said that any oils on the surface will hinder the durability of the sealant.


Now on the other hand you have products like Meguiar's which say the addition of polishing oils will only aid in the application and bonding of the wax/sealant

Quote:
A wax, (natural or synthetic), is a substance that when applied to a surface will not adhere properly on its own. Thus, it is necessary to add specialized miscible oils to allow the waxy material to spread and adhere evenly to the surface. These oils along with polymers are responsible for improving the functionality of the wax protection, appearance, adherence and the overall application.

This means the addition of any Meguiar's polishes prior to the wax application will not only enhance the paint finish, but also aid in the appearance, adherence and overall lasting ability of the wax which is applied over the top of it.



I say follow the directions of the manufacturer. :cheers:
 
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Tex said:
OK, before a rudely state that this whole IPA thing is a crock of something, can someone explain to me the principle here.

I mean, assuming:
- a typical routine would be wash/dry/paint cleanser/polish with or without abrasives/sealant and-or wax
- a typical polish may or may not have abrasives, but it puts some nourishing oils into the paint
- no-one here would dry their paint by washing with Dawn

then why would one want:
- to dry their paint with an organic solvent such as IPA when they would not do it with Dawn
- to wipe away the oil they carefuly put into the paint while polishing? (

Am I missing something here?
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Yes you are missing something.
Polishes have a medium that suspends the abrasives, and may provide slight lubrication. Just by it's nature may fill/hide minor swirls even if not intended. Guys do an IPA wipedown to make sure their paint correction is what they want. That's one reason. Another is most sealants only want to bond with clean paint and not oil or waxes.
 
Thanks Rasky and Jimmie, I have, yet one more time, learnt something.

I usualy use Klasse SG as my LSP (or Klasse then Carnauba), and prior to that either AIO (quick detailing) or 3M hand imperial glaze after polishing. From what you are telling me, it makes sense that the IPA thing sounded to me like a bad idea since the principle of both my LSP and whatever product I have ahead of it is to leave a coat for the SG to latch on to.

And in order to learn some more: which LSP are you guys using that would require an IPA wipe down? Are they more of the sealant type or more of the wax type?
 
If you are using KSG for your LSP then KAIO would leave a good base for the SG, No IPA needed. I actually prefere to use a pre wax cleaner vs. IPA to get a good base for a sealant. I only use IPA to check my work after buffing and that is pretty much it.

Most companies have some type of pre wax cleaner you can use, see examples below.

ZAIO then Z2
KAIO then SG
Dodo Lime Prime Lite then Supernatural
Wolfgang Paintwork Polish Enhancer then DGPS 3.0 or Fusion
Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion then Souveran
Meguiar's Deep Crystal Step 1 then NXT 2.0

and so on...

I would probably avoid using some kind of glaze before a sealant, unless it's in the same product line like Megs #7 and NXT.

Rasky
 
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Same as Rasky for me. I use a chemical cleaner vs IPA wipedown prior to a carnuba LSP; an AIO prior to a sealant LSP. The only time I use an IPA wipedown is to spot check my polishing progress. Oh, another place that I use IPA is to clean oxidized trim.
Rule of thumb for sealant is it only wants to bond to clean paint. Put it over oil, wax, some glazes you may wind up with a smear fest. You'll know right away. Now that said, there are exceptions. I just choose not to remember all of them so I stick to the rule of thumb (however I remember a lot of them so if you have a question let me know).
 
A good example for using IPA is

Wash

Clay bar

IPA

Pre Wax (glaze)

Sealant (X2)

Wax

Clean up any wax/sealant on trim pieses with IPA.

As the clay lub leaves nasty film on the car and some clay particles the IPA cleans them right off. (I did that today, but stopped at the first coat of sealant, number 2 tomorrow) .

Also when you mix up your IPA use distilled water (it is on the bottom shelf right near the IPA) it is cheap so pick up a gallon (4 liters)
 
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gwilo said:
A good example for using IPA is

Wash

Clay bar

IPA

Pre Wax (glaze)

Sealant (X2)

Wax

Clean up any wax/sealant on trim pieses with IPA.

As the clay lub leaves nasty film on the car and some clay particles the IPA cleans them right off. (I did that today, but stopped at the first coat of sealant, number 2 tomorrow) .

Also when you mix up your IPA use distilled water (it is on the bottom shelf right near the IPA) it is cheap so pick up a gallon (4 liters)
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I clay and wash simultaneously. No lube required and I get to wash away the contaminants and save time.
 
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