'Spit Shining? (Bull polishing)
[Spit shining is the technique that is used to make shoes shine like mirrors - - and some of those tricks can be applied to putting carnauba on your car's paint] NickT
It?s not as lurid as it sounds, I learned how to spit shine boots in the Royal Air Force (RAF), but for those of you who?ve never done it I?ll briefly describe how to spit shine boots to a mirror finish. You?ll need a can of Kiwi shoe wax, a bag of cotton balls, and some cold water. Wet the cotton ball and squeeze out most of the water. Get a very small amount of wax on the cotton ball and wipe it onto the boot - continue wiping until there is no more smudging. Add a little more wax and repeat.
Re-moisten the cotton ball as needed so that it leaves tiny beads of water on the boots. When the cotton ball retains too much wax, then use a new cotton ball, it takes several layers (maybe 6 to 10 or more) to achieve that mirror shine. It?s obvious that the wax builds layers because enough flexing of the leather will cause the wax to flake.
Spit shining is used for ?layering? Organic wax (
although in this case the 'spit' used is cold distilled water) to produce a ?depth of shine? providing you take the necessary precautions to prevent the solvents both re-liquefying and removing the previous wax layers.
One of the very important nuances of layering is to use very little applied pressure and friction when applying subsequent layers as they will have a negative impact on wax thickness Usually a spit shined surface is slicker, smoother, and has different beading characteristics; with even smaller tighter water beads. The durability is about the same (or slightly better) and although spit shining is very time consuming, the improved depth of shine and glossy appearance is worth it
Usually, a wax with a high solvent content will remove the previous layer, so use a Carnauba that is not formulated with a high solvent content (Pinnacle Souver?n) One of the very important nuances of layering is to use very little applied pressure and friction when applying subsequent layers as they will have a negative impact on wax thickness
Using a damp applicator and cold (almost ice) distilled water in a fine mist spray bottle neutralizes any solvents in the newly applied layer; the water should be cold, using ice cold water after applying a wax will harden the wax quicker making the shine deeper and help the new wax adhere to the finish, working until the water/ wax solution disappears.
The reason for using a damp applicator is to neutralize the solvents as much as possible, and to avoid the thin coats of wax sticking to the applicator, this enables the wax to build thin, fine coats. Spray fine mists of cold (almost ice) distilled water to a single panel and then apply a light Carnauba wax to the paint surface.
Always apply extremely thin layers using a very light pressure when spit shining, Wipe it onto a small work area and continue wiping until most of the wax disappears. Mist lightly as needed, keeping a few water droplets on the surface. Move to the next work area and repeat. After you do the final area you?ll have a surface with many spots of hazed wax. Lightly mist an area with the very cold distilled water - 1/2 hood or door - and lightly buff with a MF towel. Turn the towel frequently, when the towel becomes too damp switch to a new towel.
When you spray very cold water on a Carnauba wax layer that has been allowed to outgas (i.e. the solvents that make up its carrier system have evaporated) it reduces the wax surface temperature to the point that the next applied waxes carrier solvents do not dilute the previously applied wax and it forms a semi-hard coat.
Allow each subsequent Carnauba waxes solvents to outgas before applying more layers. Spit shining allows definitive layers, as opposed to a thick coat of wax that would result if the solvents dissolve the wax layer that they are applied to.
After 24 hours you can repeat the procedure, using cold (almost ice) distilled water and Pinnacle Crystal Mist (a low solvent quick detail (QD) each coat applied will increase the surface depth of shine with five or six coats being optimal
An extract from one of a series of unbiased Detailing Technical Papers ? TOGWT ? Ltd Copyright 2002-2009, all rights reserved.
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