Why do a ISP wipedown before your LSP ??

[RaskyR1]

But is that for just Meguair Polishes and Waxes?



Say I want to polish with M105/205 and put another brand of carnauba on? Will this still take effect?

I would say as long as you are using the same manufacturers products then you will be fine. Anything outside of that I would use at your own discretion. I still look at it that unless the directions tell you to do different then why do it? If anything use some kind of prewax cleaner that isn't so harsh on the paint. IPA dries the crap out of my hands...I can only imagine what it does to paint after wiping it down multiple times.





I'm all for IPA when checking your work, just not before applying a wax. :wavey

 

[Alfisti]

I'm all for IPA when checking your work, just not before applying a wax. :wavey

That's my philosophy too. :up

 

[smokin180]

IPA the only time I use it is to help strip and redo.I ad to wash water along with CW@G.

 

[stiffdogg06]

I would say as long as you are using the same manufacturers products then you will be fine. Anything outside of that I would use at your own discretion. I still look at it that unless the directions tell you to do different then why do it? If anything use some kind of prewax cleaner that isn't so harsh on the paint. IPA dries the crap out of my hands...I can only imagine what it does to paint after wiping it down multiple times.





I'm all for IPA when checking your work, just not before applying a wax. :wavey

If you use IPA to check your work, aren't you therefore already removing the oils from the polish which is right before the LSP step?



Personally I will use IPA to only wipe down my test panel to make sure my combo/worktime is doing the work. I then will use TOL's Silicone remove or Dawn to wash the car after polishing.

 

[RaskyR1]

If you use IPA to check your work, aren't you therefore already removing the oils from the polish which is right before the LSP step?



Personally I will use IPA to only wipe down my test panel to make sure my combo/worktime is doing the work. I then will use TOL's Silicone remove or Dawn to wash the car after polishing.

I usually only IPA my test panel. If my process is dialed in then I have no reason to wipe down the whole car. Most of my clientele is people with daily drivers that only want a 1 or 2 step polish, not 100% defect removal. If I'm finishing down with my Flex I not exactly worried about holograms either. When I do get a high end customer wanting perfection I will wipe down the car in all steps but the final polishing (Jewelling) step. By the time I'm to that step the finish should already look LSP ready. I'm confident enough in my ability that I'm not going to instill any swirls into the paint during the jewelling step.



I have never had a customer come back because of swirls/holograms and unless I do, I see no reason to change my process.

 

[SuperBee364]

I think I would rather do a total wash removing all waxes and sealants instead of a IPA wipe down, to inspect my work. Wouldn't that show all the defects remaining after a polish?

I would think it depends on how strong your soap is. I mean have you ever done the test, where you dump water onto oil... Well the two just seperate...



So something like TOL's Silicone Remove, CG's Wash & Clear or something along those lines.

My new found favorite (thanks to NXStasy and Stiffdog) is Hi-Temp Prep Wash. It will pretty much strip your paint of all chemicals/oils/etc.

I would say as long as you are using the same manufacturers products then you will be fine. Anything outside of that I would use at your own discretion. I still look at it that unless the directions tell you to do different then why do it? If anything use some kind of prewax cleaner that isn't so harsh on the paint. IPA dries the crap out of my hands...I can only imagine what it does to paint after wiping it down multiple times.



I'm all for IPA when checking your work, just not before applying a wax. :wavey

Agreed, for waxes. Sealants, OTOH, can be more sensitive to oils and residues left on the paint prior to application. I also don't see a problem in putting a wax on after an IPA wipedown; polishing residues and glazes are optional. Everything a wax needs to work properly is contained in the wax itself. Applying a wax to a completely oil/chemical free paint is certainly not a wrong thing to do.

 

[Alfisti]

Taken from MOL...



From one of our chemists...



This means the addition of any Meguiar's polishes prior to the wax application will not only enhance the paint finish, but also aid in the appearance, adherence and overall lasting ability of the wax which is applied over the top of it.

This implies that a compatible glaze will potentially improve durability of a LSP.



Makes sense too.

 

[porta]

I always use IPA to check after all my polishing steps. After polishing, I foam the car with a high alkaline degreaser to get rid of all the remaining polishing oils/lubes and the dust.

 

[David Fermani]

I always use IPA to check after all my polishing steps. After polishing, I foam the car with a high alkaline degreaser to get rid of all the remaining polishing oils/lubes and the dust.

You rock Porta! I do the same thing. Many sealant companies recommend applying their products to a surface that is clean and oil free. I've personally witnessed sealants failing for this reason. I don't know how a product can cross-link/bond through an oily surface?

 

[porta]

You rock Porta! I do the same thing. Many sealant companies recommend applying their products to a surface that is clean and oil free. I've personally witnessed sealants failing for this reason. I don't know how a product can cross-link/bond through an oily surface?

Yeah, I rock :woot2:



Well I think it's easier to wash the car then to use q-tips, mf towels and brushes to get out all the dusts in the from trim, emblem and etc. And I get a very clean surface that the sealant will have no problem to bond. I second about the cross-link/bonding issue.

 

[Alfisti]

I don't know how a product can cross-link/bond through an oily surface?

If you re-read the quota from the Megs chemist you'll see that NXT (a sealant) benefits from cross-linking/bonding through an oily surface.



Remember, most sealants are oil-in-water emulsions anyway. We don't have to understand it, just accept it if it comes from a reliable/believable source.

 

[David Fermani]

If you re-read the quota from the Megs chemist you'll see that NXT (a sealant) benefits from cross-linking/bonding through an oily surface.



Remember, most sealants are oil-in-water emulsions anyway. We don't have to understand it, just accept it if it comes from a reliable/believable source.

I'm sure that rule applies for NXT(or other Meg's products) and that's totally fine, but that's why I said "many" sealant companies. I know of other's that secifically say (via their chemists) to apply to bare surfaces only.

 

[porta]

I would rate NXT Generation® Tech Wax® 2.0 as a wax. Many of the sealants/coating I am using would not like a oily film on the paint. Almost all the sealants I am using is not a oil/water emulsion but solvent based with a small amount of polymers.

 

[RaskyR1]

I would rate NXT Generation® Tech Wax® 2.0 as a wax. Many of the sealants/coating I am using would not like a oily film on the paint. Almost all the sealants I am using is not a oil/water emulsion but solvent based with a small amount of polymers.

While there is no set rule here on what is a sealant and what is a wax, most will consider a "wax" to be made up of natural ingrediants like carnauba wax or bees wax. Most will consider a sealant to be made of synthetic ingredients. Since NXT is indeed a synthetic, it's classified as a “sealant� by most, even though Meguar's put "wax" on the bottle for marketing reasons.

 

[Alfisti]

I'm sure that rule applies for NXT(or other Meg's products) and that's totally fine, but that's why I said "many" sealant companies. I know of other's that secifically say (via their chemists) to apply to bare surfaces only.

You're right David, some *do* say they reguire a bare surface - the obvious one is Zaino. But I would suggest that this is an exception, rather than the rule. A good test is to see whether a company also has a prewax cleaner in its arsenal. *Most* prewax cleaners are heavy in oils/glaze (forms of PD solvent) which aid the LSP. So if it applies to Megs, why not to others? Megs disclosure atleast demonstrates that we shouldn't assume an IPA wipe-down is better. True?

I would rate NXT Generation® Tech Wax® 2.0 as a wax. Many of the sealants/coating I am using would not like a oily film on the paint. Almost all the sealants I am using is not a oil/water emulsion but solvent based with a small amount of polymers.

NXT is not a wax...it's a sealant. It's a purely synthetic polymer LSP.



Solvent-based LSPs are either water-in-oil (solvent) emulsions, or straight solvent (oil)-based products. Either way, a *compatible* oily film (glaze) shouldn't effect them.





The products I would be concerned about are the water-based ones, like Klasse and other acrylic-based LSP with their corresponding water-based glaze.