Just painted my Bumper and wonder how long before I can protect it with Ceramic Wax or any wax??

I generally recommend 3 months before using any kind of sealant and I don't use wax, ever.

For ceramic sealants I'd wait longer, maybe 6 months if the weather is cool.

You can use a polymer polish in the interim. This gives good protection and high quality varieties last as long as some of the ceramic sealants. Polymer polish won't seal the paint and stop the drying process which can lead to paint separation if the evaporating thinners has nowhere to escape.

NFT5 wrote:I generally recommend 3 months before using any kind of sealant and I don't use wax, ever.

For ceramic sealants I'd wait longer, maybe 6 months if the weather is cool.

You can use a polymer polish in the interim. This gives good protection and high quality varieties last as long as some of the ceramic sealants. Polymer polish won't seal the paint and stop the drying process which can lead to paint separation if the evaporating thinners has nowhere to escape.

Live in Florida. So I can use a polymer now or wait 3 months. We have them darn lovebugs and don't want my new paint ruined...

NFT5 wrote:I generally recommend 3 months before using any kind of sealant and I don't use wax, ever.

For ceramic sealants I'd wait longer, maybe 6 months if the weather is cool.

You can use a polymer polish in the interim. This gives good protection and high quality varieties last as long as some of the ceramic sealants. Polymer polish won't seal the paint and stop the drying process which can lead to paint separation if the evaporating thinners has nowhere to escape.

I agree 100% on the wait for fresh paint.

What Polymer products are you talking about though? Do you have any recommendations? Or examples?
Maybe something available here in the States?

The one I use, and have used for the last 20 years, is made by Gelson. T57 for dark colours, T47 for light colours. They have a long life polymer polish too, but it's really no better than the ones I use.

They're straight polymer polishes, with no wax. Very slightly abrasive so they're swirl removers, but you do need to use a machine. I use a Cyclo with medium soft pads.

As a test I did the roof of my car 4 years ago and then left it. That car spends its whole life outside - never garaged, Only a couple of weeks ago I noticed that it water was no longer beading - a pretty good result, I think.

I did try one of the Meguiars products some time ago. Almost as good but not quite as abrasive and horribly expensive by comparison. I've tried lots of others over the years, but nothing comes close.

This is the kind of finish you can expect:

i wax my work with turtle wax spray a few days after paint, if that car has been in the sun a few days you are probably good to go.

If you can smell the paint. It means it's still gassing off and don't wax.

Just repainted another coat of Clear and still getting overspray. What can I use to buff out and how long should I wait??

jterr wrote:Just repainted another coat of Clear and still getting overspray. What can I use to buff out and how long should I wait??

Overspray? Oh, that's in the other thread.

I read that you're using 2K clear in a spray can. If you can see overspray in the finish then you're putting it on too light and holding the can too far away. With a spray can you will never get a finish comparable to a gun unless you do a lot of work afterwards. Problem is that spray can atomisation isn't so fine so a wetter coat is a much thicker coat and you run a high risk of runs.

You're probably better off to put on two more coats and then wetsand it if it's already a bit light/dry/thin.