Hey all, First post on this site. Just getting into detailing as a more serious hobby and throughly enjoying the work. I have done 6 cars between my personal cars and friends, and have two more to do this weekend! I recently tried the Menzerna Power Lock on my 2005 Silver S2000 and very pleased with the feel of the finish and how bright the car is. But I feel it is missing that gloss and depth factor achieved from wax. I plan on topping the (now 2 coats) Power Lock with some 'nuba. I picked up some P21S as it fits my price point right now and is usually on the list of suggested waxes and I have used the P21S total cleaner for engine detailing and really liked it. My questions is how long can I let it sit on the car before removing? Is it all right to let it sit for 12 to 24hrs? I can get a coat on it but may not be able to buff it off right away, but wanted to get some wax down before my next detail so show him what he can expect for a result... Thanks in advanced! :thumb:
Sexy car! You dont need to let a carnauba wax sit for 12-24hrs man. Thats sealant. Nuba at thte most should sit for an hour, thats at the most though. Let the wax haze up then do the finger swipe test. If the swipe comes out clear and not smudged, then its time to remove the wax.
It really varies a lot from wax to wax. We use Collinite 915 in our shop fairly regularly, and find as soon as you've gone around the whole car, you start to take it off. Some waxes need even less time, and some you can leave on for an hour. If you're looking to add more POP to the paint, you will probably need a boutique type wax. Dodo Supernatural would be an excellent choice, as some of the lower end waxes will have a hard time competing with Power Lock, as it is also an excellent product. John
He wasn't asking if it was necessary he was asking if it would be a problem if he let it sit that long before removing.
P21S instructions are to apply to a panel and remove right away. Its very easy to use, and I like ti for the sole reason I dont have to wait for a haze. Just read instructions and your good to go
Thanks for the reply guys. Gave it a wash and put down some P21S 'nuba wax. I ended up layering the whole car before buffing off... it is on the small side . Came off really easy and the gloss picked up a bit so I am happy with the outcome. I will see come tomorrow how it looks under the sun... But i can't imagine it would look worse! :thumb: Sorry didn't think to take pictures before I put a layer down... But here is the result.
To add into the mix, just for a bit of variety, if using a Swissvax wax then leave for however long you want, 15 mins, 24 hours makes no difference without the easiest wax to remove. With Dodo Juice waxes they are finger swipe test, my curreny DJ waxes are Orange Crush, Light Fantastic, Purple Haze Pro and Supernatural, all work in the same way. Lovely reflection shots BTW
Unless it is Collinite, I let all my carnauba pastes sit for 30 mins or more after applying them in a thin layer. Most of them come off like butter anyway so there is not much of a draw back and I believe that letting it outgas the solvents longer allows for a slightly thicker layer to remain on the car upon removal (I have nothing scientific to back that up, only my logic).
As far as I know, the longer you let wax sit, particularly cleaner wax, the more abrasive it "can" be when you take it back off, as it solidifies and the normally rounded liquid structures solidify into more crystalline structures (causing the abrasive quality). The longer you let it sit, the fewer of those lubricating-like liquid structures there are in the compound (as they evaporate). Generally, on newer cars,leaving them on longer than an hour (at most!) should really be avoided. Older cars that have a lot of paint damage, swirling, clouding, etc. may benefit from some additional wait time, but not 12-24 hours. I always take off whatever wax I had recently applied, even if it means staying up till 1am in my garage with some towels because my orbital died (grumbles about last night).
I used to leave my waxes on for less than a minute. Basically, once you've gone around the care, you're ready to remove. However, I'm currently letting my waxes sit for at least 15 minutes before removing. Maybe it's just in my head, but you must have better bonding with the paint, right?
I always remove P21s and or 100% not long after applying.. Usually wowo, but if I couldn't do that I wouldn't let it sit any longer than 15 mins.. That's just me. You could leave it on overnight and see what happens.. I usually let my other carnauba's sit a few mins or so.. But it also depends on what products I'm using and also the humidity. You have to really know the products because if you don't and you let them sit very long, they can be a PITA to remove.. You will likely not want to use that product again. lol For me high end Zymol's I leave 5 -10 mins max.. High end Swissvax 10-15 mins max. Another few waxes to throw out there as examples.. Megs #16, Collinite 476, and Victoria Red wax. I wipe off after a min or two.. If not they dry like concrete. lol If this happens just apply a little more wax over the top and it will come off pretty easy. That or wash the car again. lol
My thoughts revolved around this as well. My rational is that you want to let as much of the solvents and carriers evaporate as possible so that you remove less product when you come to buff it off. If there are still a fair amount of carriers and solvents if you remove it panel by panel, it might re-soften the wax layer that has already outgased and remove some of that layer leaving you with a compromised film. Now, it makes no sense to do this with a wax that becomes harder and harder to remove as you let it 'cure' longer and longer but waxes such as Lusso Oro, Pinnacle Sig. Series II, and P21s would benefit as no matter how long you let them sit, they are still a breeze to remove.
Nice S! Chicane right? As others have stated - I wouldn't recommend letting it set forever like you can do with a sealant. Don't forget to check out the s2ki wash & wax section - lots of good guys over there
Thanks, it is Silverstone so I guess the P21S warmed up the color like I thought! Yeah I am a member over at S2Ki (SilverS2kF22C1) and there are some good guys over there too! Thanks for all the replies too guys. I let it haze up just a touch before taking it off. I was able to take it off faster then I put it on so I could feel a difference in removal when it came to the wax that did not sit as long, it was a bit tougher. Maybe let it sit 5 to 6 mins.
