Is #16 a PITA to get off for anyone else?

I

imported_mrecktid

New member
Hey guys,



I ended up putting a layer of #16 on my G35 today because the weather got nice here, almost 80 degrees :xyxthumbs And I wasn't sure if I should leave it on or not, but i ended up leaving it on for about 20 minutes while I was conditioning my leather.



Long story short, it seemed like it was baked on when I tried removing it. I tried using both Spray & Wipe and Spray & Gloss to help take it off, but water ended up being the easiest way. I have some pictures but I haven't put them up yet I'll try and do it later. It took about 45 minutes to take it off (I'm sure a little is still on there, I'll probably wash it again tomorrow)



Anyways, I like the look it gives, very reflective and clear, I have a champagne colored car and it looks real nice. Similar look to Natty's, maybe more reflective but less wet?



I'll try and put some pics up.



-Mark
 
The key to #16 and easy removal is a very thin application. I use a PC with a finish pad because I can get a very thin coat that way (plus I'm lazy!). I'll do the whole car and then come back and buff it off with a MF. Some members do a section at a time, but I haven't had any problems doing the whole vehicle first and then coming back.



If you're applying it by hand just take a foam applicator and "lightly" spin (or twirl) it on top of the #16 and it will turn into a liquid, then squeeze out the excess and apply as thin as possible.
 
Next time you try something new, it would be a good idea to do a search here on autopia and see how regular users are applying and removing the product. First time I tried UPP, I did a search before actually trying it and all my questions were answered. :)



Like the others said, thin coats, a section or two at a time and remove. Took me about 20 minutes to apply and remove #16 on an F-250 with a shell over the bed today.
 
WOW you must be flying around that truck Scott! I'd like to see a video of you in action! :p

I'd come to visit you, but I'm 1000+ miles away.
 
I have recounted the story before about many years ago when it was getting late and dark and I decided that I would wait until break time at work the next day to buff off the thick coat of #16 (or it could have been Collinite) I had just put on. So there I was, in the summer sun, trying to get the stuff off...it was like concrete...
 
White95Max said:
WOW you must be flying around that truck Scott! I'd like to see a video of you in action! :p

I'd come to visit you, but I'm 1000+ miles away.
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After doing this for nearly 11 years full time, you just get fast. Anyone who saw me apply NXT by hand vs. Aurora40 via PC on a 350Z at the Autopia/Meguiars meet knows how fast I can apply a wax.
 
Scottwax:



Do you have any tips on how to apply thin coats? This has been a problem for me for years, and is a real waste of product for me. Any tips you could give me would be great!



Thanks
 
Scottwax said:
After doing this for nearly 11 years full time, you just get fast. Anyone who saw me apply NXT by hand vs. Aurora40 via PC on a 350Z at the Autopia/Meguiars meet knows how fast I can apply a wax.
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Do you use a foam hand applicator to apply the LSP? If I try to apply an LSP really fast with my Meg's foam apps, they usually just slip out of my hand and fall on the ground. :(

Do you use the yellow Meg's foam hand applicators?
 
I use the contoured foam apps you can get here at autopia (http://www.autopia-carcare.com/vk-101.html) and I have also used the black magic ones (theyre almost flat, but have curved sides so you can grip easier) and I can easily do my whole car with #16 in about 20 minutes. You can do a panel or two with one twirl of the app in the can, which im sure is part of it. A little bit of #16 goes a REAAAALYY long way.
 
See I think I just can't get over the mindset that one or two wipes of the can WILL do a panel. I mean I know it will, I just can't make myself do it. Of course removal is a real pain because of it too!! Maybe someday I will change/evolve :D
 
hadboosttroy said:
Scottwax:



Do you have any tips on how to apply thin coats? This has been a problem for me for years, and is a real waste of product for me. Any tips you could give me would be great!



Thanks
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Hope you and ScottWax don't mind my answering this one, I've been using #16 since forever- people in my family remembered when it first came out in the '50s, they loved it because it was so much easier to use than other stuff then on the market.



Use the "turn it liquid" approach Eliot Ness mentioned. Get the pad uniformly primed with wax and then squeeze as much as you can out of the applicator. Don't worry about having enough on the pad; if you go over the surface a few times (this is why I love the PC/Cyclo for #16 application) you'll get enough on there for an effective, even coat. The idea is to get it on so thin that you can barely see it. Try to spread the it over as large an area as possible by expanding the area being worked- start with maybe a 2'x2' area and then work out from its borders until you start to get some dragging from the applicator, which means you need a little more wax. You'll soon learn how to do this without getting it too thick on the initial 2'x2' area.



Note that one can of #16 should last the average household (2-3 vehicles) several years or longer. I generally use it on 1-2 of our vehicles and also on a few cars I do for friends. My last can still had plenty in it when I gave it away, and I'd been using it for about a decade! Opened it around '92, gave it away around '02. But I'll admit I get a kick out of seeing both how thin I can apply it and how long I can make a can last.
 
Yeah I remember reading about application and removal and stuff about #16, but that was awhile ago, and I my computer at home was messed up so I couldn't reread it.



Scott, Man vs Machine. That sounds like something detailers would pay to watch. Hahahaha.
 
Eliot Ness said:
The key to #16 and easy removal is a very thin application...
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Since the above quote seems to apply to every wax and sealant I know, I'm wondering if there is any wax application where it would be advisable to apply it thick :nixweiss
 
Thanks a bunch Accumulator!! So when I squeeze the pad out, I'm just squeezing it out back into the jar? and the point of that is to get rid of excess from the swirling in the jar that is on the pad so it isn't overloaded?



thanks

troy
 
kartoon said:
Since the above quote seems to apply to every wax and sealant I know, I'm wondering if there is any wax application where it would be advisable to apply it thick.....
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Not really, it's just that some waxes and sealers (#16 & SG for example) are real bears to remove if not applied very, very thin. Some it doesn't really matter as much removal wise, but you're wasting product and might be creating excess dust when removing a product that was applied too thick.
 
In my experience, here's one way to get a thin coat of #16 (but with a little extra waste): Use a foam applicator of your choice. Load the pad with wax, and apply to a panel. You don't want to glop it on, but don't stress if there are some thick spots in the layer you put down. Immediately wipe the with a MF towel before the wax has a chance to haze, but don't try to remove the wax at this point. Just give it a few wipes, especially in areas where you see that you've gotten it a bit thick.



What you should see is that wiping lightly with MF while the wax is still wet both removes excess, undried wax and it leaves a very thin coating of undried #16 behind. Now, let that haze up for 10-15 mins, and remove. The dried residue should buff off relatively easily at this point.



YMMV, but this works for me when I'm applying by hand rather than by machine.



Tort
 
hadboosttroy said:
So when I squeeze the pad out, I'm just squeezing it out back into the jar? and the point of that is to get rid of excess from the swirling in the jar that is on the pad so it isn't overloaded?
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Yep, you got it :xyxthumbs I scrape the pad against the (inner) rim of the tin so any excess wax more or less goes back in the can. Even if I seem to get almost all the wax out of the pad there's still enough there to do a normal size panel like a door or fender. With #16 having been discontinued, perhaps there will be an added incentive to use it as sparingly as possible.



Kartoon- About the only product I really put on thick is #7 when I'm trying to "recondition" old, dried-out single stage. I'll put it on thick and let it sit overnight then wipe off the excess. But it's not like *that* is something that anybody does very often :D
 
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