Zaino banner.....

[Patrick]

Greg, I dont need to know the hard scientific facts, or see the evidence to get the results......

Does it layer, yes or no.....

Does it have mild cleaners, yes or no.....

Can it be used with x,y, or z ? yes or no.....I dont need a plethora of variables, it adds to the confusion....

Surface gloss meter, does a reading of 22 vs 29 matter to me ? I doubt it.....(or how ever they read it) surface analyzer, micro reflectometer, its all fine and dandy, but is it important to the vast majority of us ? I really dont think so.....:nixweiss

Can you imagine an Autopian world full of all of those test results based on the items David just mentioned? We think were educated enough !!!



"Oh the humanity!"

 

[Steve @ Guru]

Figured I'd chime in.



I've secured a very nice digital, computer controlled gloss meter, but am very hesitant to use it in testing. It can measure the gloss of painted surfaces, leather, rubber, plastic, etc. Why not use it in the reports?



(a) the vast majority of the people who buy our reports don't want to be overwhelmed with all of that info. Our reports all ready have "too much" info to keep track of, according to many readers.



(b) we did utilize equipment to measure performance - we had a rig that measured clarity and reflectivity, and we had a system to measure protection. Were they perfect? Nope, but they did help provide comparison info between the products.



I'm all for testing products in an in-depth manner and I value the hard scientific info, but it's lost on about 98% of the general population. Autopia is an exception in the detailing world, and would appreciate that added info, but it's hard to produce a publication for 2% of an already very limited population.



We continue to improve our methodologies and testing techniques, but have learned that sometimes "more" isn't always "better." Not that "more" is a bad thing - just sharing my experiences.



And, as others have pointed out (thankfully), I did not want the report to become the defacto Bible for wax evaluation - that was never the intention. It started out as a fun project and morphed into a little business, but throughout it all, I've been as open about it as possible. I always tell anyone who will listen that the report is a simple comparison guide and *not* the end-all/be-all of wax comparisons.

 

[bileduct]

I bought the Wax Test and enjoy going back to read it from time to time. I certainly would not object to it containing even more esoteric data.



What that test did for me as a neophyte was expose the absurdity of the claims most of the manufacturers make, like "long lasting protection." I think the detailing products industry as a whole does themselves a huge disservice by making claims on the product label that the product simply is not capable of. How about this one, found on so many paint prep product labels: "Easily removes swirls."

 

[Bobby G]

I think a clinical discussion is in order.



When I published my personal "layering" technique using Klasse AIO and Pinnacle Souveran back in 1999, I never knew it would turn into what it has today. While I did not invent layering (car buffs have been doing it for decades with carnauba wax), I think my articles on the subject managed to ignite some bizzare enthusiasm. The problem is, the results people get with different combinations are quite subjective. Even layering of "pure" sealants is subjective in my mind. I want physical evidence. Show me!



I have a film thickness guage that can measure a thick coat of paste wax before it's buffed off, but I'll be darned if I can measure 14 coats of Z2. It takes more sensitive equipment than what I have.



I can see an obvious difference between Klasse by itself, P21S by itself, and P21S over Klasse. I have never been able to see a difference in the final finish quality with Z2 or Z5 beyond two coats.



I kept my black 911 in the garage for two weeks. I treated the hood with a coat of Z5 and a coat of Z2. Every night after dinner, for two weeks, I applied a coat of Z2 to each fender. At the end of week one I applied a fresh coat of Z1 as recommended by Sal to keep the finish from becoming wavey/distorted. After two weeks (14 coats), there was no distinguisable difference between the gloss on the hood and the fender. My film thickness guage, which measures a film/plating thickness down to 0.015 inch (with a mean accuracy of 0.0001 inch) could not detect a difference. I need something better than my eyes and a simple Tinsley thickness gauge.