Paste wax. I don't know what I'm doing.

pman626

New member
I'm using Nu Finish soft paste wax. I know, it's not the best product. But my problem has to do with application and technique.



I use a Meguiar's round foam applicator, dampened with water.



My problems-

1. It seems more wax is being caked onto the foam than is being applied to the car.

2. application is uneven no matter how little I put on and try to spread out. So if I swipe left to right, it seems the wax gunks up at the left and right ends of the swipe, and barely anything gets applied in the middle of the swipe





Does other soft paste wax gunk up like this? or do they all spread evenly with foam applicator?



I'm prepared to return the rest of this nu finish and get collinite.
 
I'm no expert, but I wouldn't have wet the applicator. Is the applicator clean otherwise? Did you properly prep the paint surface--remove old wax, clay bar, etc.?
 
P, grab a new applicator and start off with much smaller amounts of product. You may have over-loaded the applicator.



You might try cleaning the applicator with a solvent or APC of some sort if you don't have a new applicator.



Are you certain the NuFinish is still OK to use? Is it old?
 
A. Apply using "circular motions" when applying any paste wax product.

B. Apply thin, even coats, not thick.

C. Allow to dry to a film and do a quick wipe-off first, this is referred to as "breaking the wax", in other words do not try to remove the film all at once.

D. Once you have "broke" the wax film, then is when you remove the residue and buff to a high shine.

 
Definitely skip the water on the applicator. Use very little to load the pad. If you can see the wax going on, its too thick. That said, NuFinish paste is fairly hard to work with. The liquid is much easier.



Interesting tidbit for those playing along, I read on another forum that the guy at Corrosion-X, maker of Rejex, is a defector from the NuFinish company. I do see a lot of similarities in the products.
 
If one reads the instructions on the package, do what it says. Floyd Mequiar always instructed me to "dampen" the sponge applicator with water before using when applying paste waxes. He is also the source of my post regarding application previously posted.





 
Ron Ketcham said:
If one reads the instructions on the package, do what it says. Floyd Mequiar always instructed me to "dampen" the sponge applicator with water before using when applying paste waxes. He is also the source of my post regarding application previously posted.








I always viewed that as a way to make the applicator slide on neglected surfaces, that most consumers have. On smooth paint, especially with MF applicators, it seems you are just diluting the product.
 
I should have done this from the beginning.



I tried applying with a damp microfiber towel, and the soft paste spread much better. Although it gunked on the towel, at least it spread more evenly and thinly on the paint.



Nu Finish soft paste does not like foam applicators.



Still going to return this though and get 845.
 
pman626- With the 845, don't dampen the applicator with water, just prime it with the 845. Shake the stuff up until it's thin as milk, and if there's a "plug" of wax in the neck of the bottle shove it down into the rest of the product and shake it up some more. Maybe hold the bottle under hot running water to help speed all the shaking along.
 
Ron Ketcham said:
A. Apply using "circular motions" when applying any paste wax product.

B. Apply thin, even coats, not thick.

C. Allow to dry to a film and do a quick wipe-off first, this is referred to as "breaking the wax", in other words do not try to remove the film all at once.

D. Once you have "broke" the wax film, then is when you remove the residue and buff to a high shine.




That's when it's starting to become 'white-ish', right? (as when you're applying solar cream on you and you let it dry there?)
 
resek- I consider it to have "filmed" when I can wipe it cleanly away with my finger; it comes off dry and doesn't leave a smeary streak. This is what's known as the "finger swipe test" and it's how I use all my LSPs, even the ones like Souverän which most people W-O-W-O.
 
Thank you Accumulator.



About Collinite 845, I first used it as W-O-W-O.

Then, on my 2nd try, I waited it to dry and I got a nicer beading. Don't know if it gave me 'more' protection tho.
 
The (very limited and quite informal) testing I did showed a little better durability when I let it haze before buffing off.
 
resek said:
That's when it's starting to become 'white-ish', right? (as when you're applying solar cream on you and you let it dry there?)



It's more of a faint haze or invisible film. 845IW is pure LSP with no correction abilities, you apply 2-4 drops on the applicator so the product is barely visible on the paint.

Good to see someone from my home province ! :)
 
Back
Top