How to remove existing wax?

[gulfcoaster]

Hey all,

I'm new to detailing and have not yet found info on how and whether I need to strip the existing wax off before doing a paint correction. I bought the following products:

1. DA polisher (Harbor Freight with 6" flexible backing plate)
2. Meguiars Ultimate Compound
3. 3" Lake Country DA Flexible Backing Plate
4. 3 1/4" Lake Country Ultra-Fiber DA microfiber pads
5. 5 1/4" Lake Country Ultra-Fiber DA Microfiber pads (I think I ordered the wrong size here for the 6" backing plate)

I guess I needed to order pads slightly larger than the backing plate, right?

And when using a cutting agent like Meg UC, do I need to remove the existing wax first or will the UC remove the wax simultaneously? If I need to remove it first, what are the options and recommendations?

Similarly, will using UC mean I do not need to use a clay bar beforehand?

--If it's not obvious, I'm a bit overwhelmed by all of the product options out there!

Thanks for the guidance on these questions. :-)

[FocusSTguy]

I would order a 5" backing plate to go with your 5 1/4" pads. I prefer using 5" pads with a DA. Easier to work with.

UC will remove the wax, but at minimum you should wash and clay first. You may want to consider an Iron X type product depending on the paint condition. How old is the car? What is the current condition of the paint?

The cleaner the paint is prior to polishing the better your results will be. Yes, the UC will remove the contaminants on the paint but guess where they end up, on the pad, so anything it picks up has the potential to unnecessarily gum up the pad and potentially scratch the paint you are trying to correct.

[Eldorado2k]

Ok, 1st of all, you need to replace the backing plate that your HF DA came with.. Long story short it's unusable and known to destroy 6" pads during use. Don't use it. Buy a Lake Country 5" Backing Plate.

As far as not needing to clay if you're going to compound? That would be wrong. You should clay if you desire the best results. Not only will it prep the paint and leave it smooth, but it'll help remove the wax you're interested in removing prior to compounding.

I recommend you buy a couple of 5" Lake Country Flat Foam Polishing Pads while you're at it. [the white ones] Also get yourself some Meguiars Ultimate Polish to go with them to follow up the compound step in case you need to polish out any bit of haze. It'll make your paint look even better. Good luck.

[gulfcoaster]

Gentlemen, thanks for the advice. I'll order 5" LC pads and some Ultimate Polish before starting in. Likely get a Nanoskin Autoscrub DA pad and hand pad.

I have a newer 08 BMW with silver paint in very good condition. And a 98 Jeep Wrangler with good but aged white paint.

I expect I should start with the white jeep--it appears to hide blemishes very well due to the brighter color. So it should be more forgiving for s first time practice job.

[shagnat]

Great advice. Love these responses.

[dlc95]

You might also find that all you need is Ultimate Polish to remove whatever defects are in your paint. It does contain a light abrasive load. I love it paired with a blue buff and shine, and green ccs. Finishing with UP on a blue ccs was impressive too, but didn't yield the same correction.

[7PaintGuns]

What's the best way to remove wax or sealent with out buffing/polishing? I was thinking if my car passes the baggie test, I could just use IPA and Wolfgang Paint prep. Good enough?

[MrOneEyedBoh]

I'd use DuPont's wax and grease remover, aka PrepSol. Very safe.

[Mike Honcho]

Doesn't D114 at higher strengths remove wax and clean panels?

[Eldorado2k]

Doesn't D114 at higher strengths remove wax and clean panels?

I once did an experiment to try that out.^

Here's a before shot of my hood. Plenty of beading.



Then I taped down the middle, and sprayed the drivers side w/D114@6.1





Next I sprayed the passenger side w/D120@10.1



I wiped down both sides with separate clean microfiber towels...

And here's how the beading looked afterwards