Clay/CleanerWax/NXT - What did I do wrong? Or right?

[MediaMan]

Okay, I did my very FIRST clay/detailing and have a few questions.

1. On the clay, I used a liberal amount of lube (QD). I am curious if I over did it. Started with a full 16 oz bottle, have less than half left. Is that normal?

2. After claying I used CleanerWax. If came OFF beautifully, but I found it difficult to put ON.... That is, while the car was quite cool, when I applied an amount of wax on the car, or Meguiars terry applicator, it seemed to get absorbed/dry up very quickly - I could work it in easily...as soon as I tired to apply it in overlapping motion, it kind of dried up...it wasnt very 'loose'. Yes, I shook well. I had to keep on putting on more just to complete a panel. What was I doing wrong?

3. After buffing, I applied one coat of NXT ( as we had to hit the road), but I am wondering how much additional shine I should expect....or is this as good as it gets. The car is between a sliver and a medium gray. Pics were on a CLOUDY day.

[Murr1525]

Re: Clay/CleanerWax/NXT - What did I do wrong? Or right?

1. Cant use too much, so dont worry.

2. You probable would have been better using a foam applicator. (The round yellow disks). The only other possibility is that the car was very dirty, and could have used a stronger, or dedicated cleaner. But it looks pretty good, so I imagine it was just the applicator.

3. With colors like that, you are definately going for gloss, more than a deep reflection. How much more you could get is hard to say. With a cleaner/wax, probably not much. You would probably have to go to seperate, dedicated steps, or upgrade to a machine to start seeing more.

Looks good.

[TrufflePig]

Re: Clay/CleanerWax/NXT - What did I do wrong? Or right?

i'm sure you don't want to hear this but I think that you'll get a better finish doing the 5 step system as Murr suggested.

it sounds like that's what you're after.

i use the cleaner/wax when i don't have the time and have already done the full detail and am just maintaing.

and yes, use the YELLOW applicator pads.

do you have any? or can you not get some?

all the best

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Clay/CleanerWax/NXT - What did I do wrong? Or right?

Okay, I did my very FIRST clay/detailing and have a few questions.

1. On the clay, I used a liberal amount of lube (QD). I am curious if I over did it. Started with a full 16 oz bottle, have less than half left. Is that normal?

[/SIZE]

You can't really use too much, when you do you simply waste product. If you use too little the clay will stick and smudge, so you're better off to use too much than to use to little.

Okay, I did my very FIRST clay/detailing and have a few questions.


2. After claying I used CleanerWax. If came OFF beautifully, but I found it difficult to put ON.... That is, while the car was quite cool, when I applied an amount of wax on the car, or Meguiar's terry applicator, it seemed to get absorbed/dry up very quickly - I could work it in easily...as soon as I tired to apply it in overlapping motion, it kind of dried up...it wasnt very 'loose'.

Yes, I shook well. I had to keep on putting on more just to complete a panel. What was I doing wrong?

How big an area did you try to work at one time? About 16" square maybe a little larger depending upon the shape of the panel is what you should be working, so for a car hood you would break it up into sections, think of a checker board or a patchwork quilt, then be sure to overlap into the previously worked section but the idea is not to tackle to large of an area at one time.

In most cases, when you're using a cleaner/wax it's because the paint needs to be cleaned, some people use a cleaner/wax as a maintenance wax and as such they're applying it to previously cleaned, polished and waxed paint so application will be smooth, fast and easy, however if you're using a cleaner/wax for the first time on a car that hasn't been previously cleaned, polished and waxed then you're likely using it for it's cleaning ability because the paint needs to be cleaned at some level.

As such, a cleaner/wax needs to be worked against and into the finish and it's not a wipe-on, wipe-off procedure and your experience sounds about right.

Usually the first time you work on paint that needs to be cleaned you'll want to make sure to use an ample amount, you'll be better off using more, not less to get the job done because you want an ample amount of the liquid chemical cleaners on the surface to do the cleaning work, so while you don't want to waste product, and in most cases as a rule of thumb more isn't always better, an ample amount is optimum, leaning towards a little extra versus just enough or too little the first time.

Does that make sense?

3. After buffing, I applied one coat of NXT ( as we had to hit the road), but I am wondering how much additional shine I should expect....or is this as good as it gets. The car is between a sliver and a medium gray. Pics were on a CLOUDY day.

When working on clear coat paints, the goal is to get the clear coat as clear as possible so that you can see the color underneath of it and to make the paint as smooth as possible because gloss comes from smoothness.

Washing, Claying, Cleaning and then 2 thin uniform coats of wax should get you to about 90% to 100% of the paints maximum potential. If you did the claying and the cleaning correctly, then the first coat of NXT should have built on the results of the first to processes and there may be some gain in the second coat of wax, but not a lot more than what the first coat produced


Hope that helps...

[MediaMan]

Re: Clay/CleanerWax/NXT - What did I do wrong? Or right?

Thanks to all. I actually did start with a clean surface ( ie it was washed and clayed before I applied the cleaner wax), and I did work in small sections….so I think perhaps it was more the wrong choice of applicator…should have used the yellow foam rather than white terry. Too much mush on the brain.

Next steps….

Washing, Claying, Cleaning and then 2 thin uniform coats of wax should get you to about 90% to 100% of the paints maximum potential. If you did the claying and the cleaning correctly, then the first coat of NXT should have built on the results of the first to processes and there may be some gain in the second coat of wax, but not a lot more than what the first coat produced

Question - I will do a scont coat of NXT, but suppose I am want to do a bit more. Having just clayed/cleaned/waxed etc, if I wanted to say apply #7 polish then NXT, how far back in the 5 step cycle to I go…

- can I apply it right now…
- or should I use the cleaner first then #7 / NXT….
- or should I wash, then #7 , then NXT?
- or just forget about #7.

Thanks again for everyones patience!!

[Lucky161]

Re: Clay/CleanerWax/NXT - What did I do wrong? Or right?

JMO, but I think your car looks great. Clear reflections in every photo. I didn't see any swirls. That's a great color, one of my favorites, but it may not stand out as much as some others. Of course you are there and I am here and your opinion is the only one that really counts.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Clay/CleanerWax/NXT - What did I do wrong? Or right?

Thanks to all. I actually did start with a clean surface ( ie it was washed and clayed before I applied the cleaner wax), and I did work in small sections…

Washed and cleaned in this case are two different things, washed means you've removed any loose dirt, cleaned means you removed embedded dirt, stains, oxidation below surface defects like swirls, scratches and etchings.

• Washing remove loose surface dirt
• Claying removed aboves surface bonded contaminants
• Cleaning removes below surface defects, this is where the cleaner/wax comes into play, the chemical cleaners and the diminishing abrasives 'clean' the paint.

Cleaning paint is different than washing the paint.

[SIZE=2]
so I think perhaps it was more the wrong choice of applicator…should have used the yellow foam rather than white terry. Too much mush on the brain.

There's a lot of difference between;

• Foam applicator pads
• Microfiber applicator pads
• Terry cloth applicator pads

Meguiar's recommends their microfiber applicator pads as the ultimate in gentleness to your car's paint for application of paint care products. Meguiar's Soft foam pads are also very gentle to the finish but Meguiar's recommends their microfiber applicator pads as the most gentle of the two options all things being equal.

Generic Terry Cloth applicator pads are more aggressive will give your paint care products more bite but you also have to be careful you don't scratch a clear coat finish with these types of applicator pads.

[SIZE=2]Next steps….


Question - I will do a second coat of NXT, but suppose I am want to do a bit more. Having just clayed/cleaned/waxed etc, if I wanted to say apply #7 polish then NXT, how far back in the 5 step cycle to I go…

- can I apply it right now…
- or should I use the cleaner first then #7 / NXT….
- or should I wash, then #7 , then NXT?
- or just forget about #7.

Thanks again for everyones patience!!

At this point, going straight to wax will be just fine as your car's finish is new or like new and a light color, and already clayed, cleaned and waxed... polishing with #7 will mostly be topical and the results will be difficult to see for most people.

[MediaMan]

Re: Clay/CleanerWax/NXT - What did I do wrong? Or right?

I used X-3080. That's microfiber, which is the correct choice after all. I applied the wax on the pad, as per the instructional video, but didnt seem that easy! Perhaps I was applying too much pressure....

----

Having now re-read the posts and understanding them better - I get the picture now - I had right applicator, and it could simply be a case of it needing a good cleaning as it was the first cleaning.

I have since put on the second coat of NXT. This coat wnet on a bit easier (also watched the video again!).

The car really looks nice so I'm going to take a rest for now, and jsut do some light quick detailing before I hit the waxes again.

I must say, what an absolute pleasure to have :

- a suite of quality products
- a forum to share questions and information
- the beneift of users of the prodcut who can share experiences
- product specialists who know the product line and have the patience and willingness to explain (over and over again!)

Its a very powerful mix.

[MediaMan]

Re: Clay/CleanerWax/NXT - What did I do wrong? Or right?

3. With colors like that, you are definately going for gloss, more than a deep reflection. How much more you could get is hard to say. With a cleaner/wax, probably not much.

Just curious, if I am sticking with hand waxing and not machine, does the above, ie going for gloss vs deep reflection, imply that there may be a better choice of products for me for the polish/wax steps, other than ones I picked to date, ie #7 and NXT?

Thanks