JP's GT Waxes & Sealants

[SyntheticAtmosphere]

Welcome to JPs General Tech on Waxes and Sealants!

Refer to my JP's GT Tech Introduction to Detailing for more information on basic detailing tools and items.

Before waxing or sealing a car, it is imperative the car be super clean first or you risk doing irreversible damage to the paint on the car.
Please see my JP's GT How to Properly Wash Your Car.

The misconception all over town is that petrol heads and detail geeks wax their cars to make them shine and pop. I would agree that a well detailed car is a beautiful sight. The way the sun reflects off the surface of the paint will accentuate the lines of the car. Paint will appear deeper, thicker and more luxurious. The glass like reflection will bring colours reflected from the surrounding environment adding interest and intrigue.

But that is just icing...side effect...fringe benefit. The reason to wax or seal is to maintain that look for longer, potentially for the life of the car. Although not as exciting as the results, that is the reason many of us wrench. We maintain our mechanicals with oil changes. We maintain our cars capabilities by replacing worn parts. Our cars would not last if we didn't. We maintain our paint by washing regularly and protect with dedicated coatings.
The paint is the outer layer saddled with the job of being the barrier between the fragile body and trim pieces and all the evil in the world. Paint accomplishes this with a thickness of only 4 to 6mil (1 mil = 1/1000 of an inch or a thou), about the thickness of copy paper. And Spiderman thought times were tough!
By applying a protective coating, washing requires less effort to remove dust/dirt, insect strikes, bird droppings, sap, tar, fall out, brake dust and if you really pissed off your neighbourhood eggs, coke, coffee and the occasional ball sack. All these evils will over time degrade the look of your paint, and time is the biggest factor. If left unattended, you run the risk of scratches and paint damage when dust and dirt get rubbed on the surface of the paint. Sap, insect and bird remnants can burn into the outer layers of the paint as they are acidic in nature. Tar, fall out and brake dust can embed into the paint and discolour it. Sunlight only speeds up the damaging process. Eventually your paint will look like this...

To avoid this, a thin layer of protection needs to be added. Starting with a good clean paint job is ideal. The cleaner the paint, the longer the coating will last. The more contaminants under the surface of the protection the harder it is for the coating to cure and attach.
The first step is to clean your car well. Many will use Dawn dish soap for the process of stripping the paint. If you are planning on further preparing your surface with a pre wax treatment such as claybar treatment or compound buffing (more on this in future threads), Dish liquid will work. However, if you feel the need to just wash and then wax, I would suggest you pickup a dedicated stripper soap.


Cleaner Waxes - A cleaner wax can also be referred to as a "One-step" wax, don't let that fool you. These products will use chemical cleaners or even mild abrasives to scrub the surface of the paint with out cutting into the top coat. The purpose of a cleaner wax is to clean up minor oxidization or surface residue such as bug guts or sap. A cleaner wax will not cure blemishes in the paint such as scratches or marring. A cleaner wax could follow a claybar treatment on a car that required extensive claybar work. Think of it as a product that prepares the surface for a quality coating such as a proper wax or sealant. Generally the lasting ability of a cleaner wax is short. It is also important to follow a cleaner wax quickly with a proper product application as allowing the cleaner wax to cure could affect the longevity of subsequent layers.

Longevity - Low / Appearance & Shine - Med / Hydrophobic Properties - Med
Expect protection for days to weeks.

Spray wax - Sometimes these will get used because the process is easy, spray and wipe. Spray waxes and Quick Detailer/Detail spray can by some companies be labeled as the same product, and generally have minor differences. However a dedicated Detail spray will have a cleaning element with light protection, whereas a Spray wax would be designed to just protect. This muddies the field when shopping. Don't expect a spray wax to last like a paste wax or sealant. An important part missing from the spray wax process is the friction and heat that activates the components found in liquid/paste waxes and sealants. This process is the working action needed to thinly workout the layer of protectant before curing. Spray waxes can be useful, I like to use spray wax after washing wheels. Wheel cleaners are hard on waxes and sealants, it provides a layer of protection after each wash. After correcting an area, if you don't plan on waxing immediately, a spray wax can provide short term protection to carry through to proper reapplication.

Longevity - Low / Appearance & Shine - Med / Hydrophobic Properties - Med
Expect protection for days to weeks.

Waxes - This is where we begin to divide the field. A wax is based from natural ingredients such as Carnauba, a vegetable based product from the leaves of the Carnauba tree. They can also contain bees wax, Montan extract and fatty oils. Usually there will be petroleum distillates, which will flash off before you buff out the wax to a luxurious shine. Some products will use natural polymers and resins to increase the hardness and durability of the wax. A wax is what gives you a show car deep wet look shine, however natural waxes generally don't have long term lasting protection and will require periodic recoating. Generally a paste can be a little harder to spread out properly leading to wax being removed at different stages of flash off/hazing. These come in paste or liquid forms.

Longevity - Med / Appearance & Shine - High / Hydrophobic Properties - High
Expect protection for weeks to months

Sealants - Some people misspeak and call Sealants "wax". Sealants are much like a wax, they both apply in the same manner. You can apply a sealant with the same types of applicators or DA polishers, and remove with MF towels. However, Sealants are made from synthetic ingredients. Sealants look like a form fitted thin glass coating all over your vehicle. The longevity of a sealant is where they really shine. With advancements in the science of sealers, some advantages include ease of use, many can be applied in slightly less ideal situations compared to a traditional wax. The synthetic polymers can greatly reduce surface tension leading to a cleaner car for longer, and less effort when cleaning. These will always come in liquid form.

***Some products can still include the word "WAX" although they are accepted as sealants***
Longevity - High / Appearance & Shine - Med / Hydrophobic Properties - High
Expect protection for months to a year

Ill include this, although it doesn't fit into my idea of waxes and sealants...
Ceramic/Nano coat - These came about relatively recently in the timeline of detailing. Many people think that a Ceramic treatment is "set it and forget it". There is proper care and treatment even for a ceramic, it is not indestructible. Unlike any of the previous coatings, the application is a 2 to 5 year investment. Recoating may also be required. A Ceramic coating bonds with the paint surface and can protect against light scratches and improve surface hardness.
***One caveat, If you require paint correction (ie: scratch or chip) you can not spot treat the area. The panel will have to be stripped of its ceramic, repaired and recoated.***
Conclusion - There is an endless list of waxes and sealants from many different suppliers. I would encourage anyone to do research on what will suit them best. In the end, the products that will require the most work, usually give the best rewards. I have an arsenal of products that I use depending on the cars use, service life (summer/all year), paint colour and type etc. There are products designed to be used on specific colour cars. Some products are designed to provide long lasting protection while others will get that bird bomb off and protect your finish for a week or two, giving you time to redo the panel properly. Once you have built a good base with a quality coating, sometimes a quick recoat might only be needed on a small section. Pay attention to how the car shines, and how the water beads, these are clues to how well your finish is doing. Waxes and sealants work best when you up keep the coating periodically, don't wait till its all gone. Keeping up with the coating is easier than starting over.

Thank you,
JP
edited for updates

 

[SyntheticAtmosphere]

845 Insulator Wax

845 Insulator Wax is the first wax I tried from Collinite. This stuff is fantastic and I have been through many bottles. It is very easy to apply, and works best if applied very sparingly. Applies nicely with a DA polisher and a soft applicator pad or by hand with a foam applicator. The trick is to heat the bottle up in hot water or by leaving it on your black driveway and periodically shaking the product during the heating process. When its has a consistency like milk, its good to go. I would even keep the bottle floating in a pail of hot water while I was working the car. When I say use sparingly, On my 5" DA applicator pad I would invert the bottle while pressed on the pad 3 times, leaving 3 circles the size of the bottle opening. That was enough to do a whole panel, or 1/2 the hood. Removal is super easy because the layer you apply is so thin. I would get water beading for up to 6 months on most panels of the car. About half way through the summer I would reapply to areas like the front bumper, hood and mirrors. Right now I can get a 16 oz. bottle for about $25, I've worked with more expensive waxes that don't last as long as this stuff. 845 will give you a good shine and good clarity, although not as deep as a paste wax. This was my go to LSP for about 6 years.

I was in the hunt for a deeper looking shine to my car. Because white cars generally don't reflect colours as well as darker cars, I was looking to maximize my gloss, but I didnt want to loose the long lasting protection. A few years back I had started applying Poorboys Nattys Paste Wax on top of my 845. That was how I was able to build a deep shine.

476s Super Double Coat Wax

I picked up the 476s tin to try on my wife's CX5. It is said to last up to 12 months. Perfect, I can wax my wife's car a couple times a year. For less than $30, it was marginally more expensive. I was amazed initially at the shine, it took the thin flat looking Mazda paint and really bolstered the reflection. The colour grew in richness and the metallic texture gained a real 3D appearance. Great, so now I have a nice wax on my wife's car.


The next test was the longevity. So here are the parameters...In the winter here the temps run from -18*C/0*F to -30*C/-22*F over a 3-4 month period with occasional breaks. Some weeks wont get much above -25*C/-13*F. Needless to say, with living 20 min from the city, the highways are regularly salted or sanded. The car parks outside all year. I went to the coin-op and rinsed the car off (no soap) a handful of times over the season. The car was coated in 476s in mid-October 2020 and the first hand wash was completed in early-May 2021. And 6 1/2 months later, with no care...The wax is still working, water beads right off. There has been a small amount of hydrophobic and contact angle degradation, but for being ignored, this stuff has accepted the challenge and overcome just as a strong coating should.

I was able to compare in my minds eye the 845 vs the 476s on my wife's car, so this year I decided to apply 476s to my car. I don't need the long lasting protection, my car is parked in a garage, never sees snow and only gets used for cruising and parks in a relatively private lot at my work. I wanted to see if the shine would help my car pop a bit more, possibly with less coats too.

Compared to the 845/Natty's combo, I think the shine and depth indoors is there. And as you can see in the driver side doors , there is colour definition and clarity outdoors too...even on a pearl white car. In this picture, it has been a week since application and one wash.

And below the glossy shine, giving the car a slick look. Almost makes you want to touch it just to feel how smooth it is.

White paint is very forgiving when it comes to blemishes and under paint defects, but in the end is very hard to get it to pop like a darker colour car. Add to that the pearl, and often the cool halo that the pearl gives off will interfere with the clarity and gloss. The wax work I put into the car diminishes the pearl during the bright day sun, but in the evening when the sun angle is low, the pearl comes out ten fold. If anyone is looking for wax suggestions or researching a new product, I would suggest you look into one of these two. 845 for the ease of use, 476s for the lasting finish...You will not be disappointed!

 

[SyntheticAtmosphere]

If you are looking for examples of Collinite 476s on black...
The owner of this car wanted a protective coating on her car and recently had an incident with shopping cart rash. Its a culture in my town to be a lazy degenerate and leave loose carts about the parking lot, but I digress. The shopping cart cut 2 scratches, the upper being about 12" horizontally, half way up under the mirror. The largest rash located a few inches above the bottom trim, runs the full length of the door.

After a little bit of compound work and wax, the damage is much less of an eye sore and will protect the area until the owner is able to have a body shop repair and respray the door.

When waxing I also like to perform a little swirl and scratch maintenance on the hood of a car. The hood is one of the largest flat panels and usually the center piece when walking around a car. Because of the size and it is situated horizontal flaws are easily noticed. Cleaning up any damage in the top layer of the paint from bugs is easily erased as well. The car came with a considerable compliment of bug remnants as the owner travels largely highway for 45 min to and from work daily.

The colour reflection in the hood is fantastic and the depth of the black paint is greatly enhanced. Much improvement as seen in the following video...(polished clean paint on left, Collinite 476s on the right)

The colour is Mazda Jet Black. The metallic also comes alive once its been topped with a nice clear candy coating...


Although the thought of me owning a black car is the source of many nightmares, after this job I entertained the thought of having one. The wax did a phenomenal job at bringing out a luxurious richness in an otherwise utility robot applied thin paint.

 

[SyntheticAtmosphere]

Chemical Guys Jet Seal

So in travelling the interwebs I had come across much mixed reviews on Chemical Guys Jet Seal. I had read some posts in detailing forums, watched both CG vids, independent reviews on Youtube and googled many listings about it. Many recommended it, many were underwhelmed. So I decided to purchase a bottle for myself to try and see what I would come up with.
I was initially interested in Jet Seal because it is said to last up to 12 months and had high luster. I had planned to use it on my daily (the F-bomb) which would see daily use all year, regular washing (about every 2 weeks minimum) during the warm months and rarely washed in the winter months.
**Important to note... It is my belief and experience that in the winter months a car is better left frozen and only washed to maintain safe visibility. This works best in my climate where the winters remain well below freezing for much of the season.
I applied Jet seal to the rear roof extension on my wifes CX5 as a test area. Before I applied the sealant I had buffed the area clean with a mild compound and light polishing pad as I was already remediating some other blemishes on the car. The surface was as clean as possible leaving a fresh canvas for the sealant to bond to. I applied Jet Seal to the right side mirror cap and headlight lens while applying a coating of Collinite 845 to the left mirror cap and headlight lens.

The product applied decently with a microfiber pad as per instructions. It was easy to get the product evenly and thinly spread across the whole panel.
Initial impressions favour the slickness department. I had to place the bottle on the panel immediately in front of the test panel because the bottle wanted to slide off. Clarity in the reflection was decent, however the reflection in the 10 month old Collinite 476s was equal.
Fifteen days had passed since the panels had been coated and I was interested to see how the coatings had stood up.

The morning had the residual of last nights rain on the car. Although the whole car had beading, I opened the rear hatch to see how well the water would shed from the surfaces while vertical. To me it appears the old 476s is still exhibiting more hydrophobic properties than the 2 week old Jet Seal.

As for the headlight lenses, there is little difference. The mirrors also showed no particular advantage from one side to the other. Tomorrow I will wash the car giving me the ability to get up close with the surfaces.
At this point it will be my recommendation to bypass CG Jet Seal. I do like CG, products are easy to access, good value for dollar and good results can be had by even beginners. Its been 20 days since I applied Jet Seal. Most notably I would expect the product to have more hydrophobic abilities. I dont see big beautiful beads of water on the panels I applied. Of the water on the panel, the beads seem flat and the low contact angle dosent cause the water to stand up.

Reflective clarity is ok, I just wish there was more. The clarity isnt better than the old wax applied to the rest of the car(look at the roof panel...10 mos. old). A true wax will also have a deeper tone, or a richer look adding visual depth to the colour. This is something I think a sealant struggles with.

The mirrors appeared to act as if I hadn't applied. The insect strikes required the use of my bug sponge, I regularly only use my wash mitt when my regular wax is providing protection. At only 20 days I expect a product to still provide less effort when cleaning.
In the end all this adds up to what you get for what you paid. With these test panels and a bill for $50, the CG Jet Seal isnt a product I will add to my arsenal. Compared to my goto, Collinite 476s, it sells for about $30 and does provide protection for almost a year so far.
So I find this interesting enough to note...

I washed up the wifes CX5 tonight for a waxing before winter. During the wash process I applied Poorboys Strip Down. I was in the process of drying the car and I noticed the beading on the rear roof extension even after a Stripper solution was used. My plan was to coat the car in Collinite 476s, but leave the extension with JetSeal to see if the longetivity was there. However, I might coat my daily too with the rest of the bottle just to see what happens.