Sealant Cure Time

**jsilas** · 08-21-2010, 11:16 PM

Many times in the past I have heard that there are cure times for most sealants, but couldn`t really recall exact details as I started detailing my MDX today.

To complete my detail, I applied Blackfire Wet Diamond sealant, and glanced at the bottle to check whether there was a cure time listed. The bottle didn`t say anything. So I went ahead and topped the sealant with Blackfire`s Midnight Sun `nuba wax.

When I was done, I came in the house and happened to look at Blackfire`s website, where it says to wait 8 hours between coats. DOH!!

My question is this - What specifically is/are the disadvantage(s) to applying a wax right away instead of letting the sealant cure overnight, as I did today? The car turned out pretty good, but I`m left wondering what I`m missing as a result of my misapplication of the products.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Here`s an example of how it turned out, by the way:

**craigdt** · 08-22-2010, 01:00 AM

It is a hotly debated topic. The standard answer is 12 hours.

I have been known to wait as little as 1 hour before I top a sealant with a wax.

Some think it can really compromise the sealant, and others don`t. Id suggest doing a bit of searching on the topic and coming to your own conclusions.

There is plenty of evidence that states that 12 hours of cure time isn`t as important as we have been lead to believe.

Flame suit on.

**Alexshimshimhae** · 08-22-2010, 07:53 AM

Well from the hours that I`ve read "and not nearly enough time experimented" certain products seem to still fumigate (can`t think of the other word) or flash off some fumes so if you top it right off, the wax may not bond correctly. In the event of say collinite, and possibly other products, sometimes you run into the pitfall of seeing hazing when the car is in full sun the next morning

**David Fermani** · 08-22-2010, 08:45 AM

I wouldn`t worry about it. I`ve used the Wet-Ice over Fire back to back a couple times without a problem. I helps if you apply really thin coats.

**Alexshimshimhae** · 08-22-2010, 08:58 AM

pfft don`t listen to Fermani...he only details cars worth more than most people`s annual salaries .... (and more than my life) =] question fermani, so is it just with specific combos of products then? that you see issues with? or do you personally not see issues at all with curing ?

**David Fermani** · 08-22-2010, 09:18 AM

I haven`t mixed and matched a vast array of waxes/sealants to get a baseline for this across board, but I have used Wet-Ice over Fire kit a bunch and I never wait anywhere near 12 hours. One thing that I also like to do is do a really quick residue removal and pull the car outside in the sun. I believe this will speed up the cross-linking/curing of the product. It`s also great for final detailing. Usually streaking is an indicator of a drying issue. Maybe people in colder climates might experience adverse effects with this, but I`m only speaking about my own experiences.

**Alexshimshimhae** · 08-22-2010, 09:27 AM

what do you mean by residue removal? buff off and a qd wipedown? and when you pull the car out in the sun you mean after the first coat (to help flash faster?) sorry for the pestering questions--

**David Fermani** · 08-22-2010, 11:26 AM

I`ll apply a light coat of BWFW onto the entire car(while it`s in the garage) and then I`ll immediately do a quick wipedown removal of about 80% of the product. I`ll then pull the car outside to remove the rest and wipe out any cracks/crevises. It might stay outside for a couple hours exposed to the direct sun. I`ll then put the car back into the garage let the surface temp cool down and apply either another layer of BFWD or MS and repeat the wipedown process.

**Alexshimshimhae** · 08-22-2010, 11:31 AM

ahh so you use the sun to flash off =] clevvvaaaarrrrr

**jsilas** · 08-22-2010, 12:03 PM

Awesome - thanks to everyone who has commented.

The primary take-away I`ve gotten from this is that I don`t need to rush out and strip off the sealant/wax I applied yesterday. I am definitely interested in following the letter of the instructions next time though, and seeing the results to compare with this time.

**GS4_Fiend** · 08-22-2010, 12:13 PM

I say you will lose the benefit of the sealant because it hasn`t bonded properly to the paint yet because of cure time.

**Accumulator** · 08-22-2010, 12:32 PM

Heh heh, you guys who can pull vehicles out in the sun without worrying about airborne contamination just kill me, I`m so envious....

IME any issues with bonding/layering/topping are pretty obvious and if I didn`t experience anything that caught my attention then I wouldn`t worry about it. If you subsequently noticed diminished durability, then that`s a clue for next time.

**Old Pirate** · 08-22-2010, 02:14 PM

Here`s a write by our Master Detailer Todd on another forum:

The newest version of Wet Diamond actually cures very quickly, and begins curing almost the instant it is exposed to air. The reason it does this is because now Blackfire Wet Diamond features a catalyst that is premixed into the bottle called Polycharger.

The original version of the sealant was known for it`s great looks and smooth application, but got great reviews but we knew we could improve the durability. Adding a catalyst to the product allows for a quicker, more complete bond, and we immediately saw durability improve. However it was just as easy as adding a catalyst.

It took us over a year to release the Polycharged version of Wet Diamond, because our chemist had making it work flawlessly. We had to change some polymers in the formula which was quite tricky as Wet Diamond uses a combination of different acrylic resins that give a look that is, well, like a wet diamond. When the latest version of Wet Diamond hit the markets about two years ago, it began to develop a cult like following, and we knew we got it right.

People who rediscovered the brand found a sealant that has become the most talked about, and perhaps most liked product on the market, and it is humbling. For over a year now Wet Diamond`s reputation as gained steam, and in this market of ever changing products and flavor of the month(s) hype, it is quite a testament to our dedication to improving the formula.

I should note that the recommendation for a cure time was based on our old formula of Wet Diamond (which had quite a different formula and no catalyst). The newest version cures very quickly and completely. This is why (at least in the case of Blackfire Wet Diamond) it can be applied and removed wet with no effect on durability, or it can be left to dry. It can be applied too thick with little issue.

The overwhelming majority of the sealant is cured with in minutes of application. So while we stick with the initial recommendation of a prescribed cure time, as it avoids problems in extremely humid or cold temperatures, it really isn`t necessary. For most people, myself included, apply two coats with in several hours of each other with no problem. Alot of folks do it back to back, and again never have a problem.

We have to be careful when writing the instructions because they have to encompass a large audience of many people using the product (sometimes on un-prepped paint) with extreme climates and address common problems that may occur. The cure time of BFWD is fairly short and you shouldn`t run into any problems or degradation in the quality of the finish or the length of durability by applying multiple coats in succession or by exposing the sealant to weather after application.

Hope this helps out.

**jsilas** · 08-23-2010, 10:15 AM

Very interesting read - thank you very much for posting. Perhaps my application isn`t so bad after all. I guess time will tell, and like someone already mentioned, it`s a good lesson for next time. I`m about to do a ground-up detail on my wife`s TSX (Crystal Black Pearl) so we`ll see if I get better results this time around.