Applying wax with bare hands

Does anyone do this? I just saw a video recently of someone doing it to a green Focus RS and I really want to try it with my Lusso Oro on an Infiniti M I'm detailing this Saturday? Pros? Cons?

 

I've done it in the past. The warmth of your hand really gets the wax flowing. Though it's really unforgiving if you pick up some grit on your hand and don't notice.

 

The only ppl who practice this method are the ones with a video rolling trying to show that they are somebody special :

 

I do the bare hand method with 2 waxes that I own. RBOE and Vic's Red. And actually, I have now went to using the finger applicator for RBOE.

I have applied most all of my waxes to a couple of my kid's toy cars with a finger though. lol.

 

We do this in my shop all the time. It's nice to feel the paint when waxing. If any small area was not clayed propely you will know it and can correct the problem immediately.

John

 

I think it could be more like "applying swirls with your bare hands". Seems risky.

 

yeah, I dont have calloused hands, so it works well for me.

 

I think its all up to personal preferance, I have never tried it but I would probably only attempt it on a car that has been thoroughly prepped so you reduce your risk for catching something in your hand and doing damage to the paint without knowing.

 

with lusso i suggest applying to one panel moving to the next and after the second panel start buffing off the first. and go like that around the whole car. because of the carnauba content in lusso it is tough to buff off after a while.

 

The biggest issue I have with applying a wax by hand is that most of the time, you tend to over apply and also your hands will be a mess with wax all over them. I have never tried to do a whole car because I personally don't think my hands are soft enough as it would suck to instill marring at the LSP stage.

 

I will melt wax in my hand and then apply to an applicator and use the applicator to apply to paint.

I think it is a waste of wax and also a good way to swirl your paint. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

 

I don't care for it much because I feel that I end up wasting way too much wax and I don't like the way feels on my hands.

One thing I don't mind doing is using those microfiber gloves and then applying a paste or liquid wax that way. But again, I use the least amount of product when I just use a foam applicator pad. This is important for me because most people say I already apply too much product.

 

Zymol recommends the use of your hand to apply with their estate glazes.

 

I tried this once.... I didnt like it too much. It annoyed me a little bit and took way too long to wax the car. I guess it just wasnt my Thing....

I stick to the applicator pad.

 

My hands are too rough to do that. It'd probably be faster with an applicator anyways.

 

I wouldn't recommend it. Most detailers have calloused rough hands which could lead to scratches in the paint. Use an applicator, it's easier to apply a thin even layer with it than with your bare hands. If you look at most of the vids out there where this technique is used, you'll notice the wax is caked on the car and application is uneven. :crasy: It's a waste of wax. A foam applicator is flat and will provide a better surface for application. Most wax will end up in the grooves of your hands if you use the hand application technique.

 

Wow, this is the first time checking back on this thread... thank you everyone! I got a lot of it to do Judging by everyone's comments, it looks like I'll be applying Lusso by foam applicator, not by hand. Thanks everyone!

 

I stayed away from their concours wax (passed up a hardly used container cheap) because I didn't want to mess with applying it that way and then bought their glasur and found it worked pretty well by hand. After doing 5 cars I had hardly made a dent in the container. Their glasur is kinda a gritty/soft mix sort of consistency so it worked pretty well that way, just scoop a tiny bit out with a finger tip and then get it moving on a panel. That melts it then it just glides around covering quite well. Just moving the angle of my hand around gets most of the wax off my hand. To me I end up with less wasted than the applicator would keep.
I do the 'wax on' with one hand and 'wax off' with a mf in the other so I'm not always wiping the excess wax off my hand on the mf.

However I find I like my latest purchase "wet obsession" better and use an applicator for it, then just store the applicator in a baggy so I don't waste what it's absorbed. I'm sure at some point I'll want a different look to the finish and use the glasur again though.

I find anbuzero's 2 panel method to work the best at giving the wax long enough to sit without it being too long.

 

I could never do it... my hands are fubar from working on cars...

 

I started doing this because Swissvax waxes go weird near the end of the pot and clump rather than spread with an applicator. The warmth of your hands allows them to spread properly. I started to prefer after a few a cars.