My Guide on How to Apply Opti-Coat

[Deep Gloss]

With the release and subsequent excitement over the consumer release of Opti-Coat I thought I would share the observations/tips/thoughts I have on application of the product.

Paint Prep:

? Polish the paint to your preference/criteria. Much like adding a clear bra, the swirls present in your paint will be ?locked in? and Opti-Coat will have to be removed (by abrasion) to remedy the swirls.
? Thoroughly cleanse all areas that are to have the product applied of all wax/polish/sealant etc. To do so (at the recommendation of Chris at Optimum) I used Optimum Power Clean (3:1 dilution)

At this point your vehicles paint will be polished to perfection (or to your acceptance criteria) and all areas you wish to apply the product will be stripped clean and ready for Opti-Coat application


Using the Syringe:

? The product comes in a syringe with a black cap on it. The black cap is a twist off cap.
? The product also comes with a blue tip that can be put on the syringe after you remove the black cap. NOTE: I did not use this blue tip.
? Instead of using the supplied blue tip, I simply screwed off the black cap and VERY gently depressed the plunger of the syringe to allow drops of product to dispense.
? I have found that to do an average sized sedans paint and wheels I use approximately 12cc?s

Application Tools:

? Syringe
? Yellow foam pad
? Proper lighting (this is key to successful results as the product is so clear)

Application:

? Do one panel at a time ? I do not know if this still hold true with the consumer version as you now have 30 minutes before the product cures BUT with the pro version setting so quickly I only do 1 panel at a time. I suppose when using the consumer version you should remain cognizant of the time and how long the product has been on the panel to ensure you do not exhaust your 30 minutes before you get back to the panel to remove the ?high spots?
? When applying go in a up and down motion to cover the section and then an side to side motion over the same section area to ensure thorough coverage.
? You do not need to be heavy handed with the product. If you barely see it going on you are using enough product - You will see the small streaks (for lack of a better word) showing you that the product is there
? The ?streaks? will disappear as the product flashes off and it will become clear, you will not see the product on the paint as it will become optically clear in areas that were not over applied.
? After the allotted time (2-5 minutes for pro version / 30 minutes for consumer version) if you still see streaks or damp spots that is what people are calling ?high spots?. Gently go over these areas with either your applicator or a soft micro fiber towel. I would call this a light ?swipe? and not a ?wipe off? motion. The intent is to remove just enough product to allow it to the flash off on its own.

Note: This is where proper lighting comes into play. Without good lighting you will not be able to properly see the ?high spots?. I cannot stress enough how important good lighting is for this.

? Let product cure
? Enjoy the shine!

Closing comments: I, like many of you asked a TON of questions before using the product. My standard operating procedure is to ask all questions before starting a process so that when I am doing the job I am armed with all information to tackle any potential issues.

After actually using the product I was (and still am) amazed at how easy the product is to use. It is essentially identical to Opti-Seal. It is by far one of the easiest products I have ever used - while my pre-application questions did help to give me a sense of confidence I realized that with the ease of application most of my apprehension was in vain.

I have all confidence that if you follow the above guidelines with patience, meaning do not rush through the process you will have a very successful Opti-Coat application.

This is what has worked for me and I hope it helps with questions people may be having regarding the product.

[mikenap]

Awesome Jason, thanks for taking the time to explain this. I`m sure people will have a lot of questions now that the consumer version is out. Maybe we could sticky this somewhere?

[delder0]

I appreciate your time to post this guide and I admire your expertise in use of the product. I am an Opti-Seal nut that will probably migrate to Opti-Coat based simply and humbly upon your guide. Thanks again...:notworthy:

[muttgrunt]

Great write-up, and with the soon release of the new version - perfect timing for a lot of people that are going to be very interested in these products.

[bmw5541]

Thanks for the great write up Jason. It is greatly appreciated, with the release of the new consumer version.

To touch on one of your points though. The manufacturer is still recommending to do one panel at a time.

I am looking forward to trying this myself, and this write up helps with understanding the application method.

[Deep Gloss]

Glad to be able to share.

My hope is that this will demystify the application procedure as when someone hears the words ?permanent? and ?coating? used together it can seem quite intimidating.

Bottom line for me is that Opti Coat application is virtually identical to Opti-Seal application

[Tru_Shine]

Thank you for this!.......Just Sayin!:hurray: