Klasse Sealant

[belcherm58]

I want to strip everything off my truck and get a good line of protection on it before winter sets in. I see AG has Klasse on
sale and would like to try a new sealant. I hear Klasse is known for its lasting ability. I am going to do wash,clay and
correct everything before application. I want to put two coats of Klasse on and then several coats of Souveran on it for added
protection and pop. Anyone have any insight or suggestions for
the use of Klasse? Should I use AIO or Sealant Glaze or both?

[Mike Phillips]

Anyone have any insight or suggestions for the use of Klasse?


Here's an application guide for both products,

Klasse Application Guide (http://www.autogeek.net/klasse-usa.html)

It's fairly thorough for application by hand or machine.

A couple of notes, AIO is an All-In-One product and falls into the cleaner/wax category although the protection ingredients are what most people would classify as a wax as in a Carnauba type wax, point is it's a cleaner/wax able to restore mildly neglected surfaces depending upon how bad the paint is and how you apply it.

The directions on the bottle state,


Apply small amount of KLASSE on a clean and dry surface with a DAMP cotton cloth. Use even, firm pressure. Wipe off. No drying time is necessary. If surface is oxidized, apply till most of the oxidation is removed and smooth glossy, finish appears.

While it's best to always follow a manufactures directions here's a couple of comments on the above.

From the early days of car wax, (1920's), to the present a lot of wax companies will recommend using a damp applicator to apply their product, this is just my guess as to why so take it with a grain of salt, by getting your applicator pad or piece of terry cloth or t-shirt damp with water first means the liquid wax won't seep into the cloth as much as it would a dry cloth because the there's no place for the liquid to go as the fibers or the foam cells already have moisture in them. Kind of like getting out of the shower and trying to dry off using a wet towel, it doesn't work because there's no place for the water on your body to go to as the towel is already full of water.

This acts to keep the product on the surface of the applicator and means instead of going into the cloth or foam it will go onto the paint which is where you want it. Makes sense. It will also help in spreading the product out because it won't be trying to absorb the product so the only other place the product has to go is onto the paint. Then for what it's worth, at some level the dampness, which is water, is a lubricant so it doesn't hinder the lubricity of the product you're trying to spread out.

The only downside of this is you're introducing water to the formula, kind of sort of... that is used correctly the applicator is only damp, not wet as in dripping wet so used correctly the small amount of water used to make the applicator wet shouldn't affect the performance of the product because it's negligible.

All that said, if you're a purist, then you don't want to add anything to the chemists formula as you want pure formula working for you on the paint. Adding water or anything to your applicator pad could affect or adulterate the performance of the product. Probably not enough to make a difference but a way to only use just the product and not add water to the mix is to just start out using the product a little heavier than recommended or moisturize your applicator pad with the product instead of water. Kind of depends upon how serious you take your detailing.

I would opt for only using just the product on my paint and skip dampening my applicator with water. Also, using a small foam applicator pad will limit how much product is going to be used dampening your applicator because its small. Using a large applicator will give you a larger surface to apply the product but it will also soak up more product that will never actually be left behind the surface.

Not sure if this is to D.O. or not but again, just a few comments on the age old advice of using water to dampen your applicator pad before apply a wax or paint sealant.

As for this portion of the directions,


Apply small amount of KLASSE on a clean and dry surface with a DAMP cotton cloth.


Generally speaking, if you're using a cleaner/wax it's because the surface is neglected and in bad shape, if this is true then you want to use a cleaner/wax on the heavy or wet side, not the "small amount" or light side. The reason for this is because most cleaner/waxes either use chemical cleaners or physical abrasives to clean the paint and often a combination of both.

If the paint is in bad shape then you want plenty of liquid, (chemical cleaners), on the surface working for you, as in chemically dissolving and loosening any dirt or contaminants in and on the surface. Using a small amount means there's only a small amount of chemical cleaners work on the paint for you, so typically the worse condition the paint is the more wet or heavy your want to use a cleaner/wax.

Make sense?

As for the Sealant Glaze, the directions on the label state,



Apply extremely thin film, (about 2 FL OZ per car), on clean, dry surface with soft cotton cloth. Allow to dry, then wipe off with dry cloth. For oxidized surfaces, precede with application of KLASSE "All-In-One" Cleaner Protector

Modern clear coats don't really oxidize, at least not like a traditional single stage paint will oxidize and it has to do with the chemistry of the paint itself. The problem most people have with clear coat paints isn't' oxidation but instead is swirls, scratches and etching. These are all defects in the paint and the way you remove them is to abrade the surface until you level the upper most surface with the lowest depth of the defects you're trying to remove. This is where most people get frustrated and that's because modern clear coats tend to be harder relative to traditional single stage paint and that makes it hard for you and me to remove small particles of paint in an effort to remove the below surface defects. Thus the reason tools like the PC 7424XP have become so popular over the last 15 years. The machine will always do a better job than your four fingers pushing down on an applicator pad when it comes to removing defects out of a clear oat finish.

True oxidation on a single stage finish is easy to remove because these types of paints tend to be softer than clear coats and thus easier to work on by hand or machine. Also oxidation is merely topical, that is dead paint on the surface which is easily abraded off.

So if your finish is neglected and you want to use the KLASSE AIO then follow the manufactures directions but perhaps consider using it a little wetter or heavier than suggested just so you have an ample amount of liquid, (chemical cleaners), on the surface going to work on the paint on your behalf.

Again, these are just a few comments, take them for what they're worth.





Should I use AIO or Sealant Glaze?


AIO is a cleaner/protectant, it's in what we generically call the "Cleaner/Wax" category because it cleans the paint and then leaves some protection behind.

SG is a pure sealant, so theoretically a pure sealant will leave more protection ingredients on the surface to protect the paint.

I'm a big fan of using a system approach, that is using products formulated by the same chemist as there's going to be a Synergistic Chemical Compatibility between products.

You lose this when you start mixing products from different chemists, (companies).

Make sense?

The KLASSE Twins are a real popular Tag Team, that is you use the AIO to first clean and prep the paint and then apply the SG to seal and protect it.

:)

[Emile]

Klasse AIO and then top it with a couple of coats of Sealant Glaze. Focus on several coats of the SG, and then apply one or two coats of Souveran.

[Tex]

I am going to do wash,clay and
correct everything before application. I want to put two coats of Klasse on and then several coats of Souveran on it for added
protection and pop. Anyone have any insight or suggestions for
the use of Klasse? Should I use AIO or Sealant Glaze or both?

It is going to be tough answering after the super detailed answer from Mike, but just as a point of reference:
- I recently detailed my wife's 02 Passat wagon, which most likely had never seen a real detailing in over 3 years (recent purchase for us). What I did is wash/dry then inspected the paint for defects and blemishes. I determined it needed extra cleanng, but also some paint correction, then it would need some protection. I used Meguiars Cristal paint cleanser first to get the surface super clean, then mixed some 3M hand glaze with some P21S surface restorer for paint correction (my version of a fine/medium cut polish for hand application), then AIO (to clean the oil from the 3M and get the surface ready for Klasse SG) then 2 coats of SG. I do not have the pictures with me, but the wagon looked as good as new
- AIO is really a very easy product to apply, like most cleaners, it is a wipe on good / wipe off and inspect type product
- SG can be a real pain to buff off if you have too much on your paint (the well known and dreaded Klasse "haze"). when they say a dime size on your applicator, they mean it and you will do more than pannel with that. I found the best way to avoid the haze was to dilute 1oz of SG in a spary bottle with 3oz of DI water and to spray your pad 4-5 times with that solution for the first pannel, then another 2-3 sprays per pannel. This will allow to put SG smoothly, evenly and it dries just as fast as the pure product. The second coat will be easier to buff
- I have never found interest in layering waxes. As much as SG (sealant) can and probably should be layered, waxes on top of a sealant probably only need one coat. BUT, they will need to be reapplied more frequently because Carnauba evaporates quick, esp. in summer.

[Mike Phillips]

- SG can be a real pain to buff off if you have too much on your paint (the well known and dreaded Klasse "haze"). when they say a dime size on your applicator, they mean it and you will do more than panel with that.



Dead-on right on this, you really need, (not want), to apply a whisper thin layer of SG or it will be very difficult to wipe off.

Practice on panel by only applying to about a foot squared section and after it dries wipe it off to get a feel for the characteristics of how this sealant works.

Once you do this you'll cement in your mind how thin to apply this product. Also have plenty of good quality microfiber polishing cloths on hand to wipe with.

:xyxthumbs:

[02CAMSS]

KAIO + Two coats of Jeff Werkstatt AJT = same effect and a ton less trouble.

[Tex]

Hey Mike,

What do you think of diluting SG 1/4 in distilled water to spary on the applicator. I do this and it works great but is the product being less efficient because of the water?

[Mike Phillips]

Hey Mike,

What do you think of diluting SG 1/4 in distilled water to spray on the applicator. I do this and it works great but is the product being less efficient because of the water?

That's one of those questions that's best answered by the chemist in charge of the formula but chances of ever asking them a question is probably nil.

From the little I know about chemistry which is limited to mixing up a protein drink with a banana before going to the gym leads me to believe that adding water to a wax or paint sealant is probably not a best practice but hey if it's working for you.

Maybe shake the SG up really well and once you're confident you have a uniform mixture, pour some into a clear glass container and then add some water and see if the water mixes or if it coagulates in any way.

This doesn't mean if it mixes okay that's a good thing it's just a way to see if it's a bad thing, as in the water isn't mixing but instead is separated from the original formula, kind of like what happens if you try to mix oil and water together.

Again, I'm not a chemist, I've never claimed to be a chemist, I don't play one on TV and most of my online life I practice never posting over my head as far as knowledge goes especially chemistry.

While it might not hurt anything if the water mixes with the SG, it certainly would be a waste of time and probably cause performance issues if the two products didn't mix at all and using a clear glass container to mix a little of both would be a simple step.

Again, if it's working for you far be it from me to try to stop you.

With that said... :bolt:


:D

[drastic_detail]

Waite. I thought AIO did leave behind protection.

[Mike Phillips]

Waite. I thought AIO did leave behind protection.

It does. It cleans, polishes and protects in one step. That's the job of a cleaner/wax. Most product at the retail level of any auto parts store are cleaner/waxes even if they don't say "Cleaner/Wax" on the front label.

That's because the majority of people don't want to do multiple steps, they want to wash and wax the car and if the car is a daily driver then the paint gets dirty over time and washing won't remove all the dirt and other contaminants that build-up on paint over time.

Car wax companies know this and understand that their product needs to clean the paint and leave behind protection, thus most retail consumer wax type products are cleaner/waxes.

AIO is a Cleaner/Protectant, but this is the same idea, just that it doesn't use any kind of waxy substance as it's protection ingredient. Nothing wrong with a good quality cleaner/wax, in fact for daily drivers that are parked out side at least all or part of the time is good candidate for a cleaner/wax.


:xyxthumbs:

[ScottB]

I used the Klasse Twins successfully on one of our Supercharged Buicks for several years. They are nearly bulletproof for months and outpaced more than several sealants that seem to easily etch with birdie doo-doo too.

Applying and removing AIO is super easy and nice even by itside. Adding the Sealant (silver canister) is finicky but worth it. I prefer to move some to a small travel size spray bottle and spritz each panel once to twice max. I then buff in, turn MF towel, and buff off. Never saw any durability issues and best part came on/off without issue and never found any missed spots later. Best part, if you get a stubborn area just respritz and buff and it immediately comes off. You can certainly add another level after 12-24 hours as wanted or top with a glossy spray wax for nicest look.

[belcherm58]

Thanks for the info Mike. Gonna print it out and sit in my recliner and read it. Just got home from a 12 hours day and I am beat. Gonna order some. Heard so much about it being bulletproof and long lasting. We can sometimes have a long harsh winter and lots of salt treatments on the road. I want to see how it holds up. I usually put a cost of nuba a month on the truck anyway if we have some decent days. Just got my LC kompressor pads and looks like a good time to
clean her up. Gotta get the Klasse ordered. Thanks all for the input.
Trust the judgment of my fellow forum members. I have the mans instructions. Could not be better.

[belcherm58]

Just ordered the Klasse duo from AG. New adventure coming up. Cannot wait. New Buffer, New Kompressor Pads, New sealant and application instructions from the master detailer and fellow geek Mike Phillips. Gonna be a fun week. lol

[m4bama]

Just ordered the Klasse duo from AG. New adventure coming up. Cannot wait. New Buffer, New Kompressor Pads, New sealant and application instructions from the master detailer and fellow geek Mike Phillips. Gonna be a fun week. lol

Good luck the Klasse Twins are great just spread the Sealant Glaze thinly as in super thin.
Apply the All-in-one with a damp applicator go around vehicle doing this then remove light film. Apply another layer of Klasse all-in-one this time with a dry pad apply little product and work it all in to surface a section at a time there should be little to none to buff of at the end. then apply Klasse Sealant glaze to whole vehicle and let set for and hour or two.