Hi guys! First post, and wax idea...

Hey, everyone. I've been lurking around here, reading a bunch of the threads for the past couple days. I just couldn't help but register. :D

Anyway, I found something weird out about your everyday car wax. It seems like it acts like sort of a polishing compound on new-ish paint (about 1-2 weeks). What I did to make this happen was just rub the wax into the paint a little longer than you normally would. I then let it sit for about a minute, then rubbed it all off. The results were pretty amazing for just fooling around! After that, I went a step further and applied another "normal" coat (as you would to a car), and it seemed to further enhance the shine a bit.

I can't wait to mess around with more junk bodies. After all, I need all the airbrushing practice I can get. :D

-Coug

Car polish has an abrasive in it,more than likely the can has the words "cleaner wax" on it !
If you want to further enhance the shine get a pure Carnuba paste wax auto "wax", it has no abrasives.
:bandit: Mike

You can be flirting with disaster when using automotive waxes on models. Many actually seal the paint and do not allow them to "gas out" and will cause bubbles in the finish down the road. Also, many car waxes have silicone in them which can cause etching of the gloss finish after a while. If you want to use an automotive formula, go with Meguier's polishing compounds as they are only mild abrasives and leave no residue.

...and welcome to AF! :wave:

Thanks for the info and the welcome. One of the waxes I was using said it did contain silicone on the back of the bottle, but the other did not. It was Mother's California Gold Origional, and said that it was "safe for *all* paint", so I figured I'd give it a shot on my junk part. The reason why I tend to stay away from polishing compounds is because I'm no good with them at all yet :mad:

I realize that I need to practice with the stuff to get my technique right, but in the meantime, I'm painting bodies and looking for a better shine. Plus, I personally think that sometimes polishing results in a weird "toy" look... Almost like a "wet" show car look. Not very realistic for every day sports and road cars. Just IMHO. I'll just keep practicing for now.

Thanks again.
-Coug

Also, many car waxes have silicone in them which can cause etching of the gloss finish after a while.

Hmm my Novus plastic polish is silicone based...yet Scale Auto mag's Pat Covert recommends it...and his shine is absolutely fantastic...what's up with that?

Originally posted by daggerlee


Hmm my Novus plastic polish is silicone based...yet Scale Auto mag's Pat Covert recommends it...and his shine is absolutely fantastic...what's up with that?

Without going into a scientific lecture, the silicone in Novus is a lubricant for the abrasives and does not remain on the finish once you buff the product. Silicone "waxes" actuallly have silicone compounds in the medium that remain as part of the "shell" of the product. Or to put it another way, polishes take paint away and leave nothing while waxes leave a residue designed to protect and add gloss. With typical model paint mixtures (thinner and usually softer that true automotive paints) the silicone residue is what may cause etching.
Hope this helps! :)

Thanks a lot! I still don't understand what is meant by "buffing", whether with a soft cloth, micromesh pads, or whatever. Could you please tell me what it is? Thanks :)

Originally posted by daggerlee
Thanks a lot! I still don't understand what is meant by "buffing", whether with a soft cloth, micromesh pads, or whatever. Could you please tell me what it is? Thanks :)

"Buffing" is simply wiping away polishing compounds, usually with a soft cloth or cheesecloth.
Many people interchange "waxing" and "polishing" when they are 2 different operations. Polishing is when you remove surface texture with an abrasive medium and it's goal is to "level-out" a painted surface. A paint finish that has been "leveled" will naturally impart a glossier shine than one that still has texture (like orange-peel or grain) simply because the texture will reflect light in numberous directions while a smooth finish will reflect light directly. Waxing is strictly a protective coating that does not remove any paint and is designed to seal the polished surface and protect it. Many automotive waxes will contain silicone compounds which are designed to shed water in the rain to lessen water spots!!

Originally posted by modelfan1
Car polish has an abrasive in it,more than likely the can has the words "cleaner wax" on it !
If you want to further enhance the shine get a pure Carnuba paste wax auto "wax", it has no abrasives.
:bandit: Mike

I missed this the first time, and happened to be thinking about waxes again for some reason. Anyway, I think I've up with something. My big question is whether this 100% Carnuba wax leaves silicone on the paint.

If it doesn't, then it should be possible to polish the surface with abrasive "cleaner" wax or regular polishing compound, stripping the coat of cleaner wax if used, then follow up with a coat of the pure carnuba wax. This is starting to sound similar to what you guys do, but without all the Tamiya products. :)

Feedback on this is appreatiated.

Thanks,
Coug

I've actually used plain old turtle wax for years and am always impressed with the results. I looked around at the auto parts store today and turtle wax was the only brand that didn't say: "CAUTION: This product contains petroleum distilates" which seems to be what causes fogging and "etching" of the paint. So I believe that's why this stuff works so well, anyway, that's my input to the situation.

Check out Meguair's polishes, non have silicone and all can be painted over(I have done it many times)They have a polish for every need, nobody has as many different products. They have some good plastic polishes for your clear stuff too. Check out Crystal Polish and Show car Glaze both are great products.