After the full detail (posted below)...what's next? How long will the carnuba last? How much does weekly washes with Megs GC wear down the wax? What about layering waxes? Sorry about the 20 q's...just trying to figure out my next step.

One more: claying. After claying, is it time for polish and wax again?

Ok, that's all for now. Promise. You guys rock.

ArmyDude

 

Anytime you clay, you remove any polish and wax that was on the paint....so after you clay you must protect the paint. Usually, a cleaner, compound, or pure polish pending the condition of the paint. Followed by wax.

There are several paths to go down and it depends on the products used, results desired and the condition.

A basic approach is to:

Wash
Clay
clean/polish
wax

Another path is to:
Wash
Clay
clean/polish
seal
wax

Or another:
wash
clay
level/clean/remove imprefections
pure polish
seal
wax

Some of the above steps can be combined depending on product. Like Polish and Seal or Polish with Carnuba.

What products do you want to use?

Each product or combo of products can produce different results but that all depends on the condition you are working with.

Another factor is paint color.

Can you tell us more about what you working with to better answer your questions?


JP

 

(Answered in the order asked)

Between details, maintain the looks with washing and QD'ing.

The carnauba can last anywhere from a week or 2 all the way up to over a month. It all depends on the wax and what it is subjected to.

The weekly washes will wear down the wax to a degree, but it is relatively insignificant IF you always dilute to the proper ratio. With a carnauba, I would plan on waxing every 2-3 weeks, to be on the safe side.

EXCELLENT QUESTION. You not only can, but I believe you SHOULD layer waxes. You apply a synthetic, wait 12 hours, reapply, wiat 12 hours, then do 2 consecutive coats of carnauba for the best protection.
-- What I usually do, as a time saver, is to do 2 consecutive coats of synthetic (I realize it doesnt add protection-- it ensures complete coverage), then wait 12 hrs and do 2 consecutive of carnauba.)

No such thing as too much questions, especially if they are good questions as you asked. Feel free to ask more.

 

Oh yeah-- Clay-- Re-do everything after each clay application....

DANG!!! I just saw that JP got to this before me...

 

Type faster.

 

yeah yeah yeah... Or just not get up to get ice cream in the middle of posting...

 

You guys are answering all my q's, but here are some more details about my truck/geography:

red '06 scab, southern OH (high 80's/low-mid 90's, crazy high humidity) not too much rain, the water here is fine, not too hard (I don't think, to my best knowledge. I'm in the city, so I don't think I would be subject to hard water. Could be wrong on that one though.)

When one says "synthetic", are they referring to the polish step? Also, regarding polishes, I used NuFinish only because that is what was at hand. I'm assuming that there is a much more quality product to use in place of this...I'll open the floodgates for suggestions...

Thanks for helping.

 

Synthetic is fake wax, sealants.

 

snythetic: NXT, Mother's Syn Wax are two of the more popular and readily available .. Tropi-care, Wolfgang, Zaino, Meg's #21 are some of the higher quality selants, and usually have to be ordered online.

they will last longer than a pure carnuaba wax.

a lot of the guys on here will layer a carnuaba over a synthetic for a couple of reasons: 1 - extra protection 2 - and the main reason .. improved color depth, and less of the "plastic" look that some sealants give

 

That weather kinda sounds like here in North TX. You should expect about a month from most of your carnaubas, and about 3-4 months from a synthetic. now, those are the absolute longest I think you could get away with... Obviously washing procedures, etc, could have an effect on that...

To clarify a few things up:
Cleaning: abrasive process used to remove contaminates and light swirling and oxidation from the paint
Polishing can do one of 3 things: 1. offer very light abrasives to clean the paint a bit more-- sort of a finer abrasive; 2. Act as a filler-- ie: it masks swirls, not removes them; 3: Pure polish-- these are my favorite. They offer no protection or cutting action, but condition the paint with necessary oils, and give it a super wet and deep look. Any polish can offer combinations of the 3 actions. Ask, and we shall tell.
Sealants are polymer-type waxes. They are great for lasting longevity, and some prefer the "suran-wrapped" look they offer. These must have 12 hours of curing time due to their synthetic nature, before ANYTHING is done to the paint.
Carnauba waxes are natural based waxes--ie: a true wax. the cheaper ones dont last very long, and the better ones can last as long as a synthetic, but their primary advantage is the deep, wet, and rich look they give the paint. They require no curing time, and really make a car "pop".

NOTE: ALL WAXES have the potential to have some light cleaners and polishes, and dedicated cleaner waxes have a LOT of cleaners. If you are layering, you need to evluate which wax you use, as you would not want to undo the hard work in hours preceeding the wax by using a wax that has light abrasives. Please ask about the products you are looking at, and we will point you in the right direction.

Finally-- I think you may benefit from somethign I am writhing right now-- the detailing sticky. It is presently about 14 pages long, but it is still missing several parts. Keep an eye out for it sometime in the near future. It covers the basics, and should be adequate enough to get Joe Blow to feel confident buying and using the goodies he/she wants very quickly, with minimal time waiting for an answer.

 

Thanks for continuing to help out everyone, esp F150 sport. I wanted to post a bit earlier, but my computer took a dump and is refusing to turn on (I'm in my university lib right now). It's a Dell, go figure...

It looks like I have opened up pandora's box. I'm tracking what you are saying **generally**, but specifics are confusing me. I think examples would help clear things up. Lets take Megs three step system. How does that apply to what you described above? And NuFinish, the product I used instead of Megs step 2, what kind of product is that, specifically. Is megs step three a pure carnuba, or one that has cleaning action?

I think my confusion is seated in this question: Why would you want a wax with cleaning properties, if it is the last step in a detail (apparently it isn't...). At this point, it seems to me that some waxes and polishes are interchangeable.

I thank you in advance for your patience, and I will be on the lookout for your unabridged treatise on the art of a quality detail.


Learning everyday-
ArmyDude

 

ArmyDude:

Kudos to you for asking enough questions and in enough detail so the rest of us can get a few things cleared up. What a product is and what it does or does not do would really be helpful. Maybe the Sticky that F-150sport03 is compiling will turn out to be "The Idiot's Guide to Detailing" that we Idiots need.

 

HA!!! Computer took a dump... thanks for the kudos, BTW.

No biggie-- I love talking detailing (have you noticed...) for the 3 step, the cleaner removes imperfections, the polish is a looks enhancer and offers an extremely mild detergent to clean off any last residue before the wax, and the wax is a pure wax. No cleaners. NuFinish, on the other hand, is designed more like a cleaner wax-- ie: it removes a bit of oxidation, swirls, etc, while adding a protective layer on the paint.

You dont want a wax with cleaning properties IF you have a full detail. There are those out there who will want ONLY to use a cleaner wax 1-3 times a year, just to keep their car looking decent, and better than the average car. But for a serious person like yourself, you dont want to use any waxes with any abrasives. Wax is the last real step in a detail...Some of us have sprays we use for that extra bit of 'pop', but thats usually only for ourselves or well-reputed customers...not for the everyday...More of a glorified Quick detailer...

No problem, and again, thanks for the kudos.
G'Luck!-- and feel free to ask more questions while my "Complete Idiots Guide to Detailing" is completed...Give it just a bit more time...

 

Or maybe "Detailing for Dummies" for those who have graduated from the Idiot level. Maybe I will get there.

 

You don't know anything about humidity...come kick it down here in Houston w/ me and you'll be begging to head back North.