Advice needed on hand waxing / polishing

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Jacques1397
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Advice needed on hand waxing / polishing

Post by Jacques1397 »

Hi Guys

I recently bought over a United Grey G5 with awesome condition on the paint

Need to keep it that way

i dont own a DA machine yet - planned soon, but need to stock up again on products

Currently using the following :

Wash : Mequiars Soft Gel Wash
Cleaning : Mequiars Cleaner Wax / Autoglym Super Resin
Wax : Used to use Colonite #845 (Finished now)

Need something for the tyres and exterior trim (Plastics)

Any Advice on products to use to get the best results by hand for now ?

Thanks
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Re: Advice needed on hand waxing / polishing

Post by amstel18 »

I used to use Collinite 845. Use to love it, still do.

What I have tried is Fusso Soft 99. This stuff is the shizznizz. I beads water like mad and it fills light swirls as well.

It's quite pricey, around R450 a tin. But a little goes a long way. I've done about 10 full cars, and the tin still has loads more in it.
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Re: Advice needed on hand waxing / polishing

Post by Jacques1397 »

I also had a look at the Soft99. Was thinking about the same thing. Wasnt sure if it shines as they say it does. But sure 2 coats per panel should work fine and give nice results applied by hand ?



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Re: Advice needed on hand waxing / polishing

Post by amstel18 »

A single coat is more than enough. Given that the initial coat is even.

I don't own any polishers, so I apply everything by hand, and I am happy with the shine it gives.

As Lawrence would say, shine comes from level paint, not the type of wax. :lol:

Have you read all the guides he's written in the detailing section?
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Re: Advice needed on hand waxing / polishing

Post by Jacques1397 »

Yes indeed Lawrence is the master. I want to purchase a DA machine but just cannot justify the use of it compared to the price yet.

Indeed if the paint condition is good the shine will be there. Glad to say that the Golfs paint is in a very good condition. Cannot even see swirl marks on this car. For a 10 year old its excellent.

Want to keep it that way. Will need to get new applicator pads and microfibre to use for removing of excess aswell as a quality wash mit

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Re: Advice needed on hand waxing / polishing

Post by Rsi huntered »

Jacques1397 wrote:Yes indeed Lawrence is the master. I want to purchase a DA machine but just cannot justify the use of it compared to the price yet.

Indeed if the paint condition is good the shine will be there. Glad to say that the Golfs paint is in a very good condition. Cannot even see swirl marks on this car. For a 10 year old its excellent.

Want to keep it that way. Will need to get new applicator pads and microfibre to use for removing of excess aswell as a quality wash mit

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i use Power lock.... ive been using this for a long long long time and still love it.....

easy off and easy on..... i tried this couple of weeks ago ( i applied on my polo on friday evening and only removed it on sunday afternoon and came off like jam :cool: :cool: ) beading and protection of good on this sealant.

decent washing techniques and proper drying methods will keep you car in good shape.
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Re: Advice needed on hand waxing / polishing

Post by Rsi huntered »

oh and i apply wax/sealant by hand and only take out my DA when i need to polish(this is always a good tool to have, as long as you understand how to use it :thumbup: )
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Re: Advice needed on hand waxing / polishing

Post by Jacques1397 »

Nice to know then. Will wait on pirchasing the DA and just hit it by hand from now on. I still have power lock aswell. Might as well just finish that first and then buy new stock lol

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Re: Advice needed on hand waxing / polishing

Post by lawrence »

Jacques1397 wrote:Hi Guys

I recently bought over a United Grey G5 with awesome condition on the paint

Need to keep it that way

i dont own a DA machine yet - planned soon, but need to stock up again on products

Currently using the following :

Wash : Mequiars Soft Gel Wash
Cleaning : Mequiars Cleaner Wax / Autoglym Super Resin
Wax : Used to use Colonite #845 (Finished now)

Need something for the tyres and exterior trim (Plastics)

Any Advice on products to use to get the best results by hand for now ?

Thanks
There are just so many ways to skin this cat, that trying to offer some advice on what products to use is really difficult. Instead I am going to recommend you find a product YOU like, and use it often. As long as you understand the principles behind how to maintain your ride, the choice of which product to use will become easier.

Basically there are only so many 'step' to maintaining your ride, so don't over-complicate it.

They are:

-Washing periodically - to remove loose dirt
-Decontaminating periodically - to remove bonded dirt
-Correcting the paint (as little as possible) - to remove below surface defects like scratches/swirls/etching
-Protecting the paint - with something like a wax/sealant/coating
-The above can be applied to pretty much any surface.

Washing: - chose high quality wash media and drying media. Decide on 2BM or rinseless. If 2BM get a decent shampoo (none of the industrial ****, something PH neutral and preferably something WITHOUT gloss enhancers - as these tend to interfere with the water behavior of your chosen protection). Try 'pre-wash' away as much dirt as possible before making contact (pressure washer, foam, TFR). Focus on your technique and this shouldn't be overly complicated.

Decontaminating: Chemically like tar and iron removers can be done relatively safely on your own. Just follow the instructions carefully and remember to re-apply your protection once done. Mechanical decontamination WILL marr your paint, and so you must be prepared to do some paint correction afterwards.

Correcting the paint This is a whole animal on its own and I'm not going to get into it in this thread, suffice to say this should be left to someone who knows what they are doing.

Protecting the paint. This too is a bit of its own animal, but a simple explanation is that you get waxes/sealants/coatings, each with its own pros, cons and price tags. You will need to select one based on YOUR requirements, which will typically comprise the following:

Price per application
Ease of application and method of application (WOWA, WOWO, spray, requires IR lamps for curing etc etc)
Curing time (could be immediate to days)
Ease of removal (some become a nightmare to remove if left to cure for too long)
Durability (some last days, some weeks, some months, some years)
Resistance to chemical etching
Resistance to mechanical abrasion
Improvement in paint appearance (as Amstel mentioned :hurray: :hug: MOST of the shine comes from level paint, not the LSP)
Water behavior / self-cleaning ability.

There are no right or wrong answers, no product that is the 'best' - you simply have to find one that is right for you.

Of the products already mentioned, here are some comments.

SRP - an AIO (contains abrasives, fillers, chemical cleaners and a bit of protection - its a jack of all trades and excels at none)
Cleaner Wax - an AIO (contains abrasives, fillers, chemical cleaners and a bit of protection - its a jack of all trades and excels at none)
Powerlock - VERY easy on/off, last a while, is priced well per application.
845 - a bit more finicky that powerlock but IMO better bang for buck
Fusso - excellent water behavior, fills a little, good gloss

All the above are 'liquid' WOWO (wipe on, wipe off) type products (the AIO's obviously should be 'worked' against the paint a bit more) and the Fusso is a paste sealant which is PTFE based.

Some other options worth looking into are:

Gyeon Wetcoat/Carpro Hydro - for a spray on when wet, hit with pressure washer, done - kind of application.
Spray sealants like Gyeon Cure or Carpro reload - spray into MF towel, wipe on paint, flip towel, buff off
Optimum Optiseal - spray into towel, wipe on, done
Optimum spray wax - spray into MF towel, wipe on paint, flip towel, buff off
Coatings

Trying to recommend which LSP to use is sort of like trying to recommend what type of drink you should consume - its largely down to personal preference.
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Re: Advice needed on hand waxing / polishing

Post by Jacques1397 »

Joh Lawrence. Thanks again for all the detail

Much appreciated. I will go through this again to make sure I understand. Will keep in mind when ordering aswell toe make sure I make the best choice. Very good info here.

Legend you are indeed !!

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Re: Advice needed on hand waxing / polishing

Post by 8VALVE-zn »

10 year old car without any visible swirls? I highly doubt that!! You need to train your eye in seeing them first, truth is that it can be easily missed!

run a single light source over the paint after washing and decontaminating the vehicle, you will notice how the light spreads and throws over the surface- swirls are in your face at this point along with other deep scratches if any.

After assessing the condition- use every step mentioned by Lawrence above and practice practice practice!!!
2000 Golf 1 Chico- CRANKCASE [Std 2.0 bottom end, head gas flowed,ported & chopped by Fastcar, 288 Estas Billet, 4-2-1 43mm Brospeed Branch, 50mm-57mm-63mm Exhaust] + THE PART (2B1 speacials) -Final power @ Autotrix 111wkw & 210wnm :drool: :evil:

2007 Velociti- WHITEWALKER [Std 2.0 bottom end, head gas flowed,ported, valve swirled, 276 Estas, 4-2-1 Branch, 57mm piping from front to back] :oops: :drool:
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Re: Advice needed on hand waxing / polishing

Post by Jacques1397 »

Will do for sure. No visible swirls compared to other cars. Might see them under close investigation sure but for a 10 year old car the paint is perfect. Will surely do that

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Re: Advice needed on hand waxing / polishing

Post by dazza »

8VALVE-zn wrote:10 year old car without any visible swirls? I highly doubt that!! You need to train your eye in seeing them first, truth is that it can be easily missed!

run a single light source over the paint after washing and decontaminating the vehicle, you will notice how the light spreads and throws over the surface- swirls are in your face at this point along with other deep scratches if any.

After assessing the condition- use every step mentioned by Lawrence above and practice practice practice!!!
Its very possible actually if the car in question has been taken care of. Semi regular paint correction and good maintenance. The car in question was well looked after by its previous owners
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Re: Advice needed on hand waxing / polishing

Post by Jacques1397 »

Gave it a wash and wax on Friday. No clearly visible swirls. But there is marks here and there under close inspection. But still for a 10 year old car i am impressed. Need new goodies soon then will give it a proper wax and send for detail in the near future

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Re: Advice needed on hand waxing / polishing

Post by 8VALVE-zn »

That's great to hear!!!

Lawrence did a test for a few clients this weekend, he dropped two grains of sand into an MF Towel and lightly rubbed it over perfectly corrected paint....Not only did it swirl the paint but also left behind some RIDS that took many of passes to lighten but not fully remove the defects!

We would love to see some pics of your car!!
2000 Golf 1 Chico- CRANKCASE [Std 2.0 bottom end, head gas flowed,ported & chopped by Fastcar, 288 Estas Billet, 4-2-1 43mm Brospeed Branch, 50mm-57mm-63mm Exhaust] + THE PART (2B1 speacials) -Final power @ Autotrix 111wkw & 210wnm :drool: :evil:

2007 Velociti- WHITEWALKER [Std 2.0 bottom end, head gas flowed,ported, valve swirled, 276 Estas, 4-2-1 Branch, 57mm piping from front to back] :oops: :drool:
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Re: Advice needed on hand waxing / polishing

Post by Jacques1397 »

Amamzing how such little grains can cause so much headache . Will for sure get my new products and do a before and after pic post to see the quality of the paint. Not perfect but surely better than any average 10 year old out there

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