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never waxed before? Tips and help

Discussion in 'Detailing' started by GreeGunc, Mar 30, 2015.

  1. Mar 30, 2015 at 6:33 PM
    #1
    GreeGunc

    GreeGunc [OP] Full of regret

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    Imperial Jade Mica, like to make it shine. Found mothers clay bar, carnauba wax, and my favorite AIM wash and wax. Never done it before, think the dealer did it on the truck. Don't have a rotor thing so it will be by hand. Maybe I have this correct.
    Wash. Dry.
    Mothers Clay bar with spray water
    some polish
    Mothers carnauba wax (paste?)
    It has a lot of scratches so id like to do the polish, read up as much as I could. Got this info. Havnt bought anything yet, what is the proper environment, rag, polish, and wax?
     
  2. Mar 30, 2015 at 6:35 PM
    #2
    Warputer

    Warputer Dirt Road Inspector

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    One thing I did learn the hard way....always wax in the shade unless you like swirl marks.
     
  3. Mar 30, 2015 at 6:44 PM
    #3
    Steves104x4

    Steves104x4 Well-Known Member

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    BUCKLE UP! It makes it harder for Aliens to pull you out of your Truck.
    Use only clean/new micro fiber cloths to remove dried wax! Do NOT use terry cloth or old t-shirts; you will scratch the living shit out of the paint.
     
  4. Mar 30, 2015 at 6:46 PM
    #4
    Guerrilla

    Guerrilla L(.)(.)K@G(.)(.)Dz

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    Stuff

    [​IMG][/IMG]
     
  5. Mar 30, 2015 at 6:52 PM
    #5
    Warputer

    Warputer Dirt Road Inspector

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    I guess cloth diapers are a no-no also?
     
  6. Mar 30, 2015 at 6:58 PM
    #6
    Steves104x4

    Steves104x4 Well-Known Member

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    BUCKLE UP! It makes it harder for Aliens to pull you out of your Truck.
    I dunno but I understand cotton and/or terry cloth fibers scratch like 000 steel wool and judging by the dog's dinner I made out of my 80 Mazda GLC Sport, I tend to agree.
     
  7. Mar 30, 2015 at 7:05 PM
    #7
    GreeGunc

    GreeGunc [OP] Full of regret

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    Thanks guys, any of you use a polish, if so who makes it?
     
  8. Mar 30, 2015 at 9:26 PM
    #8
    ace96

    ace96 Well-Known Member

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    You are not gonna make much progress polishing by hand. Going to need a machine for that. For claying use a detail spray instead of water, it will help the clay slide better. Be careful if using cheap microfiber if you drop it, get another one.
     
  9. Mar 30, 2015 at 9:32 PM
    #9
    millertime89

    millertime89 Flatlander

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    Yes sir
  10. Mar 30, 2015 at 10:48 PM
    #10
    Poindexter

    Poindexter Well-Known Member

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    I bought a washing machine load worth of new micro fiber towels for detailing. Don't fold them or anything, just pull them out of the dryer in to a clean trashbag and leave them be between uses.

    I also use perfume and dye free laundry detergent, no anti static sheet in the dryer...maybe over the top for a scratched up Taco, but if you take good care fo the towels you can use them on nicer cars later too.

    I tend to stick with a product family all from the same mfr, but it isn't critical.

    Wash with blue Dawn, the dishwashing soap, it's a bottle of surfactant that will lift almost anything and everything. I do use cotton terry cloth towels for this, the main thing is to float as much crud off as you can with running water before sanding more scratches into the paint.

    When you finish with a good scrub using blue Dawn you are going to have naked paitn with water on it.

    I don't bother drying here, I keep the vehicle damp with a mist setting on the hose nozzle while claying. I am sure there are good videos about clay barring on youtube by now, haven't looked. The main things for me are to use soapy water and minimal pressure. You want just enough pressure that the clay doesn't jump out of your hand onto the ground.

    Keeping the whole vehicle damp and the cruddy soapy stuff rinsed off as I go, now I have a wet car with naked freshly clayed paint.

    I have tried clayng with both blue Dawn and the soap from the wax company, I don't think it matters. Once the car is clayed and damp, next is to wash it again, gently, with clean cloths, using the soap from the wax company. I have used Mother's products before and the car wash soap is pretty darn good on freshly clayed paint. I don't much liek it for taking tree sap off, but the Blue Dawn ahead of the clay should have got it.

    If you got some stubborn tree sap blobs, dry the area, spray with WD-40 or similar, wait, glom off with a finger tip, wash with blue dawn, clay, rinse and you are caught up.

    One the clayed vehicle has been washed with the boutique soap, I hose it down real real good to make sure all the soap residue is rinsed off, then rinse with distilled water to float off the minerals in the hose water. Five or six gallons is plenty for a tacoma. Start standing in the bed and get the roof, work your way from top to bottom.

    Now you got naked freshly clayed paint, washed with boutique soap, still wet, last rinse with distilled H2O, so minimal minerals left in the wetness. Now dry the car once and you are ready to seal or wax. Or wet sand, or use rubbing compound.

    Can you get some close up pics of the average and worst scratches you have to deal with? Plan on the 5 or 6 worst being minimized and the rest going away, but without seeing the truck it's pointless to make a process or product recommendation.
     
  11. Mar 31, 2015 at 10:56 AM
    #11
    GreeGunc

    GreeGunc [OP] Full of regret

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    Thanks guys, I'm gonna see if I can do it at my buddy's garage. He has a buffing machine. I'll get that clay, some polish, soapy water to spray on it, and the wax. Wash it with dawn first.
     
  12. Mar 31, 2015 at 10:58 AM
    #12
    Taco me elmo

    Taco me elmo Here, Eat some paint. Drink some Bleach.

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    Legs up, Close your eyes and bite a rag.
     
    Chopper678 likes this.
  13. Mar 31, 2015 at 11:38 AM
    #13
    hoenah808

    hoenah808 Well-Known Member

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    you can polish by hand. it may take a while but it can be done. companies make hand applicator pads for polishing.

    start with the least aggressive polish and pad. if your swirls or scratches dont get removed then go up to the next level of pads, if no results get a more cutting polish and start with the lowest pad. if youve never polished a car before id polish by hand in small sections to get an idea of what your looking at when using a polish. you want to do small sections at a time.

    when i fist started i would do my cars in sections, and it would take me 2-3 days to complete the car by hand

    edit: also get good quality micofibers, you dont wanna do all that hard work and your microfibers scratch the paint buffing off the polish or wax
     
  14. Mar 31, 2015 at 11:54 AM
    #14
    GreeGunc

    GreeGunc [OP] Full of regret

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    Uh, Idk about that.
     
  15. Mar 31, 2015 at 11:55 AM
    #15
    Taco me elmo

    Taco me elmo Here, Eat some paint. Drink some Bleach.

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    LOL I was just bringing some humor to the thread. :D

    Honestly invest in a small buffer with adjustable speeds and at least 2 pads for each wax type, 2 cutting, 2 polish and 2 medium for swirls ect.
     
  16. Mar 31, 2015 at 1:28 PM
    #16
    GreeGunc

    GreeGunc [OP] Full of regret

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    4fb738c189573e1dce10afc5d713efd7_fd747956f8c760f2480d61b5b0cddcdd398383eb.jpg

    How's this guys? Had the turtle wax polish. Only clay bars I saw, and megiors was the only wax that wasn't cleaner wax besides some off brand stuff. The water is not part of this, just had it in the seat when I took the pic.
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2015
  17. Mar 31, 2015 at 1:32 PM
    #17
    Taco me elmo

    Taco me elmo Here, Eat some paint. Drink some Bleach.

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    those are great off the shelf items however if you look online you can get a much higher quality grade of items.

    http://www.detailedimage.com/
     
  18. Mar 31, 2015 at 1:38 PM
    #18
    TashcomerTexas

    TashcomerTexas My truck is a whiner

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    Watch some of this guys work, he goes into great depth and step by step. He's got plenty of polishing videos too
    http://youtu.be/qFQsqBHEwrE
     
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  19. Mar 31, 2015 at 1:42 PM
    #19
    PB65stang

    PB65stang Well-Known Member

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    Gold Class is a good off-the-shelf wax. It's what I use for "normal" wash/waxes. I use other stuff for my full details.

    The clay bar is a great product, but don't be surprised if you find yourself going through both bars (I think that kit comes with 2). Your paint is going to have a lot of stuff in it if you've never done this before. I use quick detailer spray as my lubricant - better than water IMO and helps pick up the dirt that you've loosened, but not absorbed, with the clay.

    As far as washing, one of the best things you can do is the 2 bucket method. Your car wash/water mix in one bucket (I would never use dish soap, but that's not important), and then a bucket of water to rinse your mitt in after you've washed each panel. You'll be amazed what comes out of the mitt when you dunk it in the water. If you don't do that, you're just introducing the dirt and crap that you've just cleaned off your car into the soap bucket, and putting them back on your car.

    Good luck! And for that polish to be worthwhile, you're gonna need a buffer.
     
  20. Mar 31, 2015 at 3:24 PM
    #20
    LocknLoad

    LocknLoad Well-Known Member

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    Since this is your first time waxing - use a dish soap to wash the truck first - it'll strip off any old wax/polish that "may" have been applied previously. Dawn dish soap works well.

    Having said that -
    Don't continue to use dish soap to wash your truck unless you purposely want to "start over" with a new product (Zaino, Zymol, 3M, Collinite etc).

    I wouldn't use diapers, the stitching in the diaper may not be cotton, and it'll scratch the hell outta your paint. Whatever you use (I'm not crazy about microfiber) use something that has a loft or pile to it. It will give dirt someplace to go away from your paint. If you use a towel that's a flat cloth surface and get some grit under it while washing or removing wax, lots and lots of scratches will result.

    If the clay bar sticks or leaves residue behind you're not getting it wet enough. You can also use the detail spray to remove anything left behind by the clay bar.

    Because you have a dark color, you should be able to get a nice deep/wet look when you're done. A wax/polish with carnauba will do that - the down side is they don't last as long.

    I've had very good luck with a Glaze that 3M makes before waxing. Supposed to add oils to the paint, does make it look richer - especially on paint that it may have been awhile since it was last waxed.

    The clay process is also a great time to identify nicks that need to be touched up with paint before any glaze/polish/wax- as the truck ages you won't get all of them, but it's good to keep the rust away on anything that needs to be addressed.

    Good luck and take your time - dark green will look great when you're done.
     

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