First Time With The PC.......Help?

[RockyTop]

I purchased my PC a few months ago and I finally had enough free time this weekend to break it out. Ok, maybe it was fear of the unknown. Worried about ruining a paint job. I experimented with the PC on my father's Toyota that gets hand washed regularly but has been lacking in the wax department.

I washed and clayed the car. I put tape down the center of the trunk and applied #80 to one side and ColorX on the other. Both applied with a polishing pad. The 80 seemed to work better so I decided to go with that. I was worried about working the 80 in the right amount of time. But after a few minutes I was definatley able to tell when the abrasives had been broke down. I was really worried about knowing when to stop and remove the product but I quickly learned when you reach that point. You just know.......lol.

I followed #80 with a coat of NXT with the finishing pad. I was able to lay down a thin coat, let dry and removed with a bonnet. So far so good.

Now my problem. After the initial coat of wax I took the pad off of the PC and put it in a zip lock bag to use the next day for the second coat of NXT. So I applied some wax to the pad and went at it. After starting on the second coat I noticed it seemed the wax was going on really thick. Even had some splatter. It was like I had a never ending supply of wax in my pad. I think I applied wax to the entire car without putting any wax on the pad. It took forever for the wax to dry. So I started removing the wax with the bonnet and this worked good for a while then the bonnet just smeared the wax. Turn the bonnet started again did good then started smearing again. Replaced bonnet with a new one, same thing. I was out of bonnets and had to resort to the microfiber towel.

Finally finished removing the wax and the car looked awesome. Where did I go wrong with the wax? Should I have used a new finish pad for the second coat of NXT?

I really enjoyed using the PC and using what I have learned here on MOL. My father couldn't beleive the results I got. I also have experiment car number 2 waiting. Thanks to everyone here for making it a pleasant experience. You guys are great.

[Mike Phillips]

Here's a couple of suggestions...

Use less wax after the initial application of either an X pattern across the face of the pad or a circle of product around the outside of the face of the pad. Most people tend to overuse product including the wax.

No matter how you store your pads, try to place them face down so that any leftover product will tend to flow towards the face of the pad, not towards the Velcro backing material.


Allow the wax to dry until it swipes clear, this will tell you it's ready to remove. It sounds like you had too much wax on the paint and because of this it might not have completely dried and thus some of the reasons for the smearing problems you encountered while trying to remove it with a bonnet.

Hope this helps...

[Murr1525]

Also, be sure you are using a clean dry pad for removal under the bonnet.

[RockyTop]

Hey thanks guys. I'm not to upset with myself. After all it was my first time with the PC. I'm sure there's not too many people out there that gets it right the first time. I was really pleased with the results. I guess practice makes perfect.
I guess I was trying to use too much wax. But when I first noticed the smearing, I removed the bonnet and reversed it. I'm sure the inside of the bonnet as well as the pad probably got some moisture. Didn't think about changing the pad.

One question however. After you apply the initial coat of wax, do most people remove the finishing pad and put it straight in a bag to use for the 2nd coat. Without cleaning or anything? Is it best to use a new pad?

PS murr. Glad to see the Bus win one!