jcat_350

Hey fellas, just wondering what the ideal curing time is for the products that i use.

so far, for most of my details i just use the meg yellow wax after wash/clay etc. without polish. how long should i let each app cure for?

also, using meg deep crystal finishing polish, it says to apply by hand and not let it dry. Any advice for using this by machine or should I not do it at all?

and can someone recommend a good freakin abrasive polish? I can't seem to decide on one as theres millions around. It needs to work well with an orange CCS pad, followed with (once I get it) meg 80 speed glaze and the black pad, followed by the yellow wax with the blue pad?

please correct me if i'm wrong with any of this.

jfelbab

Wax and sealants need to haze over before removal. Paint cleaners, glazes (which is what the Deep Crystal Polish is) and abrasive polishes need to be removed while still wet. To determine when a wax or sealant is ready to be removed, try wiping your finger gently over the haze. It it smears it is not ready for removal. If it comes off cleanly it is ready for removal.

Curing is a term that also relates to the polymer crosslinking of sealants. Unlike waxes, when a sealant initially hazes over it has not fully cured. Most sealants need 10-12 hours to cure. This accounts for why many notice that their car looks even shinier the next day after applying a sealant. During that 10-12 hour time period they should be kept dry. This means no QD too as any moisture could disrupt the crosslinking. Moisture introduced during the curing period will reduce a sealants durability and long term appearance. Waxes like the #26 Hi-Tech Yellow Wax are not polymer sealants and therefore cure or set up quickly, usually within 15-30 minutes, depending on the heat and humidity.

Depending on the condition of your paint #80 Speed Glaze (4 on the abrasive scale) may be all you will need. You can use #80 with an orange pad for more aggressiveness if needed. If you want a more aggressive product two come to mind. Meguiar's #83 Dual Action Cleaner/Polish (6 on the abrasive scale) has earned quite a good reputation over the years and is one of my personal favorites. Meguiar's has also recently released #105 Ultra Cut Compound (12 on the abrasive scale) which has much more bite and yet finishes up quite well. I'd still suggest following up with #80 after any more aggressive polish for a perfect finish. These polishes are the most aggressive that can be used with a PC. If you can't resolve any marring with these you will need to step up to a rotary.

jcat_350

okay, so what pattern would you recommend using the meguiars products, with orange, white, and blue pads?

so far the products I have are the deep crystal polish and the yellow wax. I am hopefully going to be getting the speed glaze and whatever good abrasive polish someone can recommend soon. And yes, I am using a PC 7424.

jfelbab

For paint cleaning and abrasive polishes you would follow the process as shown in this youtube video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89323lmQ2LI

Apply a small amount of polish to the pad and place the pad on the paint and initially spread the polish around a 2' x 2' section. With the pad in contact with the paint turn on the PC to speed 3. Spread the polish around that area, then, while keeping the pc in contact with the paint, increase the speed up to 5 and polish the area as shown in the video. Use around 10-15 pounds of pressure on the pc and keep the pad flat to the paint. If you apply too much pressure the pad stops rotating and the polishing loses it's effectiveness. Don't lift the pad from the paint while the machine is on. Buff the area until the polish breaks down or clears and then turn off the machine and wipe the residue off with a clean MF towel. Be sure you don't polish the area until the polish dries.

Examine the area to see if you got the desired results. Use of a portable halogen shop light will greatly enhance your ability to inspect your results. If you did not remove the marring in the first pass, repeat the process again and re-inspect. If you still did not get the results you expected you may need to step up to a more aggressive product or possibly even a rotary.

Once you have determined what is needed to correct that small area you will know what you will need to do for the rest of the car.

If the marring you are trying to correct required a more aggressive polish you may find that the paint is left with some hazing. going over the car with a finer polish will remove that hazing from the paint and leave a perfect finish.

The waxing process is done with a finishing pad at speed three. Your goal here is a very thin even coverage. You don't work waxes like polishes. The PC simply is an easier tool to achieve smooth, even coverage.

Glazes (like your Deep Crystal Polish) also go on like a wax. The only difference is that you apply and immediately remove the glaze without waiting for it to haze. It gets removed wet like the abrasive polishes.