LS1-450

iTrader: (33)

What happens to new paint/clear if sealant or wax is applied to it? Have read wait anywhere from 30 up to 90 days before waxing or sealing. I don't doubt this information & will wait it out...just want to know, "what happens to the paint if waxing early?" Any pics of the resulting issues caused by waxing/sealing early?

Am just completing an a$$ busting prep & paint restomod on the 66 Galaxie in sig. 70% of the restoration has been frame/body/interior work/modifications. Hell, modifying the engine/trans mounts in order to properly install the engine & trans was a piece of cake in comparison to the prep/paint work. Professional body/paint guys have my complete respect. Not that they didn't before, but, f'ck that **** is hard work.

pancho toco loco

iTrader: (8)

What happens is fresh paint is still curing. Its dry and hardened but not fully cured. It needs time for all the solvents to volatize out. A sealant will trap this process from occuring. You can apply a 3m hand glaze as there is no wax or sealants in it after 30 days. Othe then that let the paint cure and get fully hard. When I painted my I left the paint to cure a month before I even sanded or polished it.

LS1-450

iTrader: (33)

Thanks for the reply.

Are you saying that the 3m hand glaze has wax & sealant in it that evaporate in 30 days or are you saying to use glaze until after 30 days.

I have polished after wet sanding w/3m polish in order to remove the sanding blemishes. Is this an issue? The 3m bottle did not say to wait. I had a$$umed that there was no wax in it. If it's an issue, maybe a wash w/ Dawn dish washing detergent will remove anything blocking the process? BTW, 3m makes great stuff.

The Alchemist

iTrader: (19)

Think of it this way. When you paint your car, it's pigment suspended in a liquid, be it a organic solvent, or water based, it has liquid as a distribution medium.

Even though the paint feels dry, it really isn't for a certain amount of time. By 'sealing' it, you inhibit the paint from becoming a solid. It's no different than concrete curing or blacktop curing.

The only form of paint that I would think you could seal pretty soon afterwards is powder coating. There, you don't have a liquid medium and you use static electricity to bond it to the surface, then it polymerizes and cures with heat.

pancho toco loco

iTrader: (8)

If you used any of the 3m products such as there finesse it poish , Perfect it machine polish or even there Trizact finish polish you will be fine. Or even there imperial hand glaze. Just dont go nutz w/ the hand glaze, maybe 1 coat per first few months.

ncsu602

iTrader: (10)

I have no experience painting, but I do have some experience prepping one after paint. Get any of the Meguiars Mirror Glaze body shop safe polishes. I can't remember exactly which one it was, but I'm thinking show car glaze. I've used #80 Speed Glaze too, which has a little abrasive in it but looks nice.

LS1-450

iTrader: (33)

Thank-you for the comments. As always, they are appreciated. Everything is good. Have only used the 3M polish. Will wait a good 2+ months before I even touch it w/ anything; just to be sure that all has cured.


Would like to say though, that I've never heard of or have seen any paint job where an issue was diagnosed by, "he waxed it too soon after painting." So, my limited experience suggests that it's really not an issue. Maybe pros have seen it, but, not a generally observed issue.

For example: Most can say that they have seen the result of a paint job that dried too fast & as a result needed extensive wet sanding to get rid of the ripples (orange peel). I just don't see the problem that a non-cured suspended color poses.