Uhg. fine thump. Just thought i'd let you know that i really wanted to know the difference between these waxes and appreciate your experiment.

 

This is something I've been wanting to see for a while... keep us posted

 

Great post thump lots of good info in here. Thanks

 

looks good thump. that black is sure shinny. i think you gained 5 hp with those waxes.

 

As a hint here from someone who has been using this product for YEARS... it is a good product but most will find that you almost always have to follow up with some type of finishing product as it *is* very smeary in most cases. If you weren't getting smearing, you probably weren't using enough of it. Remember, for a product like this - unlike a mist and wipe type of product - you want to use a little bit more of it if you're using it for a higher degree of dust and such. The purpose is to provide a couple of things: 1) lifting action for the dust and crud sitting on top of the paint and 2) lubrication for the towel as it moves across the paint.

Really, IMO, S&W is a HORRIBLE spray detailer product but a terrific product to use prior to using a finishing spray like 4* UGE or M135 or whatever your flavor of finishing spray may be.

Also, and lastly, I would never, under any circumstance, use S&W as a waterless wash... ever.

-RP-

 

Also, another thing...

Why would you want to use Dawn as a clay lubricant? Horrible idea, honestly...

Clay has a natural amount of oils in the mix that are there to serve as a component to keep the clay pliable and also to help hold the matrix together. Using Dawn to clay will diminish and/or eventually wipe out those oils in the clay bar to render it generally useless after a time or two. In short, the clay will begin to break down, become crumbly, and will have to be tossed in the garbage.

I don't have an endless amount of funding to utilize on 'detailing ****' so, I'll refrain from using Dawn and would suggest that most people also do the same. My thoughts on Dawn have changed over the years to the point that I simply do not feel that it's necessary at ANY point in time during a detail as other preparatory procedures will remove anything that is sitting on top of the paint so that you're simply working on the paint itself.

I've heard the argument made that repeated (while I know this isn't a habit) use of Dawn can actually deteriorate the clear in a much more accelerated fashion. This is done by the same principal as the clay -- that being that it's removing necessary oils and emollients that are in the mix and are necessary to keep the clear from becoming brittle. I've heard other schools of thought say that this is bogus but, based upon my reading and a little brain-picking that was done with a few PPG Automotive Finishes representatives (non-body shop guys -- more technical guys), they confirm that the repeated use of highly caustic soaps will deteriorate clears - and even single stage paints - more rapidly.

Just food for thought during a 8-course meal that you're trying to pull together. All of these aspects are critically important to someone coming along and reading your thread thinking that your way is the best way in this particular instance. Not ripping you (loose the defensive attitude already on this one, okay?) ... just pointing out that your paradigm may be a tad skewed here from a preparation standpoint.

-RP-

 

#34 does get streaky. I just re-wipe the surface with a clean MF. Well as far as PB S&W being horrible that's your opinion. Just like it's my opinion that it's awesome. The clay was going to be thrown after so it wasn't a big deal to be using it with the Dawn. It's been in the trash since after the little test. Also, I did the Dawn to be certain to remove everything on the surface. I was talking with quite a lot of people and they said that they didn't believe that clay and # 80 would remove ALL of the previous sealant and wax. Thanks for the advice though.

 

Your welcome for the advice, though.

Your opinion is that... your opinion. You're entitled to that and I'll never tell you that you're not. What I will tell you is that there are better ways to skin cats and that you'll soon learn that by buying up thousands of dollars of products so that you can 'test' them in an eight way test-off.

What you're not communicating is the negatives of going through your particular procedures - like the Dawn clay-lube thing. That needs to be said in a well thought-out, more concise, informative post. Remember, you're kind of leading the pack around here so, being overly wordy at times may be a beneficial thing. I'm just pointing this out to the next guy that comes along, knows NOTHING about claying, reads your post and then goes to pumping out your incorrect procedures.

While Dawn *will* remove everything on the paint - for the most part - it's still a bad idea to make it a habit. The next guy may not know that. Again, that's why I pointed it out to the masses that your procedure, while not necessarily incorrect by what you've now posted, wasn't probably the best procedure to go if you're planning on going a little bit farther beyond one clay bar use or with the long term...

It's like my neighbor... he put a coat of NXT on his vehicle (trust me, this guy was lucky to get that on the paint and struggled to spend more than $10 on a bottle of wax)... he then asked me why the wax wasn't there or it wasn't beading after he washed his vehicle with TIDE LAUNDRY DETERGENT... yes, I said Tide.

He didn't know any better... just pointing out the obvious to those who may not know the obvious... No need to get touchy here. If you can't take some criticism, it's time to slow down on the posting because 'the posse' may actually have some good advice that can help.

 

I gotcha, didn't really think about that when I made the post. This is actually the first time that Dawn has every touched my car. I figured to make the test as accurate as possible, I should wash with Dawn just to make sure it was accurate. Slipped my mind that someone would take is as that is what you should use as a "go to" product for clay lube. I'm not being defensive at all right now Brad but just remember what the "posse" did earlier this week. Anyways, let's not go down that road, we already had one thread ruined because of stuff like that. Like I said before, thanks for the advice.

 

I believe Richard posted something about this before but something else you may want to try it Wet Obsession. It's a tweaked version of 5050. I believe the owner of Obsessive Detail is Justin and according to him, when asked what the differences between 5050 and Wet Obsession...

Durability?

From everything I've read, that's about what people have been getting with 5050 as well.

 

I like the concept of this test / comparison.

However I do have some questions/comments etc.

Thump ( sweet looking stang BTW ), you washed with Dawn, clayed, #80'd, then taped. When finished and you removed your tape strip, do you have any photo's then, there should be a brilliancy factor there with wax over just the polish or what did you do to those areas?

Since I know you don’t have an issues with spending money :c) , pick up a container of S100 , I got mine from the local Harley Davidson Dealer so I would assume they all would carry it. $15.00 just do your hood or trunk lid. I would like to hear your comparison on that product vs some of the more expensive carnauba's

Durability on these products I don’t think is going to be as accurate as with a the write-up on the applications/removal ( Your experience with these ) simply because there are too many X factors. For example , your car looks like its garaged ( may not be exposed to the daily elements) as others trucks , is it a daily driver, location ( your in FL way different elements then PA for example) , frequency of wash's ( are they always by hand with the same product ( not Dawn :cP ) or have you ever just taken it to the car wash and used the wand) These are just a few and Im sure this list could go on.

Like I said , I like the concept of this. I would hope that those just getting into detailing or those that were waiting to see the results of different products take it with a grain of salt. The results you wee will vary. If you spend 50+ bucks on a tin of wax and spend the weekend making your truck look new again but work where there is a lot of dust/construction etc then run it through the auto wash with recycled water and whatever bulk soap they buy, your results will vary.

 

I think he is more going after a 'wax A lasts longer than wax B' type of thing, not so much a definitive timeframe... But I could be wrong...

BTW-- in reference to the last paragraph you typed-- anyone who spends $50+ on a wax has no business in a tunnel wash...

 

Your right but you know its going to happen if not with there vehicle maybe the wife / significant other will

 

Well, I have a few grand in products and I still visit my local DIY car wash around midnight or later from time to time. I like it because it is cheap, and I can work in shade, take my time, and have spot free water.

I live at my parents while I finish college and my parents don't want any type of spot free water system installed at their house, so this is the only way I can get access to it.

I never use their brush, or soaps...just the high pressure "wax" for the first rinse, wash with my own buckets etc, and then spot-free rinse.

When it is 100 degrees all day this is a nice way to make sure I don't get ANY spotting with a quickie wash.

 

The answers are in bold.