Who cares about beading?

conman1395

conman1395

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Can someone answer me why beading matters so much? I thought the goal was water sheeting? I listened to Lary Kosillla's podcast a while back and his guest made a comment that beading can cause problems in the sun. The droplets can act as a magnifying lense and concentrate the light (think melting plastic army men). I just don't get how/why beading is so important.
 
Most of us consider beading to be an indicator of LSP presence/performance. For example, when you first "wax" the beads may be very small and spherical. As the LSP degrades (either because it is wearing away or becoming contaminated) the beading changes, (generally) becoming larger and more irregular in shape.

The term "sheeting" seems to have a lot of different definitions here in forum-land. I always consider sheeting to be the opposite of beading, in that the water would cover the surface in one big sheet as opposed to beads or drops. However most people seem to refer to "sheeting" as the phenomenon when beads run off the car.

I can certainly agree that beads can be problematic by collecting and concentrating dirt or acid rain, but I think the detailer's association of beading with slickness and protection is a hard one to mentally break.
 
Setec nailed it.

One particular instance where beading is a good thing is on glass. If you have a glass surface that wants to sheet water when it rains, the driver's vision is going to be severely impaired. This is one reason I hate driving rental cars, or anyone's car for that matter - I can use no wipers at 30mph in my car while I need them running full tilt in a rental.
 
Not a big beading fan.
Altho... it is pretty cool see those beads dance when the car is in motion. :)
 
I've noticed that once the beads get to a certain size they run off the surface. Different LSPs will create different surface tensions and the result will be how the water reacts with the surface.

I like seeing the water bead because I know my LSP is still working. Also depending on the amount of rain depends on how much water is actually still beaded on the vehicle after. If it rains really hard there is less water on the surface, than if it's a light shower.

I'm not sure there is any LSP that will "sheet" very tiny water droplets completely off the car.
 
To me sheeting means the water runs off in large sheets leaving the surface almost dry. Beading, to me anyway, is for the entertainment of whoever "waxed" the vehicle but serves little purpose if any.
 
RTexasF said:
To me sheeting means the water runs off in large sheets leaving the surface almost dry. Beading, to me anyway, is for the entertainment of whoever "waxed" the vehicle but serves little purpose if any.
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A big 👍.
 
To answer your thread starter question:
No...I don't care about beading.

Some ways to answer your question of: "why beading matters so much"?

1.
a.) It shows that there is surface tension between the liquid (a water) and the surface (an LSP, in this case).

b.) Subsequently: There is a contact angle formed between the water and the LSP.


2.
a.) Beads, and their contact angles, are useful for characterizing the "wettability" of surfaces.

b.) This assists in determining the hydrophilicity and/or hydrophobicity of a surface (LSP).
i. Hydrophilic (angle <45º)...sheeting, as it were;
ii. Hydrophobic (angle > 90º)...reaching to attain: "The Lotus Effect";
iii. {Or somewhere in-between (angle of 45º to 90º)}.

c.) This helps in mapping out variations in LSPs' compositions.


3.
a.) Do: Beads/Beading have any relationship to protection? :dunno:

b.) Regardless...IMHO: Applications of LSPs surely doesn't cause harm.


4. "Beads" is one particular way of showing that Chemists/formulators have added "beading-ingredients" to LSPs.


There's plenty more...
But that's enough...for the time being!


Bob
 
RTexasF said:
To me sheeting means the water runs off in large sheets leaving the surface almost dry. Beading, to me anyway, is for the entertainment of whoever "waxed" the vehicle but serves little purpose if any.
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That's exactly what it seems like to me. All that matters to me is that there is very low surface tension so wash my car is easier
 
Couldn't care less about beading...its sheeting that really matters to me.
 
Are there lsp's that allow water to "sheet"? Usually when I see a non beading surface its because there is no protection (I make this assumption based on the overall condition of the vehicle). Seems like protected surfaces repel things, including water, which is what leads to water beading.

I sheet (verb not adjective) water over my car after I am done washing and it ends up virtually dry. But aside from that action, water normally beads on my car.

And I love to see the beading :)
 
Jaretr1 said:
Are there lsp's that allow water to "sheet"? Usually when I see a non beading surface its because there is no protection (I make this assumption based on the overall condition of the vehicle).
Click to expand...

Mike Phillips has stated (and I think PiPUK also) that it's just as easy to make a sealant that is hydrophilic (no beads) as one that is hydrophobic, but for reasons already stated, there is no marked for hydrophilic LSP's.
 
To me at least, beading is everything. That's just me. If I don't see tight beading then I don't like the product, simple as that. It makes my washing more enjoyable, especially drying. And, it usually means a very slick surface as well. I'm a little bit OCD about it as I get anxious when I see that the beads aren't too great on my car. lol I know, I'm weird :D
 
BlackHawk said:
To me at least, beading is everything. That's just me. If I don't see tight beading then I don't like the product, simple as that. It makes my washing more enjoyable, especially drying. And, it usually means a very slick surface as well. I'm a little bit OCD about it as I get anxious when I see that the beads aren't too great on my car. lol I know, I'm weird :D
Click to expand...


Not weird at all! We are just hydrophobic type of people! I waxed my bathtub and rainx'd my shower doors to get water beading!
 
BlackHawk said:
To me at least, beading is everything. That's just me. If I don't see tight beading then I don't like the product, simple as that. It makes my washing more enjoyable, especially drying. And, it usually means a very slick surface as well. I'm a little bit OCD about it as I get anxious when I see that the beads aren't too great on my car. lol I know, I'm weird :D
Click to expand...
I'm with BlackHawk. Beading is everything to me. The tighter the bead the better I like it.
 
I'm curious to know what waxes or sealants "sheet" as far as I've been waxing it's always been beads. Depending on angle and amount of water. I noticed after my collinite application little water beads. Large amount sheets.

It's an indicator to me that it's time to wax. The reason I wax isn't to see beads but to protect the surface. If the protections beads than fine. If it sheets than that's ok too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Cleanfreeek said:
I'm curious to know what waxes or sealants "sheet" as far as I've been waxing it's always been beads. Depending on angle and amount of water. I noticed after my collinite application little water beads. Large amount sheets.

It's an indicator to me that it's time to wax. The reason I wax isn't to see beads but to protect the surface. If the protections beads than fine. If it sheets than that's ok too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
By sheeting, I am referring to the water running of the surface such as when we do the final rinse with a free flowing hose (no nozzle).
 
Oh I know :). That's what I mean. Is there a specific wax for example a wax known to sheet? As oppose to bead.




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Why is it important? It's really the only indicator you have that something is protecting paint.

As for beading vrs sheeting, most (all?) of the LSPs with the best hydrophobic properties will sheet off most water and bead tightly what is left.

I'm not sure I'm convinced there is actually any difference in an LSPs preference for beading or sheeting... It's just degrees of hydrophobicity and how it's perceived. Highly hydrophobic LSPs will bead and sheet well - ones that are less hydrophobic appear to sheet.

Maybe a physicist can come on here and prove me wrong. But, I'm not buying it from a wax/coating manufacturer.
 
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