How do you measure a WAX's effectiveness?

[fredcandetail]

Anyone ever get the customer that just knows everything yet hasnt detailed his car in 3 years!

Had a new customer come into the shop with a 3 year old truck and we proceeded to talk about correcting his paint ... i did my speel on compounding and polishing followed by a sealant and topped with a wax ... we then got into "how do I know when my truck needs to be waxed again" I proceeded to discuss what a wax really is (an organic substance with a life really only a month or so) and that "waxing" a car was more of a preference to boost gloss BUT that a sealant was more designed for protection.
I explained water beading, sheeting etc and went over to his hood and hosed it down with no beading. I then proceeded to clay the car with some LTouch and explained the process and benefits ... after claying i rinsed the hood again and the water began to somewhat sheet and he shouts "AHH HA there is wax on the hood !". I explained to him the reason the water sheeted was because the surface was now slick and free of contaminants thereby leaving the water to easily roll off the surface ...

Can i just do my job and get your truck looking the best it can! SHEEESHHH!!

[SR99]

Don't think there are any measurements per-se, just some different visual indicators. Beading, bird poop resistance, dust attraction, and probably a few others.

Not sure but I think most manufacturer ratings of wax longevity are only based on visual beading starting to be reduced, but whether they use cars that are outside 100% of the time versus garaged most of the time, and assume some weather exposure and number of washings over the period they claim the wax protection remains good...don't know. Are there industry standards for wax longevity claims? If not, they mean practically nothing for comparison purposes.

[Mike Phillips]

Don't know if you did this but this is something I do, after claying a section, first if the paint is really contaminated show him the clay. Second have him feel the difference between the section you clayed and the section you didn't clay.

Together, the appearance of the clay and the feel of the paint will usually get the idea across that

A: His paint is neglected
B: You know what you're doing (and whoever owns the car/truck doesn't)



The Baggie Test is good too...


:)

[FUNX650]

Hey there Fred!!...Been Busy??:buffing:


RE: "How do you measure a WAX's effectiveness"?

1. Good question! :props:
2. Depends on one's definition of "effectiveness", I suppose.

Would yours be one (or more) of the following? ...

-Adequate to accomplish a purpose
-Producing the intended, desired, or expected result
-In operation or in force; functioning
-Producing a deep or vivid impression; striking
-Prepared and available for service
-Capable; competent


Efficacious: Suggests the capability of achieving a certain end.
Efficient Persons: Implies the skillful use of energy or industry
to accomplish desired results with little waste of effort.

Then there is:
-pre-effective
-quasi-effective
-In Physics: (Square Root Mean of An Alternating Quantity):
Having a value that is the square root of the mean of the squares of the magnitude
measured at each instant over a defined period of time, usually one cycle.


Perhaps the most telling(?) is its usage as a prenominal:
-Actual...Rather than theoretical
-Real
(Example: If I may ask of you a hypothetical/rhetorical question:
"What is your effective (real) income after you've paid your employees; outstanding bills, supplies, etc."?)


One more item...
"It does not follow, because our difficulties are stupendous, because there are some souls
timorous enough to doubt the validity and effectiveness
of our ideals and our system, that we must turn to a..."~ Herbert Hoover


Also...Keep in mind a couple of antonyms of efficient:
1. futile
2. Useless


Please advise.

:)

Bob

NOTE: Sources: World English Dictionary; Quality Research International

[fredcandetail]

YO Bobby!! Yes I have been busy! Just peeked online a few days ago after needing some boutique stuff and ventured onto the forum .... Wheres oh Mark706???

Just read your thread and ... YOU WOULD GO THERE!! lol

The reality of the question was more along the lines of "how do you explain to your customer they have no protection on their hood"

In your opinion ... If there is no sheeting are you not protected?

[FUNX650]

YO Bobby!! Yes I have been busy! Just peeked online a few days ago after needing some boutique stuff and ventured onto the forum .... Wheres oh Mark706???

Just read your thread and ... YOU WOULD GO THERE!! lol

^^^^ I felt it was my destiny to do so.^^^^ :D

The reality of the question was more along the lines of "how do you explain to your customer they have no protection on their hood"

In your opinion ... If there is no sheeting are you not protected?

-Mark currently goes by SSizzlin---He has a new Mustang...real nice looking ride!

-A person can make water 'sheet' off of vehicles' panel surfaces by the water-hose sheeting method---you know:
Taking the nozzle off the hose, and allowing the water to gently stream/flow over the surfaces.

-Some folks go by the beading-effect, or lack thereof.

-I tend to believe you hit the nail on the head in your thread's opening post by saying:

"how do I know when my truck needs to be waxed again" I proceeded to discuss what a wax really is (an organic substance with a life really only a month or so)

-Barring unforeseen happenstances...If a person re-waxes at least every 4-6 weeks...Then:
IMO, some 'protection' should always be present.

-Sealants? I usually follow the manufacturers' recommendations/instructions for re-newal sessions.

-Afterall...
Just like the 'practice' performed by the Mayans of yesteryears...
LSP's, too, are 'sacrificial'.

They then need to be replaced by rounding-up some: "Young Blood", so to say.

:)

Bob