Learn me: Wax and polish| Grassroots Motorsports forum |

Blitzed306 Reader
5/28/13 11:53 a.m.

So I have fresh paint on my bike that has had a week to cure and I have a lot of UV coated carbon fiber. Learn me Waxes compounds and general paint maintenance. I am currently using Turtle wax

Javelin MegaDork
5/28/13 12:41 p.m.

Oooh boy, that's a big question. Head on over to Autopia when you have a couple of hours and a beer or three.

The really, really short of it is: Polish is polish, it has grit in it and is used to make things even again. Wax is made from actual wax (usually caranuba) and is used to protect paint.

You probably don't want polish on the paint yet, and not ever on the bare CF (unless it gets scratched up). The wax will be good. The purer the wax (higher percentage of real wax versus filler crap), the better it works and the longer it lasts. Some full synthetic waxes work okay, but most detailers are not fans (myself included).

Enyar HalfDork
5/28/13 12:53 p.m.

I've liked my Collinite 745, but it doesn't last very long. I apply it with a Porter Cable RO sander/polisher with Meguiars 6" foam pads on a 5" backing plate from amazon.

e_pie HalfDork
5/28/13 1:10 p.m.

I made a thread a while back, I'll look for it.

e_pie HalfDork
5/28/13 1:10 p.m.

Here it is: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/epies-diy-detailing-thread/48403/page1/

Blitzed306 Reader
5/28/13 2:29 p.m.

Thanks guys!

Teggsan Reader
5/28/13 3:00 p.m.

Autopia FTW

There's a ton to learn if you really want to do it right. The summary linked above is a good one.

Blitzed306 Reader
5/28/13 3:11 p.m.

Autopia ='s my mind is blown right meow!

NOHOME Dork
5/28/13 5:19 p.m.

I washed a car once...I did not enjoy it.

curtis73 UltraDork
5/28/13 11:00 p.m.

You basically have multiple levels of chemicals, each with its own colloquial nomenclature.

Rubbing compound: Skip it. That is for polishing metal or used as the next step after wet sanding.

Polishing compound: Skip it. Its the next step after rubbing compound.

The next several steps are pretty nebulous. They are often referred to as swirl removers, polishes, cleaners, etc. They are designed to lift mild impurties like oxidation, insect droppings, etc.

The last step is a top coat protectant; wax, sealer, etc.

For basic, maintenance use, I like to use a cleaner/wax. It will reduce swirls, clean up small imperfections, and leave a coating of wax behind. For more involved problems, I start with a polish and then use a wax on top of it.

The only problem with a cleaner/wax is that if you're not happy with the results you have to polish through the wax protectant to get any more cleaning/polishing. Buzz over here: http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/. Read through the tech they have there. They have products and tech that cover everything from taking from freshly wet-sanded paint all the way up to final detail/wax.