LSP Spray n Wipe vs DA application

[PaulMys]

•IMO:
-Hand-held pads and DA-mounted pads
are both examples of “applicator pads”.

•If by happenstance you should agree with
that assessment, then (again IMO): it really
shouldn’t matter which form of a Finishing
LSP you choose (Paste, Spray, Liquid, Cream);

-nor which type of applicator pad [hand-held,
DA-mounted, (even a microfiber towel?)] with
which you choose to apply an LSP.

•That way:
-The ball is in your court. Handle at
your discretion.


Bob

Way to take a hardline stance, Bob.

[psnt1ol]

I dont remember the last time I used use a paste wax but I do recall I used less product when using a DA rather than by hand.

[UncleDavy]

Like Paulie, I always liked to apply waxes and sealants by hand. I liked the amount of control especially in the tight areas or near vinyl trim where a machine may be troublesome. Now I do find myself using my Griots GG3 on large areas where there is lots of room like the roof and hood.
The spray on/wipe off products have really improved over the last couple of years. Turtle Wax Ice Seal n Shine and Griots 3 in 1 are two of my favorites.

[olfac87]

[QUOTE=UncleDavy;1711354The spray on/wipe off products have really improved over the last couple of years. Turtle Wax Ice Seal n Shine and Griots 3 in 1 are two of my favorites.[/QUOTE]

Thank you. I am leaning toward the GG 3 in 1 as my first LSP out of the gate. The sense I have reading all these posts is people have many go-to products in their arsenal, like to try new products, etc. I don't think I will be unhappy with GG 3 in 1 at all, and can see where detailing life takes me from there.

[Don M]

I'n my case, I've been using Turtle Wax's Ceramic Spray and most recently the Graphene Spray. Both products are marketed as "Spray On, Wipe Off" products using a microfiber cloth.

IME, I get much better results applying either one to a microfiber applicator pad and actually working it into the paint, then buffing it off before it flashes, rather than going strictly by the directions of 'spray & wipe.'

Too, I feel that spraying a product on the paint, then wiping it off with a microfiber tends to let the mf absorb more of the product than it leaves deposited on the paint. This does both the detailer and product a disservice.... The product, because there's not enough of it left on the surface to work as it should and it will likely fail early (I've seen this in a You Tube video where a product that SHOULD have lasted months-if applied properly with 2 coats, failed in less than two). and The detailer, since the performance of the product has been compromised, did all that work for nothing.

Take this with a grain of salt, because it is JUST my opinion and experience .... BUT Mike Phillips once told me when I was having a problem protecting my dash with a protectant, that in effect, by spraying the product on the dashboard and wiping with a dry microfiber, I was doing more product REMOVAL than I was application. He then recommended spraying the microfiber with the protectant and once the microfiber was damp with product, THEN apply it to the dash. That was years ago, and I guess it stuck with me.

Again, just my $0.02

[glen e]

Take this with a grain of salt, because it is JUST my opinion and experience .... BUT Mike Phillips once told me when I was having a problem protecting my dash with a protectant, that in effect, by spraying the product on the dashboard and wiping with a dry microfiber, I was doing more product REMOVAL than I was application. He then recommended spraying the microfiber with the protectant and once the microfiber was damp with product, THEN apply it to the dash. That was years ago, and I guess it stuck with me.

Again, just my $0.02

I agree with this whole post 100%. And even if I take a microfiber that’s up medium plush like a 400 and 600, and I spray the hell out of it and then spray the panel a little bit and wipe it , I feel like a lot of the product that I just sprayed is embedded and soaked into the microfiber and it’s not getting onto the paint. It’s why I’d much rather use a soft foam pad on an orbital or a applicator that only takes a few sprays to soak it, any other way I go through too much product and I think it’s not getting on the paint. It’s also why I like a product that hazes over and cures instead of a true spray and wipe, because I know it’s on the paint when I buff it off.

[Don M]

I agree with this whole post 100%. And even if I take a microfiber that’s up medium plush like a 400 and 600, and I spray the hell out of it and then spray the panel a little bit and wipe it , I feel like a lot of the product that I just sprayed is embedded and soaked into the microfiber and it’s not getting onto the paint. It’s why I’d much rather use a soft foam pad on an orbital or a applicator that only takes a few sprays to soak it, any other way I go through too much product and I think it’s not getting on the paint. It’s also why I like a product that hazes over and cures instead of a true spray and wipe, because I know it’s on the paint when I buff it off.

This is why I prefer small microfiber-covered foam applicators to microfiber cloths for application. A microfiber cloth can absorb a lot of product and hold it in the cloth. A microfiber covered applicator can only hold so much before it becomes saturated and practically oozes product onto the paint just with the pressure of wiping it across the surface and the longer I use the applicator (the bigger the car for example), the less product I have to spray onto the applicator for the next section. On my Camaro, for example, once I coat half the roof, I can apply the product to the entire "A" pillar, across the top of the driver's door and do the whole "C" pillar without adding product. Using an applicator, I used less than 2 oz of product to do two coats. If I had been using a microfiber cloth, I would have used a much larger amount of product.

[DUBL0WS6]

I prefer a foam applicator vs a MF applicator for most products. I feel the MF applicators soak up too much product.

[olfac87]

@Don M - thank you for that. A well reasoned reply. One question - when you say "microfiber applicator pad and actually working it into the paint" you mean by hand, not by DA, correct?

[Don M]

@Don M - thank you for that. A well reasoned reply. One question - when you say "microfiber applicator pad and actually working it into the paint" you mean by hand, not by DA, correct?

Correct