Newbie needs help with Polish>Sealant>Wax>Maintaina

[Metro1288]

Hi Guys,

I am new to the forum (car detailing as well) and am hoping to get some good info to help me with a major detail i am planning to do very soon.

The new car is only a couple months old and the paint (metallic black) is pretty good apart from tiny swirls i can see from close up when parked in the sun or under bright lighting. I will be doing all my work by hand so i have accepted that most of the polishing that i will be doing will be just masking the swirls and not removing them. I probably wash the car every 2 or 3 weeks and would be kind of on the lazier side.

The products i will be using:

Megiuars NXT Tech wash (already had this)
Claymagic Claybar (blue)
PB's Pro-polish with carn (blue)
PB's EX sealant
PB's Nattys Paste Wax Blue
Grey Ultra Soft towels
Waffle weave drying towel
Wolfgang wax and polish applicator
Megiuars round foam applicators (already had these)
Megiuars sheepskin mit (already had also)

I was thining about doing the following steps, would appreciate any info as to wether i am doing it correctly or not:
- Wash and dry with two bucket method and waffle weave
- clay using shampoo mix as the lubricant (what ratio should i be mixing? should i wash after this step?))
- Polish using the Wolfgang wax and polish applicator and the pro polish (this is the setp i am most unsure about as to how i should be applying. how much? how hard, any point in going twice over? etc)
- Apply EX (how many layers needed? do i need to wait at least 12 hours if i want to layer this?)
-Apply wax (any tips for easy application of this? its a bit cold here right now. can i layer immeadiately or do i need to wait?)

I have some other questions as well but i will put then into a separate post i think, this one is getting a bit too long. I really appreciate any tips you could give me as i want to try to get it right. I have a few mates waiting to see how my car turns out before they decide to get some products as well. Hoping to wow them with my results to get them into the hobby.

Cheers,
Metro

 

[BigLeegr]

For clay, I would say use a quick detailer. Some clays work with shampoo and water, but I've read that some can disintegrate with shampoo. I don't know what ratio of Megs NXT wash you might try.
Washing after this step would be nice, but unless you've left lots of residue behind, you should be able to go straight to polishing.
Polishing a second time on a new car in great shape would be beneficial only to ensure even application. Without defect removal, you don't need much pressure. Speed and even/thorough coverage is more important, IMO. Don't over apply, as anything left will need to be removed, meaning more work. Polish should be worked almost to the point of "disappearing."
EX-one coat can suffice, especially since you are planning to top it with Nattys. But, if you have the time/energy, a second coat may help with the even coverage and such. You should let it cure overnight before topping.
Natty's is pretty easy as long as you apply it thin. The thicker you apply, the more you will need to remove. You should have only a light fog or frost look on the paint. Wax you can layer 1 after another.

 

[Metro1288]

Awesome!! thanks for the help.. gonna try it this weekend

 

[Metro1288]

I am buggered!! did the following this weekend:

Washed
Clayed
Polished
Sealed

All by hand as well, i think i need to see the chiropractor soon.

Clayed for the first time, took longer than i thought it would. Tried mixing wash shampoo and water for lubricant but found it strange that it was foaming up while i was claying. Swapped over to a quick detailing which was much better. i have a feeling that i added scratches to the paint during this process.

I thought the polish would be easier to use. Found that it took alot of effort to apply and ended up using more than i thought i would. when it came to buffing it off it was hard work.

Using the EX was pretty much the same experience, hard to apply and remove as well.

Was hoping to have all the above done on sat so that today i could apply the wax, didnt get it all done though so the wax needs to wait until next weekend. Was originally going to layer the EX but now not so sure. Would it be worth doing if i am planning to wax it anyway?

I first tried applying the polish and sealant using a wolfgang 3 layer foam pad but it seem to be soaking alot of the product. Switched over to the round megiuar foam pads which was a bit better. I thought that the products would glide on but that wasnt the case at all. Anyone have any tips for applying these products? people were telling me to apply a very thin layer but it was so hard to do.

Will applying the wax be the same experience?

The car looks pretty good but i am dissapointed with how hard the PWC and EX were to use.

Please help! i feel like moving on to something easier.

 

[Go-N Def]

How heavy did you put on the Polish and the Sealant. If you put it on really thick, it can be difficult to take off.

You also need to let it dry for a bit before taking it off. I usually do the whole car at once, that way by the time I finish, the part that I started on has dried out...

 

[Metro1288]

Well i was trying to apply as thinly as possible but still be thorough, it wasnt easy.

i am thinking that maybe i waited too long before taking it off.. was about 45mins that i waited.

 

[Go-N Def]

If it was in direct sunlight during that time, it may have been a little too long.

 

[Metro1288]

Nah it was in the shade actually

 

[Go-N Def]

Humidity maybe??? :smt017

 

[BigLeegr]

Well, maybe try a small section and "experiment" with how little you can use to cover the area. You really don't need much. 1 oz. should be more than enough for a whole car. (Not the '70s Lincolns/New Yorkers etc. but avg. sized) Do you think you used much more than an ounce?
Typically, I apply my waxes and sealants via machine, so it comes out even/thin. It's thin enough that it looks like a bit of dust has settled on the car. From a bit of distance away, you might not even see the wax applied. Is this as thin as you applied?
I know that sometimes people apply wax so that there are thick ridges showing the motion of the application. This is too thick in those sections, and can be more difficult to remove. Try to remember that the wax layer that stays on the car is VERY thin. Anything extra applied just gets removed, so it's not worth over appying.
Also, you don't need to apply it thick enough to see immediately. It does haze up fter drying. Maybe try applying it to the small section "too thin" and see if it hazes up to show proper coverage. This might give you a better idea of how little is needed.

 

[Metro1288]

Thanks for the tips guys, gave the EX and Nattys blue another go this weekend and it worked out much better. Something that made it alot easier was making sure the applicator was well moistened with quick detailer before starting. Do you guys layer your nattys blue?

 

[BigLeegr]

I don't. I prefer to put another layer on after a wash rather than put multiple layers on all at once. Seems to help keep a "just waxed" look longer that way.

 

[Metro1288]

Ok thanks for that Will do that then, my arms need a rest anyway.