Questions regarding FK1000P application and removal

[Finick]

Posted these questions over on Autopia, gonna bring them here to see if I can reach more people (fingers crossed.)

My thoughts on FK1000P are mostly favorable at this time. Seems to shed dirt well, and seems to have quite the "presence."

My questions are;

1) What applicator do you prefer? I’ve been using a 3.5” flat waxing pad by hand (it’s for a DA) and it’s really not been a super great application experience. It really drags on the surface, which makes it take much longer to lay down a coat that id prefer. Using more product facilitates a smoother application, but then I'm putting down a lot more product than i think is probably necessary (thin being the objective.)

1b) Are there any tricks to make the applicator glide a little more smoothly that would be applicable to any foam applicator? I'm using a 3.5" flat waxing pad (for a DA) and I do enjoy the size. My hands are on the larger side so the smaller yellow foam applicators like Meguiars makes tend to make my hand cramp. The foam composition does feel different between the two though, so perhaps next time I use it I should try the yellow one to see if it makes application more pleasant.

1c) Do any of you simply use a DA to apply it?

2) the dreaded smearing and oily residue I’ve read about. This seems to be something I simply can’t avoid sometimes. Even when I applied a coat so thin on my hood that I had to go by tactile feel alone because I couldn’t see the residue I was leaving behind, coming back to buff it off later with a light I could still make out that it wasn’t giving me a clean wipe down. It drives me absolutely nuts, and is the main reason that I stuck with spray waxes for the majority of my protection for a good while.

I did experience a great wipe off fresh after polishing and going over the paint with an IPA solution. That was a dream to wipe off, came off very clean. But I (and based on others experience) don't believe this should be or even isnecessary for this product to cooperate.

I’ve also seen people say things along the lines of.. first coat doesn’t go on the smoothest, but the second coat goes on much easier. That hasn’t exactly been my experience, at all. Both coats go on equally as annoyingly and, except for the one application following an IPA wipedown, buff off leaving a smeary mess.

I like the performance of the sealant very much. I’ve purposefully avoided using anything that would mask the surface characteristics (just washing/drying with ONR and calling it done) and I've been happy with it so far.

If I can iron out the application process to be smoother/more consistent, this will be a winner in my books. Otherwise, I'm on the lookout for another LSP that reasonably durable, less finicky, and is a good value. Currently testing PBL paint coating v2 on my trunk lid so I guess it's possible if I'm a fan of how that works out, I could just jump into something like Cquartz UK 3.0 and call it a day.

Thanks for your time,
Finick

[1500canoe]

I didn't see the post on Autopia but I am pretty sure "Accumulator", who is generally very active there, is a big fan/proponent of FK1000P. Hopefully he'll comment, or you might message him.

[Finick]

I didn't see the post on Autopia but I am pretty sure "Accumulator", who is generally very active there, is a big fan/proponent of FK1000P. Hopefully he'll comment, or you might message him.

Yeah I actually bumped a post over there regarding fk1000p and he did take the time to respond. Figured while i wait for his next response I’d open it up to both forums on the off chance some people aren’t a part of both/to get more opinions.


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[ski2]

I use one of these Buff and Shine Red Foam Wax & Sealant Applicator Pad with Notched Center (2 Pack) B&S hand applicator pads--it's the same foam as their red DA pads--soft foam with very dense pores-- and the double thickness allows you to get a good grip on the pad without cramps in your fingers. I get the entire pad buttered with FK1000 then remove it with something like a butter knife or large putty knife--then begin my application.

[FUNX650]

If I’m not going to be using a DA to
apply LSPs, then I use 4” Wax/Sealant
pads attached to a “Polishing Pal”.




Bob

[Finick]

If I’m not going to be using a DA to
apply LSPs, then I use 4” Wax/Sealant
pads attached to a “Polishing Pal”.




Bob

Have you/do you apply FK1000P by machine? I’ve been considering trying that to see if it helps any.


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[FUNX650]

Have you/do you apply FK1000P
by machine? I’ve been considering
trying that to see if it helps any.

Yes I have/do apply FK1000P by Machine:
3” GG; and 4” white finishing foam Rupes
pads—a Mike Phillips tip (Thanks Mike ).

Note:
Loading product onto the pad is
a breeze: the above listed 4” pad
fits perfectly into my FK1000P tin.


{Picture from a Mike Phillips article}


Bob

[dontibbetts]

I applied it to my car last month using a GG6 and a 5" pad. I'll have to look when I get home to remember exactly which one. The pad obviously won't fit into the can which confounded me for a short time. I started out loading the pad by smearing the edges into the can to pick up product but was not happy with that. I was crushing my pad and it seemed they long term this would do damage. I went in the kitchen and got a plastic knife. The kind that you carry on picnics. I would just get a little sealant on the knife, spread it on the pad and go to town. Worked like a champ.

I was very concerned about the wipe off after hearing of others having difficulty. Especially since I tend to want to apply product thick. It's just my tendency. I forced myself to really focus on applying thin and it was not too difficult. Wipe down was a breeze. It did take one or two MF towels though so make sure you have several on hand.

I have not washed the car since application. It still looks great except for the dirty spots on the back from water getting kicked up off of the road. It's rained about every other day since application. I'll probably try to wash it this week if I can get a break in the rain.


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[BadgerRivFan]

I'll offer an option which may aid in the application of FK1000P... which is to put down a layer of Duragloss Polish Bonding Agent #601 prior to applying FK1000P.

Duragloss Polish Bonding Agent (PBA) #601

I purchased a new full-size conversion van back in late December. The van is silver in color, and is not a daily driver. I wanted to use an LSP that is more "glassy" and had good self-cleaning characteristics. Due to the size of the vehicle I didn't really want to mess around with a coating, so FK1000P was an obvious choice. Although it already has excellent durability, I decided to try out DG #601 to see if it would improve the life of the FK1000P. The van is used sparingly, so the jury is still out on that one. I wouldn't be surprised if I get 2 years out of my LSP though as a result of the limited use.

I applied both the 601 and FK1000P with the small yellow Pinnacle foam waxing pads by hand. I had no difficulty applying the FK1000P thinly on top of the hazed over 601. Both wiped off very easy. Did the 601 make it easier to apply the FK1000P? Hard to say for sure, but I thought using both products together was simple and very easy. This was done in my heated and dry storage building in the month of January. The humidity level would have been very low at that time. Could that also explain why I had no issues? Sure it could. Again, hard to say for sure.

For the $10 admission price (not counting a sale discount) it may be worth giving it a try to see if it helps for you.

[Finick]

I applied it to my car last month using a GG6 and a 5" pad. I'll have to look when I get home to remember exactly which one. The pad obviously won't fit into the can which confounded me for a short time. I started out loading the pad by smearing the edges into the can to pick up product but was not happy with that. I was crushing my pad and it seemed they long term this would do damage. I went in the kitchen and got a plastic knife. The kind that you carry on picnics. I would just get a little sealant on the knife, spread it on the pad and go to town. Worked like a champ.

I’ve considered just slapping the pad in using by hand onto the DA to see how that feels, or using an applicator to apply it to a larger 5” pad. I’ve seen some people recommend using an applicator to move it from the tin to the DA, anyway.

I'll offer an option which may aid in the application of FK1000P... which is to put down a layer of Duragloss Polish Bonding Agent #601 prior to applying FK1000P.

This is an interesting idea, maybe I’ll give this a try and see how it works out.

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