Last night's Collinite experience

F

frito

New member
Last weekend I preped my car with clay, cleaner polish and then applied some adams butter followed by NXT (to see if it looked better - it did a bit I think).



I ordered some Collinite Monday (426 and 845IW). I decided that there was no time like the present so I washed my car and got to work.



The first thing I noted (newbie here) is that the initial slickness of the NXT was not as good after the first wash. The car still looked good but maybe a bit less wet. Oils maybe?



Anyway, I set off a waxing. I spray my detail spray onto my pad and worked it into the 476. As soon as the wax was a little wet it was much easier to get out. I did not apply it light as it said on the tin since it was coming out easy... I let it stand on the paint for a while but not really hard and wiped with a mf towel.



I am suprised at what people have said about the application of 476. I had no problem with it at all. It does take a little more effort than say the NXT in that you need to apply more force to move the towel but it comes of very easy in a swipe or two and does not streak at all. It is a work out in that it requires more force but it was not at all hard to work. It once it was a little moist on my applicator it reminded me of that leather cleaner saddle soap in smell and consistency.



The result is a nice shine, not as wet as the initial application if NXT but about the same as NXT after the first wash. It is not as slick as NXT either was at first application either.



Well I had a bit more energy, so I thought I would see what the 845IW was about. I shook shook shook it but the consistancy is a bit strange. It seperates a bit and was not creamy but wet and globby. It was like a substance that was part frozen (but it was not cold)



Anyway I went on to waxing and it speads just fine even if it looked a bit funny. Again, I did not let it set up too hard and used another MF towel to take off. It was a bout the same as the 476 but needed a little less pressure. The interesting thing is that it produced a lot of static electricity on my towel. I wonder if this is the insulator quality. It made me wonder if it will attract more dust than the 476 would. I might do a test on that in the future.



The look of the 845IW may be a bit more wet looking and a bit more slick. Not night and day for sure and I doubt panel to panel I would notice a difference.



In the end neither was a problem and now my car is ready for the durability test...



EDITED FOR SPELLING ERRORS
 
frito said:
The interesting thing is that it produced a lot of static electricity on my towel. I wonder if this is the insulator quality.
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The reason it is called Insulator Wax is not because it insulates, but because it was developed to be used on ceramic insulators for power transmission lines. A wax on the insulator deters dirt buildup which could allow an electrical path across the insulator, thus defeating its purpose.
 
I believe most carnaubas atract dust, by static electricity, well at least the few I'm familiar with.
 
well it also sounds like you applied and buffed to the car numerous times in one session doing both the 476 and 845, so would likely have imparted a good static charge from all the rubbing?
 
frito- I'm a little surprised that the Collinite isn't slicker :think: I always let mine set up a while before buffing it off (it's *DRY* before I buff it off), wonder if that's it. Also, I dampen my applicator with water instead of QD (at least for the initial coat) wonder if that could have anything to do with it :nixweiss



Also, just FWIW I apply the 845 *first* and then top with the 476S. Not that there's a right/wrong way to do this...



If you shake the 845 up enough there won't be any globs, just a thin liquid about the consistency of milk.



I do predict you'll find its durability to be worlds ahead of the NXT. Last year 845 topped with four layers of 476S lasted from August to May for me, including a tough OH winter.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
The reason it is called Insulator Wax is not because it insulates, but because it was developed to be used on ceramic insulators for power transmission lines. A wax on the insulator deters dirt buildup which could allow an electrical path across the insulator, thus defeating its purpose.
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This man knows his stuff!



The Electricians/Lineman started using this on their vehicles because it held up so well on the insulators.
 
frito said:
Well I had a bit more energy, so I thought I would see what the 845IW was about. I shook shook shook it but the consistancy is a bit strange. It seperates a bit and was not creamy but wet and globby. It was like a substance that was part frozen (but it was not cold)



..
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I usually let the 845 sit in hot tap water for about ten minutes before applying. That seems to help in returning it to a more milky consistency.
 
One thing I do to help is put a flip cap on the bottle so the product doesn't come out gobby. Helps some.
 
Hey, that username looks familiar. ;)



Collinite is good stuff, I've only used 476s but it's awesome stuff. I haven't found anything else that protects against bird crap, sap, and water spotting as well as Collinite.
 
I am not at all complaining and I look forward to the durability test. As bigpikle says I may have just built up some charge from all the buffing. I will be spending some time on my wifes car soon so I wanted to get a nice coat on mine.



Thanks a lot for the feedback!



What should I use to keep a nice shine at washes! Should I do a spray wax and buff or a QD and buff! I will be putting on a few more coats soon as well.
 
frito said:
I am not at all complaining and I look forward to the durability test. As bigpikle says I may have just built up some charge from all the buffing. I will be spending some time on my wifes car soon so I wanted to get a nice coat on mine.



Thanks a lot for the feedback!



What should I use to keep a nice shine at washes! Should I do a spray wax and buff or a QD and buff! I will be putting on a few more coats soon as well.
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I'm probably the wrong person to answer this, but oh well... :)



I'm kind of a fanatic about not touching the car's surface unless it's absolutely necessary. Yeah, I do the odd ONR wash now and again, but only if I can't do a touchless pressure wash. Remember that all swirls and marring are caused by something coming into contact with your paint. Whether it's your wash mitt, a waffle weave drying towel, or an MF you're using to QD with. *All* swirls and marring are caused by something rubbing on your paint. Yup, it was worth repeating. The less you can touch your paint, the better.



Needless to say, I don't QD alot. :)
 
Superbee364



Thanks. I totally agree so thank you. I have always been a little over the top about washing. During the winter I do the pressure wash and one real wash and wax at the new year - that is always fun (hose from the laundry room etc.)



I always spray the car down very very well. This is not a great water saving idea but I spend 10 minutes just spraying the car. Then I usuallly pre-soak it let it sit and then spray it again to remove a bit more. Then I wash with at least two mits with tons of soap as lube being very careful keep them clean.



I dry the big stuff with a soft rubber squegee(sp?) and pat the rest with a cotton towel.



After five years it is very hard to find any swirls. I am sure there are micro swirls but I don't see them. The paint color is really a big help but like you said not touching it goes a long way.
 
frito said:
What should I use to keep a nice shine at washes! Should I do a spray wax and buff or a QD and buff! I will be putting on a few more coats soon as well.
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My Collinite seems to do especially well with Griot's SpeedShine and FK425 (both applied *AFTER* a very gentle wash). I spray the QD on after removing most of the water (see below) but before the final touch-style drying. Those are two rather different QDs, but they both leave quite a bit of stuff behind. Neither seems to mess with the Collinite beading effect in a big way and it'll still shed dirt readily.



On the layering, my magic number was *five*, one coat of 845 topped with four of 476S. After all those, all I had to do wash wash it (and use the post-wash QD) for months on end. After ~7-8 months I finally did a light claying with Sonus green and applied another coat of 476S.



I dry the big stuff with a soft rubber squegee(sp?)...
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I worry that some day you'll get a speck of abrasive something caught between the squeegee and the paint and the result will be a nasty scratch. Noting that I'm about as fanatically careful as anybody can be about wash technique, I got by just fine with a squeegee for a long, long time...but then it happened and I have a too-deep-to-remove scratch on the roof of my minivan :( How a speck of whatever got on *that* panel I'll never know, but that was the last time I used a squeegee on anything I care about.



After that, I got an AirWand to blow off most of the water, and, once I got the hang of it, it's become one of my more appreciated detailing gizmos. Between its relatively good blowing force and the Collinite's beading/shedding, this leaves little water for the final drying (not enough to over-dilute the QD, which provides some added lubrication).
 
Thanks again folks -Accumulator. I would hate to get theat spec of debris in my squeegee :( Air sounds like a great idea.
 
How do you guys think the 476S or the 845 would do with just a spray down every week at the coin-op? We're in some serious water restrictions around here, and I've noticed that at the coin wash my white car pretty much comes clean with just water. I wont use their soap or anything. I just spray it with the high pressure water and then finish with their "spot free" water. I'm thinking this may be an area where 476S will really shine.



I think I'm probably the only guy there that cleans the barrels of wheels and wheel wells at those places. People look at me like I'm nuts when I cut the wheels and take a brush to the wells.
 
Any time you pre wet the applicator pad with a QD your altering the chemistry of the product your applying ..



The only one I pre wet the applicator for is Klasse SG and I use a misting of distilled water.
 
Jesstzn said:
Any time you pre wet the applicator pad with a QD your altering the chemistry of the product your applying ..



The only one I pre wet the applicator for is Klasse SG and I use a misting of distilled water.
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That's pretty much the way I look at it too, but FWIW one combo that does seem to work great is 476S or #16 "pseudo-spit-shined" with Griot's SpeedShine when applied by machine (mist a *tiny* bit of SpeedShine on panel, apply wax by machine working it until it nearly, but not quite disappears).



Way2SSlow said:
How do you guys think the 476S or the 845 would do with just a spray down every week at the coin-op?
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I dunno...it'd work better than with most LSPs but I suspect you'll get diminishing returns as it won't get things all *that* clean. I'd probably use their soap too; it doesn't seem to hurt my 476S to an appreciable degree and it oughta get things cleaner. I ran the Blazer (and some 476S'ed service loaners) through our local touchless and it worked OK. I even tried ONRing afterwards and it worked OK (not that I'd try it on the Impala, but you know how I am about ONR washes ;) and it might work fine for somebody else ). Just don't let it get too dirty between these sorts of washes, there's a limit to the 476S' dirt shedding abilities
 
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