What's new
Club Scuderia

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • Please take a minute to read this thread about our recent server issues and forum platform Switch

How to....waxing tips

1210tech®

New member
Once you have finished cleaning your car we recommend applying a final step product after each wash to help protect the paint against the many elements found in the atmosphere such as water, UV radiation, dust, dirt, industrial fallout, tree sap, insects, bird droppings...the list goes on. Protection is available in many different forms including natural carnauba waxes, synthetic sealants and products that combine both. Final step products typically offer varying degrees of gloss, reflectivity, slickness and durability.

Our favourite and recommended final step product is carnauba based wax. Carnauba is a vegetable wax obtained from the leaves of the carnauba palm that is native to Brazil and is nature's hardest, purest and most transparent wax, once fully cured it sets harder than concrete. There are many different carnauba waxes available ranging in price depending on carnauba content percentage. Basically, the higher the percentage of carnauba in the wax determines how durable and how much gloss and shine the wax provides. Carnauba wax prices range from about £15 up to a staggering £7'118 for the highest carnauba content wax in the world, which incidentally is the wax Sportscar Protection uses on all its details as the final step product

In contrast to carnauba wax, synthetic sealants are the product of modern technology and comprise either polymer-based formulas or acrylic resins. Many car care enthusiasts have long argued that synthetic sealants are superior to other types of last step product, as they produce an ultra slick finish that is extremely durable. However, the finish produced by sealants is typically much less glossy than that produced by carnauba wax and some can discolour over time, going milky or turning yellow.

When it comes to actually applying a wax the procedure couldn't be simpler...wax on, wax off daniel-san!!!

Seriously though, higher percentage waxes recommend that you warm the wax in the palm of your hand and then rub over the paint with your fingertips, but I discovered to my horror that this can cause scratches if your hands aren't completely clean! We have found that the best and easiest way of applying the wax is to use a foam applicator pad which gives an thin even coverage and then buff the wax to a shine with a microfibre towel. Always apply and buff the wax in straight lines and out of direct sun light. A good tip is to have a spray bottle filled with detail spray, if the wax goes streaky, simply spray and wipe.

The more layers of wax you build up the better the finish will become but if you decide to apply more than one layer in one sitting leave the first layer at least 30 mins before applying more.
 
Thanks Ian, very useful, info particularly regarding the detail spray.

I prefer bare clean hands though for two reasons:

I waste less of that expensive carnauba wax
I get my bare hands all over a pretty red lady :)
 
Thanks Ian, very useful, info particularly regarding the detail spray.

I prefer bare clean hands though for two reasons:

I waste less of that expensive carnauba wax
I get my bare hands all over a pretty red lady :)

cheers Phil, although you will find if you use a sponge applicator you will actually use less wax plus it will go on in a more even covering making it easier to buff :thumbsup:
 
those Meguiars applicators are pretty good but they don't let the wax soak into them as well as the Zymol ones do. The Zymol applicator tends to hold more wax allowing you to load it up with wax and get half of one side of a car done in one go rather than doing a panel and then having to put more wax on the applicator.

You can buy the Zymol Wax Applicators from Johns Wax :thumbsup:

ps: The Zymol applicators is a pack of three :thumbsup:
 
Last edited:
Top