Wax. How much is enough?

[Bridog]

I've searched but didn't see anything. So, how much wax is really needed? Last week I used 3M cleaner/wax because the boat started to show some oxidation mainly above the rub rail. It really made the boat shine. Today my wife was helping me put a second coat of wax on, this time it was Meguires Flagship and after doing one coat she said that's enough. I wanted to keep going. She said after the first coat it's pointless because your just removing the previous coat you just put on. She's usually right 99.9% of the time but I'm hoping she's wrong this time. Otherwise all those years of applying those extra coats were in vain. Help prove me right. Brian

 

[Nehalennia]

Brian. The last 3 seasons I've been very happy after the compounding to polish with Starbrite polish with PTEF instead of wax. I get a thorough application on then I love to tinker on the dock, while the kids and bride are at the pool, continuing to buff and polish by hand the rest of the season. So in a nutshell, to me, there's never enough.

 

[390x]

The wife is wrong on this one. Subsequent coats of wax don't remove the previous coats. I always do two coats after buffing because one coat usually doesn't cover everything. You miss parts of it. Two usually works. However, I add little bits here and there and there's probably 10 coats by the end of the season!

 

[ZZ13]

One coat of a cleaner wax (I use Flagship Premium Cleaner/Wax) followed by one coat of a pure wax (I use Flagship Premium Wax). That's the formula and I'm sticking with it - why, because a bunch of message board "experts" told me to.

 

[Alex F]

Brian,

I'm not sure how great the results were from just cleaner/wax, b/c oxidized spots need to be compounded or at least polished. Until I find a "new" approach, I'm using the old school that has the following steps:

1. Clean
2. Compound (if needed).
3. Polish. This is what brings the most shine.
4. Protect with wax. This is the top layer to protect all the prior work. So, 2nd wax layer will only give you extra protection. BTW, in some areas I do 2 coats of polish as well. Compound is what you don't want over do (you don't want to cut too much gelcoat off).

 

[HUMPH]

I like at least 1 but preferrably 2 coats of polish and I do touch ups with a quick hit spray wax. Woody Wax of course on the non-skid!

 

[paulswagelock]

All waxes and polishes have a cure time. As long as the next coat of any layering is done after the cure time, the results are additive. If done before, diminishing. I do not know the cure time for the products you were using, but some of the car sealants and waxes have a cure time of 12 hours or so.

 

[HIFI]

All waxes and polishes have a cure time. As long as the next coat of any layering is done after the cure time, the results are additive. If done before, diminishing. I do not know the cure time for the products you were using, but some of the car sealants and waxes have a cure time of 12 hours or so.

You are correct on the cure time for any final finish that I know of, but maybe one exception.

I must say I get tired of wax on and wax off. I also find many of the synthetic final finishes last longer so I would encourage people to at least investigate. If your final finish last longer then why bother with numerous coats of stacking finish.

I would agree with two coats of anything in the final finish for best and even coverage.

I use Zaino with ZFX activator. ZFX accelerates the cure time and you can do a second application at once. Zaino is a synthetic and worth investigating.

 

[Bridog]

Thanks everyone. Since I have 2 coats on I suppose I'm good to go.

 

[Pyrojodge]

Thanks everyone. Since I have 2 coats on I suppose I'm good to go.

Your not ready at all!!! You still have to do mine.:thumbsup:

 

[Whitenights]

And don't wait until it "looks" like it needs it to do it again. Much easier to keep it nice and shiny by waxing it more often than waiting until it gets chalky and dull. I have a 22 year old boat that I would put up against many 1-2 year old boats out there. Even though I am under cover, and covered, I still wax it completely at least 2 time a year.

 

[Molson]

I put a couple coats on while its at home before I launch. Then over the summer while at a favorite spot, and enjoying a cold one I'll put on more, maybe port side one day, stbd the other. Then topsides, etc. So over the summer the entire boat gets done over a few times.