Collinite 476s - Your best practices?

[DigiDan]

This is one of my favorite waxes for durability, but I find myself looking at other products because it can be a real bear to work with if it fully cures.

Could everyone chime in and just share some best practices/tips of how you use it to get optimal results?

I know the times that I`ve applied it (always thin) and allowed it to fully dry, it is a BEAST to buff out. I counter that by just moistening the applicator and "re-activating" the applied wax and it buffs off very easily. When it`s fully cured and I have to re-activate it, I`m assuming it`s already bonded and I`m not removing it from the painted surface.

My best practice has been:
- Moisten the applicator pad
- Apply light coats one section at a time
- Allow it to "flash", or partially dry (enough for a haze to form, but not to appear white as it does when it fully dries
- Buff gently with a towel
- And...if it fully cures, to use the applicator to moisten an area and get it hazy again to buff it out easily

So...am I doing it wrong?

[Accumulator]

DigiDan- IMO if what you`re doing is working OK then NO, you`re not doing it wrong.

The general rule-of-thumb is to let it dry/flash off until it`ll pass the "finger-swipe test" where wiping it with your finger results in it pretty much wiping off with no smearing. I myself generally let it dry longer than that, applying to the whole car, or at least to a major portion of it, before buffing it off.

BUT, I`m a bit of a fanatic about the thin THIN *THIN* application approach and just because it works OK for *me* that way (very thin, let it dry pretty long) doesn`t mean that`s the right method for everybody.

Other than working on the thin application (while still ensuring proper coverage), I don`t think you oughta worry about changing anything; just keep buffing it off before it dries so much that it becomes problematic (even a WOWO approach works OK, rather minimal diffs in durability most of the time). After all, you`re still getting that "Collinite durability", right?

Maybe try the WOWO and see if there`s any appreciable change in the durability.

Guess this is where I always post my "I`ve pretty much switched from 476S to FK1000P" suggestion But the look might not be to your liking and it won`t do a little (?very little?) concealing like 476S can.

EDIT: And unless you`ve noticed it degrading the durability, I don`t think your "reactivation" during buff-off is a problem. I`d go by *your* observations and I`d make changes in durability your cue.

[DigiDan]

Thanks Accumulator, that was an awesome response!

I`m thinking of just applying it more often with the quicker dry time like I`ve been doing it...and try to build it up from there. As you said, to each his own...find what works and go with it.

I really appreciate the quick response!

[Accumulator]

..I really appreciate the quick response!

And here I`ve already edited it!

Just happened to be back online for a moment, glad my response was OK.

[davidc]

I have done the 476S and 885 and have not had a problem. I use the short nap side during the initial wipe off then flip to the longer nap for polishing. I like to apply by hand but 9 out of 10 times I do get it a little heavy and some parts get a little tougher but not that bad. If I use a DA it goes on a lot thinner and comes off easily. Now I live in AZ. so very low humidity which would definately change the drying cycle.

Dave

[Accumulator]

I like to apply by hand but 9 out of 10 times I do get it a little heavy and some parts get a little tougher but not that bad. If I use a DA it goes on a lot thinner..

See how people differ!?! I find it easier to do the THIN applicaton by hand! Different strokes all right Just gotta find what works for *you*.

[Lonnie]

I use the wax-on/wax-off (WOWO) almost all the time, especially in hot, humid weather to remove 476S (and its twin 885 Fleet Wax). In cooler temps (below 50°F) I might let it set for a couple of minutes.
Yes, the type of microfiber does seem to make a difference in how it removes, I`ve been using the red microfiber that came with Autoglym`s HD wax, but I am sure you can find a suitable equivalent.I am not hip to using a fuzzy, thick microfiber for this particular wax.

Also, if you do use Meg`s M205 as your choice of final polish before using 476S, be sure to wipe the paint surfaces down with 90% iso-propyl alcohol (IPA) or CarPro`s Eraser to remove any traces of the trade-secret oils (TSO`s) that Meg`s uses as a lubricate. In my experience these TSO`s have a nasty characteristic of not being compatible with Collinite 476S and will "haze" or be "cloudy" after you wipe the wax off, and it will not be apparent until you see the vehicle in the sun. This is especially true on dark colored paints. You might be able to clear some of them if you spray ice water on them and then wipe them, but why wipe it twice. Then again, maybe I was over-zealous in the wax application and applied the 467S (in my case 885) too thick (an inexperienced detailer (AKA hack`s) mistake). Most carnauba-based waxes require a thin application. You don`t need to rub hard, but you do need to cover the entire you are waxing. Also, changing out the applicator pad is a good idea, especially on larger vehicles, like 4-door trucks with 8-foot beds or work vans.

[Accumulator]

Lonnie- I find our differing experiences with this stuff intriguing!

While I usually rant about the oils in M205, I can`t recall them ever messing with either 845 or 476S. Well, still a good idea to strip them IMO...though I find IPA pretty ineffective for that.

Regarding the buff-off medium, I run the gamut from no-nap/suede-style MFs to quite plush ones, though I`ve never tried using a *REALLY* thick/fluffy MF, at least not that I can recall.

One of the things I do like about applying via machine is the way it "works the wax" a lot. Eh, maybe that`s because I generally only use the Collinite on a car with *severely* compromised paint, but for whatever reason it works well for me (though I still don`t get it as thin as by hand). Not that I haven`t done plenty of WOWO with it too, used to do that pretty often (maybe I *had* to do it often due to compromised durability...but that car was outside all the time too).

Heh heh, with the two of us having virtually opposite experiences/methods with this stuff I wonder which side of the fence others will end up on!

[Lonnie]

Accumulator:
Seems our experiences are, indeed, "different" I still think it`s a good idea to "clean" the paint after polishing with M205, but that`s my one bad experience that I had with it, so I now use 90%IPA or some older (we`re talking mid-80`s) PPG`s DX-330 (pre-VOC formula) wax and grease cleaner that works pretty well. I have not had a repeat of the milky/clouding "issues" since doing this.

Fluffy microfibers seem to "deflect" too much to remove carnauba wax that just seems sticky/tacky, in my experience. If you do let most carnauba "set up" (some call it curing or hazing) too long, then you DO have a (hard) mess on your hands that is difficult to remove. Funny, though, I never had that happen with the now discontinued (but very good) Meg`s M16 Professional Paste Wax (yes, the blue, Crayola crayon-like wax).

[Accumulator]

Lonnie- Ah yes...those good old pre-VOC products! I still have some good solvents that I`d hate to be without, and lots (and *lots* and *LOTS*) of M16

Heh heh, even with my oh-so-thin applications, I once missed a spot of it and by the time I noticed it (after the car went on a two-wek trip) that stuff was *ON THERE*, really a chore to buff off.

[01GreyStangGT]

The last time i used it, I DA applied it, and that was the easiest for removal. It laid a very thin coat so removing the residue was actually easy.

[EdLancer]

Good to see Accumulator is still a Collinite fan, I got my stash of M16 as well. As for me I am pretty much stuck to IW845 simply for it`s ease of use and no longer keep 476S in inventory. My 476S regime was warm the tin up in tub of hot water so it is soft. Apply very thin by hand with a foam applicator and wait 10-15 minutes before buffing by hand with a microfiber or microfiber on a DA foam pad for the lower end jobs.

[Accumulator]

Good to see Accumulator is still a Collinite fan, I got my stash of M16 as well. As for me I am pretty much stuck to IW845 simply for it`s ease of use and no longer keep 476S in inventory..

Heh heh, and here I`ve gone the *other* way, pretty much using 476S while my 845 sits unused! I`ll just consider myself lucky, 476S is another of those LSPs I somehow find easier to use than some folks. I started paying attention to how the two compare in that sense after Scottwax (whom I intro`d to 476S) said the 476S has replaced 845 in his arsenal, having previously (and automatically) reached for the 845 when my `93 Audi needed a quick reLSPing.

[jrock645]

I havent used 476 but i do 915 by hand. I typically just do a panel or two at a time. Working that way, ive found it very easy to buff off. Thin is key, though. Just ablight partial turn of an applicator against the wax is enoigh for some panels. After 3 applications, my tin of wax still looks untouched.

[Accumulator]

jrock45- Sounds like you`ve figured out the "thin application" bit!