Are you guys using too much Zaino? (Long)

W

William420

New member
Or maybe I'm using too thin? All the time I have been reading ppl using 3/4 or 1 oz for 1 coat and this is suppose to be "thin coat". I never paid too much attention to how much I use for 10 coats of Z5 + 2 coats of Z2 I had been applying, and just assumed I was using about the same amount as everyone else. I just rec'd ZFX which came with 2OZ bottle, so I mixed 1OZ of Z5 and figured that will get me 1 full coat + a half coat (for my Hood, roof & trunk). Kind of spoil by the fact what ZFX can do, I actually apply a little more dosage than I usually do, and I end up applying 3 full coats and still got some more left. Not wanting to waste them, I Z5 all my windows and there are still some more. Then I went ahead and apply them to my RIMS and still have a little more left which I think can do 1/4 of my car again. My car is a 4 door 97 E420 so it is not a small coupe or anything like that, so all the time I have been using no more than 1/3 OZ per coat. It just amaze me why you guys need use so much amount of Zaino unless I am doing something wrong here. I'm not exactly a Zaino newbie with the amount of coats I have been putting on, so I believe I can safely say that I didn't miss the coverage.



Several thing I notice from ZFX. Last night was the first time I apply Zaino so cold at night (8PM), termperature in the 50s. It dries really quickly without problem; however, it is not easier to take off. It usually take me 4-5 wipes per section in the past, and I didn't see any improvement in this part with ZFX (Not complaining though, still quite easy but not THAT easy).



Also, my car is black and I've been battling with Zaino smear problems all previous 12 coats (I think 99.9% of Zaino users don't have this problem). The smear would only happen on hood & trunk, but in Morning I didn't see smear this time with ZFX. Whether I'm lucky this time or ZFX has something to do with it, I'll find out next weekend when I repeat the whole process again.



There is definitely a NOTICEABLE improvements with 3 COATS. The improvements I see are on the improved reflection, and wetter surface. Many sections actually appear oily. I had been putting a coat of Z5 every week, and I NEVER saw this kind of improvement. I believe you must layer ZAINO in the same day to get the best result. Layering them weekly doesn't give best results. I didn't notice improvement on the deepness (maybe it's not suppose to do that), but definitely more reflective.



Oh and last thing, I just rec'd my Blackfire package and applied them to a brand new WHITE IS300 I just picked up yesterday. Can't comment much about the shine since the car is white and it's brand new, but it's as slick as Zaino and from what I notice it's 3X EASIER to buff off. I think the color is the main reason for the ease of buffing. I'll try to find a black or red car to test again.



Sorry the post came out much longer than I intended, but I'm just quite excited at ZFX (especially at the possibility of solving my smearing problem).
 
Here's a quick PIC.

ZFX1.jpg
 
i did 3 coats of Z2 and had about 1/4 the bottle left so you figure i used about 1/2oz a coat.....i did go a little heavier with the Z5 coats i put on and didnt have that much left at all in the little container.....as for the smearing...as u hinted to...i never had that prob...yet........:p and i have about 15 coats on my Max....how long are u letting it dry/cure for?....



im trying to figure yours out...you mixed 1oz....then put on about 4 coats all together with your wheels and windows and all....so....1/4oz for each coat.....that sounds awfully thin for your car.....how does the beading look...is it uniform for the most part....i dodnt mean to imply that you missed spots....maybe just that some spots are thinner than others....when you QD with Z6 does it all feel even??



can u say more about your smear prob....did u let the Z cure overnite and them maybe some dew got on there(usually the hood/trunk) and made it hard to get off....just fishing here....:D



i loved the ZFX too....tell me more about how much "easier" the BF was to get off....thx....



BTW...i know i asked more questions than answered...sorry
 
I am an experienced zaino user, and even I can't get the coats that thin. Good job! I use about 1/2 once per coat.



I have had the smearing problem on the hood of one of my cars in the past, but it was due to applying too much Z1. Usually a Z7 wash levels it out.....



If it is looking good now..just wait a few more days. I don't know why, but my zaino seems to look best after a a week or a few washes. Don't get me wrong, it looks AWESOME, but I have not zainoed in about a month now, and after each wash it gets better and better so far. The reflections on the car are capturing more light and colors...........Hard to explain, but awesome to experience.........
 
Floni, unless I'm experimenting with the possible cause of smearing, I never really wait for Z5/Z2 to dry. I spend a lot of time trying to get it to go really thin, so by the time I'm done applying the whole car (40 minutes later), the first panels are dried and ready to be buffed out. Due to the smearing problem, I had waited 1 hour and 2 hours a few times (no more than 2 hours though), tried wiping the sections with a dampen MF towels, also tried Z6 the area few times, but the smears just stay there laughing at my attempts. Even tried to go thinner on these parts but no luck. Maybe it's more likely to happen on black cars? We have an understanding here that my coat is really thin, so it shouldn't take that long to dry. 99% of the time I apply them during late afternoon temperature in the 70 (in my garage).



I never pay attention to whether beading looks uniform, but what I can say is this, I didn't notice anything unusual. If the beading is not uniform then I guess I should notice. You are right some spots are thinner than others. I work on one panel at at time and generally start on upper section. By the time I get to lower section the haze is almost not visible. Before putting more Z on, I've tested many times by wiping my pad on the windows and I can see a very thing haze, so I think this tells me the lower section still gets its coverage but in super thin coat and not eye-friendly. For peace of mind I can put put more Z on the lower section, but since the slogan of Zaino is "thinner is better", I decided to leave it alone. Still looks shinny anyway. :) I'm not exactly sure how an uneven Z6 is suppose to "feel"? But I didn't feel anything unusual (sorry using the same word again to answer your question).



Since I never let Z dry overnight so dew is not a cause. I was tempted to try letting it dry overnight, or let it baked under the sun for 30 min or so then buff again, but decided not to because even if it worked, that's just too many extra steps.



I'll be testing BF again on dark color. Zaino may just be as easy buffing off on white but I wouldn't know. Want test it on my car but I'm not sure about the compatibility between Z & BF.



DK - I do a great deal of overlappying strokes trying to get them thin. On 2nd and 3rd coat, the pad (from Zaino) would be really saturated and does not soak up so much Z like the 1st coat, so these coats seem to go even thinner. Not sure if the shine will look better after few days because 2 days is all it take for all the dusts to attack my car, and since I don't use Ca Duster I don't know how the shine may have developed beneath the dusts. It's good to know that you are getting better results wash after wash. The following Z7 wash will get rid of the smears for me and Z6 will bring back the shine but I never thought it looked better. So far, the best result I had ever experinced is 3 COATS ZFX in same day. Will repeat the whole process again next week and see if smears happen again. I think I'm just an extreme case and my hood & trunk just hate Zaino. By the way, they have never been repainted in case you are wondering.
 
:p but good posts anyway...im gonna keep thinking about it...as i know you will...;) as long as it looks good after the wash....:up even though i know its very annpying to not be able to figure something out....1 question....have you tried wiping it with just your finger first...to see if that alone smears it(you probably have but just asking)...also...i use dry charisma towels to take the Z off...not damp at all....??:)
 
It was amazingly simple once I stumbled on the solution. I use an ultra-suede MF towel (or two) to buff out a freshly-removed coat of Z2 or Z5. It works so great! Before that I would see what I thought was unremoved Z and I would hit it again with the Charisma towel. It never seemed to get it all, but it would look better. As I got pickier I decided to try other methods, including Z6, regular MF buffing, etc. The ultra-suede MF (dry) worked perfect.



Now I go over the whole car with it after removing a coat as normal with a plush MF or Charisma towel, wait about 24 hours, and apply Z6 with a plush MF. No more smears. If the car is really clean when I Z6 I buff the just-removed Z6 with the ultra-suede towel also. I use great care to ensure the paint is perfectly free of dust before I use this method as the ultra-suede towel is not plush at all, but very very soft (think eyeglass cloth).



Try it, you'll like it. :)
 
William420 : I don't think you are applying Zaino too thin.



I used ZFX this past Saturday with Z5. I used 1 and 1/2 ounces on a minivan and was able to put on 3 full coats and I had enough left over to easily do a 4th coat. I should have no problem putting on 3 coats with 1 ounce.



With the remaining ZFX-Z5 I applied it on a few panels very thick to see what would happen. It dried real fast as advertised but was more difficult to remove. Using thin coats is still the best way to apply it.
 
RIC, how long did it take you to apply the three coats? I just got my ZFX and the instructions recommend using it all within 6 hours, but I don't know. 6 hours should be enough, but it isn't a totally 'comfortable' amount of time.
 
but sal told me i could get away with up to 12 if needed...what happens is the effects of ZFX get less and less past 6hrs....i applied my 3 coats of Z5/Z2 over about 6 hrs...the Z2 i put on quicker....HTH
 
Thanks Flones. I just re-read your review and I thought it said you did 3 coats in 3 hrs. No?



In any event, I can't wait till this weekend. I'm gonna layer away!
 
i know i did the Z5 a little longer because i usually put it much thicker than the Z2...for some reason...not sure why...maybe to cover everything up..lol....i know the whole thingy of making sure i mixed it right and getting ready for it the first day took alot longer than the 2nd day when i felt more confident...your gonna love it dood...:up
 
if you are worried about time, only mix a small amount and do 2 coats.....then clean the bottle, mix another amount and do one more coat.



You are gonna love it.......
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by DETAILKING [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>if you are worried about time, only mix a small amount and do 2 coats.....then clean the bottle, mix another amount and do one more coat.

You are gonna love it....... [/b]</blockquote>
****Slapping palm of hand on forehead****

Boy I feel dumb. Such a simple solution! Thanks DK.
 
Floni - Yes I do use finger test every time before buffing them off. When I finish applying the last panel, I would rub my finger on the first panel immediately and every single time it's dry since I use really thin coat, so the drying time is really quick. I wouldn't be able to see the smear on the hood & trunk unless I wipe off all the haze though. At first I used 100% cotton towel (from Griots), then I tried Yosteve MF which improved and lessen the smear, but still there.



Cybercowboy - Now there is something I haven't try yet. I have 2 suede towels from Neatitems that I normally use for windows, and once I dampen the suede with water and go over the smears but didn't do anything. Next time I'll try it with a DRY suede MF. Actually I thought about this before but just didn't think that will help anything. Anyway, I'll try it thanks for the suggestion.



Intermezzo - I also think it's a good idea to mix a smaller amount and just do two coats first. Who knows, that amount might get you 3 coats.



How do you guys clean the bottle? Rinsing the bottle would not get all the oil out even with the concerntration of detergent. I had to wrap some thick paper towels around a disposable chopstick in order to get inside and wipe away the remaining residues. For peace of mind, I filled the bottle with distilled water and won't drain it out until my next use.
 
It was a windy Northeast day in the mid-40s but felt a lot colder. My outside water has been shutoff for the winter months so I went to a Self Serve spray wash place and used the Spray Soap followed by the Spot free rinse. I drove until mostly dry, came home and Z6ed the entire vehicle. At this time it was prepped and ready for ZFX/Z5 and was about 11:30 AM.

I mixed the Z5/ZFX shook the hell out of it...and waited 15 minutes before applying.

I applied one coat, went in the house and ate lunch. Removed it with bath size Royal Velvet after lunch and Z6ed using a MF towel.

Immediately applied another coat, went in house for 20 minutes, came out removed it, Z6ed.

Again, immediately applied another coat, went in house for 20 minutes and cleaned out the ZFX/Z5 container with dishwashing liquid, came out removed the last layer and Z6ed.

Done--it was now about 3:00PM. I was cold and tired. And did nothing more. Door jams, tires, wheels, and vacuuming can wait for another day



Total Time: Roughly 3 1/2 Hours.

There was no problem with the 6 hour window of using ZFX.
 
Some of you may remember the ongoing experiment (or, more propertly, "trials") I am performing with a brand new lower door panel I received straight from the factory. I am now on coat nine.



Because I have the panel in doors, I am able to closely observe the effects of different approaches. I have been focusing on the matter of smearing. I have been trying a variety of schemes to avoid the smearing: allow longer drying (10 hrs to 2 days)



My experience with the panel closely matches that of Cybercowboy. On close inspection, I notice smearing. Z6 with cotton towels reduces it. I am sure that with washings with Z7 it is reduced (which I am not doing on the panel, as it does not get dirty). MF with Z6 absolutely removes it. I do have an unanswered question as to how much of the Z2 is removed by MF and Z6.
 
:p thats an interesting question darb....depending on the exact cure time...which i guess is unknown....i wonder how much is taen off woth Qding with Z6...i mean ive Z6'd about an hr after a wash...and ohter times 24 hrs after a wash...and it is definitely more candy apple like afte the longer cure time...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top