Winter Temperature Waxing

alexjn1 · 09-23-09, 06:31

With snow and muck soon approaching I was wondering about temperature ranges when I clean my truck. I added some basic info.

I have an insulated garage but no heat.

I plan on doing an ONR wash from time to time when truck is not excessively dirty.

I plan on doing a good Fall detail and will be using Wolfgang 3.0 sealant topped with Souveran.

I would like to clean my truck occasionally throughout the winter months and use either a liquid or paste wax to help keep my finish protected.

I am wondering just how cold can it get within my garage and still be able to use a wax from time to time.

I will be keeping all of my supplies in the house during the winter so they will be at a good room temperature when I use them.

gofastman · 09-23-09, 07:24

I would say no less than 40* F
IME car care products act funny in cold temps, especially near freezing.
You may be able to boost your garage temp a few degrees by warming your truck up throughly outside then pulling it in the garage and letting it sit for a while.

ALAN81 · 09-23-09, 12:17

40 degrees and go with Fuzion instead of Souvern. Souvern does not last more then 6 weeks if that

bert31 · 09-23-09, 12:36

I have often wondered if 40 degrees with a paste was too cold also. Does wax spread OK when the panels are that cold? I have never tried so I don't know.

XRL · 09-23-09, 12:41

Why not just go with a durability wax like #16 or a Collinite?

alexjn1 · 09-23-09, 02:45

Thanks everyone for the guidance and suggestions it is greatly appreciated.

All I have to do now is get a thermometer for the garage and maybe an electric space heater to use as a temporary booster on days when I do clean my truck during the winter.

Kean · 09-23-09, 03:50

....a few 1000 watt halogen work lights might help as well.

JBM · 09-23-09, 05:03

There are alot of days where the temp is between 32-40 especially in the sun. Just wax outside in the sun.

StadiumDetail · 09-24-09, 10:39

I hate waxing in cold temps, we've had a few days already of high 50s here in TX and I was just noticing today that wax application is changing.

When the panels get too cold the wax will be more difficult to apply, the wax goes on unevenly and won't bond to the paint properly. It is very obvious to the naked eye, rather than a uniform thin layer you will get areas that look as though nothing has been applied right next to areas with too much wax on them. I personally find applying with a machine to greatly help with this process, the longer you work the area you will see the wax begin to blend together and become uniform. More passes and slower passes.

If you don't own a PC (like me

) I have a useful trick for you. WalMart sells a $20 crappy 6" orbital buffer, go a pick one of those up and make to following mods on it since the foam padding and bonnets just suck.
-scrape off all the foam padding with a razor blade or similar. You should now see a plastic backing plate with a screw in the center
-get some velcro, the hook side, and cut little pieces about 1" long. IMPORTANT: hot glue (or similar) those pieces to the backing plate. The sticky on the velcro itself will NOT hold and you will throw the pad while waxing. Don't over think the process, just slather on hot glue till you're sure it can't come off.
-get a 6" foam polishing pad and go to town.

You can keep the stock bonnet setup if you would like, but the above solves two issues for the crappy orbital. 1 - foam pad are safer than bonnets, and 2 - The foam is much much lighter overall and it allows the orbital to actually have some rotation rather than just vibrate in your hands. The rotation is what you are looking for to help apply the wax in the cold.