Wax

Vehicle paint is a very clever thing providing a rich colour representation over steel, metal alloys and plastics alike. Key to keeping this colour safe is the ‘clear coat’ lacquer layer that is featured on all new cars, before that we resorted to a layer of wax to provide any real protection.

Key to any protection is the bond to the paint finish and the chemical wizardry that releases any carrier solvents and ensures only the product is left behind. Temperature is key and the removal of any excess needs to be timed carefully. This is the same for wax as it is for modern chemical coatings.

In yesteryear, wax was a hard paste that was scooped up and worked into the paint trying to avoid any gaps or trims that would be cleaned out later needing toothpicks or old toothbrushes. Left to haze and cure the dry wax would then transform into chalky clumps as it was buffed off for hours with tired arms. This was repeated several times adding layers to extend the protective qualities for a couple of months only. Timing was everything as cold weather would make the task impossible and could become pointless unless the wax bond was made.

More recently advances in wax production have improved both the application and duration of wax yet the hazing and buffing chore remained. Every few months the commitment to apply wax is taken and the day long task of cleaning and waxing began. Still time consuming the resulting finish was worth the effort.

Makes your car shine

The latest car shine wax from Sentinel Autocare can be applied in miniscule amounts, spread very thinly and over much larger areas. Curing time is small and easy buffing can commence after barely a few minutes has passed. Temperature is still a factor but far less critical than before. Buffing no longer creates the dry white ‘cast off’ and a smear free finish is completed with minimal effort with amazing results. Cars can be completed in minutes not hours and the amount of product applied means that the 200g pot goes a very long way.

One solution was the introduction of liquid wax for cars. This provided a solution to the application problems however liquid car wax failed to provide the duration of protection that a paste wax could. Car spray wax became a popular option to achieve a waxy finish to the paintwork but remained a short term solution. Sentinel is testing its own liquid version of Silk wax. This will not be released for sale until the gloss and duration can match that of the paste wax and only then it can become a product with the same amazing results just a with a choice of application methods.

Given the short attention span of the modern man the creation of Sentinel Silk Wax solves several issues at once. With easy application, virtually no haze time and a buffing stage that is barely harder than buffing off a quick detailer spray Sentinel Silk doesn’t just move the goalposts, it changes the game.