Anfernee

THIS JUST IN:  Rupes-Cyclo has agreed to giveaway a polisher of choice, to the winner of a drawing to be held at noon at the clinic.   To be drawn by the lovely Kourtney, business cards dropped in the jar....
 
Rupes 21?  Cyclo Model 5?  Rupes 15?  What's on your list?  Adam's will donate the pads and polishes to the winner, for a full package!
 
Thank you Cody, and thanks to everyone at Rupes-Cyclo for this incredible giveaway!!

There will be a few very special guests coming to our fall clinic......  Ladies and Gentlemen, Jason Rose and Dylan Von Kleist!!   That's right.....it's an all-star cast of paint correction coming out to the show, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to learn some perfecting techniques from the best of the best.
 
We all know and have massive respect for Dylan's incredible attention to detail, and technique.  He helped us develop many of our top products, and left an incredibly positive legacy here at Adam's.
 
Jason Rose is one of the most celebrated detailing instructors of all time, and one who has probably educated more shine fanatics than anyone in the industry!  It's an honor to have Jason Rose, formerly the Global Technical Services and Training Manager of Meguiar's.  Jason recently joined the Rupes-Cyclo family, and moved to our home town of Louisville, Colorado!
 
You will also get the chance to meet a few of our newest recruits in person, Kourtney Oglesbee and Dan Tyger.    
 
I can't wait for this opportunity to learn, and there will be two main segments:  
Safe Washing & Winter Preparation Paint Correction The event starts at 10AM, and is scheduled to end at 1PM.   As always, we serve coffee, water, and breakfast/ lunch snacks. 
 
FREE NEW PRODUCT SAMPLES TO ALL WHO ATTEND!!
 
See you soon, and if you are feeling like a road trip, stay in Louisville, CO, 80027 at the Hampton Inn or the Hilton Garden Inn.  Both are less than 3 miles from our HQ.
 
See you soon!

JUST IN! 2 New Colors for the Die Cut Decals in limited availability.

SHOP NOW! There is limited availability so don't delay. They won't last long!

http://adamspolishes.com/adam-s-die-cut-decal.html

 

ELECTRIC BLUE



 

 

PURE WHITE

HAHA. A new neighbor who moved in a few weeks back did something similar - came over mid detail and said:

"Those buffers things will really screw up your paint. My buddy owns a body shop and showed me that they cause all kinds of scratches"
 
To the guys defense he had no idea who I was or what I do for a living when he walked over.... when I showed him my paint he pretty much soiled himself at which point I made him swear to never listen to his 'buddy' again in matters of paint care and restoration. I'll be polishing out his Porsche Cayenne in a couple of weeks LOL

Come join the Adam's team for our first open house and
detail clinic of the 2015 season at our World Headquarters


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Saturday, April 25th 2015 from 9am - Noon
587 South Taylor Ave. Louisville, CO 80027


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Open to all makes and models and free to attend we will be
showcasing some of our newest releases and previewing our
upcoming releases for the summer before you can see them
anywhere else! Take advantage of event only discounts,
specials, and promotions on our entire product line.


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TOLL FREE: (866)965-0400  |  LOCAL: (720)473-7100
ADAMSPOLISHES.COM  |  ADAMSFORUMS.COM
EMAIL: ORDERS@ADAMSPOLISHES.COM

Well would you look at that... nice little Friday surprise
 
 

Plush to waffle weave, glass towels to wash pads, and even more recently polishing pads, microfiber has forever changed how shine freaks keep their cars looking great and how detailers correct, protect, and care for customers cars. The argument could be made that no single advancement in the world of car care has had a larger impact in the last decade than microfiber. Professionals and enthusiasts alike all keep a hefty supply of a wide variety of towels on hand at all times, but despite its omnipresence in the care care world there is still a fair amount of mis-information and mis-understanding as to how they should be cared for.
 
In this FAQ article I'll be covering the basics of cleaning and care for your microfiber towels and a little bit of background on what makes them the preferred choice of detailers.
 
WHAT IS MICROFIBER?
What good is it to get into all the minutia of microfiber if you don't first have an understanding of the materials composition and history?
 
Microfiber can be composed of many parts, most commonly in the detailing / car care industry we use a combination of polyesters and polyamides. These microscopic laboratory born fibers are around 1/100th the diameter of a human hair, this ultra fine thread is what gives microfiber its delicate touch and super soft feel. To put that size into perspective, if you were to think of a regulation basketball as the equivalent of the diameter of a human hair, an individual strand of microfiber would be smaller than an M&M chocolate candy!
 
Why is this important? While you might see a fluffy towel with your naked eye on a microscopic level there is a very tiny, but very uniform and durable strand there. Almost all microfiber will share an identical fiber structure, regardless of weave or pattern. How the fibers are laid out will impart different characteristics to the material (plush for delicate surfaces, waffle weave for drying, flat for glass, suede for coatings, etc)
 
Each individual strand has a star-like structure and all strands are virtually identical across the entire surface of a towel. If you could pull a fiber from one towel, and another from a different towel of similar quality and cross section them you'd likely not be able to tell them apart.  This leads to a uniformly soft towel that performs the same regardless of fold or what portion is in contact with the surface. This is in stark contrast to the wild inconsistency of cotton fibers which can vary in shape and size from one strand to the next. (see the image below)
 
The star shaped structure on each strand allow microfiber to trap small particles, dirt, moisture and debris making them very effective for cleaning. Compared to the inconsistent, tube-like, shape of cotton which is absorbent, but not ideal for cleaning microfiber has a clear advantage.
 

 
WHERE DID MICROFIBER COME FROM?
These tiny man made textiles were actually being produced back as early as the 1950's though the applications were extremely limited. Technology at the time had its limitations and it was next to impossible to produce long continuous strands in a consistent manner making it not only very expensive, but also very time consuming to produce. Technology began to catch up in the late 1960's when a team of Japanese researchers were able to produce microfibers in long continuous strands. This breakthrough lead to the adoption of microfiber for a variety of applications in the 1970's in the textiles industry. By the 1990's microfiber would gain popularity in the cleaning products market, but mostly in the janitorial and hospitality industries due to its sanitary properties and low tendency to shed or lint.
 
In the early 2000's I personally had my first experience with this new 'micro towel' a friend of mine had gotten his hands on. It was softer than the cotton diapers we were all used to using in those days and in the coming years we began to see more and more variety in towels available. A good friend and fellow detailer actually began importing these towels as a side business around 2002 and instantly the SoCal detail market began to change. Everyone wanted these incredible new towels.
 
In the years after that microfiber would explode and become widely accepted as the best option for any kind of detailing. The towels continued to improve and find new configurations - waffle weave, glass towels, foam core towels, applicators, and most recently the microfiber buffing pads. Its funny to think back on a time before microfiber, when a cotton diaper was the best option now, and even stranger to think that it wasn't all that long ago.
 
WHAT DOES 'WEIGHT' MEAN?
 
GSM or "Grams Per Square Meter" or "g/m2" is also referred to as the towels "weight". This measurement dictates the materials fiber density. In other words the relation between the mass of a towel and how much space or volume it takes up. Usually the higher the GSM the softer the towel. Plush towels for use on delicate surfaces should be at least 360gsm, but I personally prefer towels at least 460gsm or higher. Towels in the 200-350gsm range are best suited for non-delicate surfaces and tasks, like scrubbing leather seats or wiping off things under the hood.
 
Now, the GSM rating isn't always the best way to define a towel. For example a waffle weave towel may have a lower GSM, but thats due to the way its constructed not as much due to the quality of the material.

To be safe always buy your towels from a reputable source, and before jumping in with both feet test it in a small area to make sure its delicate enough for the job you're about to do. If you use a low GSM towel all over your car without first testing you'll have a lot of paint correcting to do!
 
USE THE RIGHT TOWEL FOR THE JOB
Because microfiber marks such a substantial investment in your detailing collection its important to do your best to preserve them to get the most use from them before they are retired. To this end its always a good idea to segment your towels into various types.
 
Plush or deep fibers are generally best for extremely delicate jobs, like wiping or polishing clear coat, while shorter or looped fibers have superior scrubbing and cleaning power. Waffle weaves offer the best absorbancy gram for gram and flat weave towels are ideal for non-delicate surfaces where streak free performance is paramount.
 
But don't just section your towels off by type! Sort your towels out in your collection for the jobs they're best suited for. Don't waste a good towel on a dirty job like wiping a door hinge or polishing metal. Preserve your best towels and retire old or stained towels to less important jobs.
 
WHATS CONTAMINATING YOUR TOWEL MAKES A DIFFERENCE
When you think about the contamination thats in your towels after a use you're talking about a pretty thick cocktail of polymers, waxes, oils, and other stubborn residues that need strong detergents to remove. For example waxes and sealants are products that BY DESIGN resist removal from detergents, water, heat, etc on your paint. A "good durable" wax or sealant is defined by its ability to resist detergents thru more than a few washes. These products behave no differently when buried deep within the fibers of your towels. Anyone whos tried to strip wash a sealant knows that sometimes it takes a pretty aggressive mix of All Purpose Cleaner to get it completely removed.

So knowing what kind of fight these products put up on your paint, why assume they'd be so much more easy going when bonded to a towel fiber? They aren't. This is why a stronger detergent or dedicated microfiber cleaner like Adam's Microfiber Revitalizer & Brightener is key to maintaining your towels. Removing product residues is just as important to your microfiber as any other part of their care and MFR&B was designed specifically to break down the things most commonly found in detailing towels.
 
The types of contamination found in automotive detailing towels will be far different than the soil, food, and grime found in other towels around your home. While a dish towel might have a combination of last nights spaghetti sauce and that mystery food goo from the fridge, your detailing towels will be full of polish, wax, and sealant residues. Because of this the type of detergent you choose is important.
 
Regular laundry soaps are still an effective option - most good detergents can remove most anything you find, or at the very least break them up enough to be effective. We've all seen the TV commercials where brand X removes grass stains, wine stains, ground in dirt - but I haven't seen one yet that says it'll remove carnauba wax and polymer sealants. Removing a grass stain from your socks is a much different proposition to removing a sealant from your towels.
 

 
The option to avoid, and one incorrectly recommended by amateurs all over the web, are 'delicate' detergents like woolite. Products in this category are lacking in the areas needed to really remove all the residues found in your towels. Sure, if you need to clean a silk shirt or delicate unmentionables by all means reach for your woolite, but we're dealing with tough residues embedded deep into very tiny fibers - use a detergent capable of getting the job done. While microfiber is important, and should be cared for appropriately, it is fairly durable stuff and can handle stronger detergents to make sure they are 100% clean. Weaker detergents will continually leave behind a small amount of detailing contamination, leading to a slow buildup and eventually hampered performance.
 
 
REGULAR CLEANING:
Your microfiber should be cleaned after every use. While it might be tempting to let that drying towel sit and use it again next weekend you run the risk of contamination causing swirls or letting something set into the towels that will be more difficult to remove later. Cleaning microfiber is usually the least enjoyable part of a detail, but in the end staying on top of your laundry just ensures that your towels will be at their best and ready when you are.
 
CLEANING TOWELS
Always separate your dirtiest towels, like those used to clean wheels or for metal polishing, from your 'good' plush and drying towels to avoid cross contamination and wash them in separate loads. Keep cotton and other materials out of the wash loads. Wash microfiber only with other microfiber. Use a dedicated microfiber detergent like Microfiber Revitalizer or a dye free/perfume free liquid laundry soap - no powders or granulated. Set washer to a warm water setting. Some heat is required to break down waxes and polishes. Cold settings will not clean towels as effectively. If your washer is equipped with an extra rinse cycle, use it. This will make sure as much of the contamination and remaining soap is removed from the towels as possible. Microfiber can be machine dried if you prefer, use a low heat setting and NO FABRIC SOFTENER. Air or line drying is also an option, be sure to do this somewhere the towels cannot be contaminated with dust or lint.  
MICROFIBER PADS & APPLICATORS
Just like with towels, separate any extremely dirty or contaminated pads from the group and wash separately to avoid cross contamination. Wash pads and applicators separate from towels. The foam backing and velcro can become snagged and damaged during agitation by a towel in the same load. Use a brush to break up heavy, caked in, polish residues on pads before washing. Microfiber Revitalizer is preferred, but if using regular laundry soap make sure its dye/perfume free. Set washer to a warm setting, not hot. Pads have a glue membrane that is sensitive to high heat so stick to warm wash water settings. Air dry all pads and applicators on a wire rack to maximize airflow and expedite drying.
HEAVY STAINS AND CONTAMINATION:
No matter what there is going to be occasions where a towel becomes extremely contaminated or stained from either something you removed from a vehicle (grease, oil, tar, etc) or it becomes saturated with a product to the point there is some discoloration. In these situations pre-treating or at the very minimum pre-soaking the microfiber to keep these stains from setting in is key. Obviously, you can't stop mid-detail and clean your microfiber accessories, so here are some quick tips to help with heavier contamination on the fly.
Pre-treat any towel that becomes heavily soiled with grease, oil, brake dust, etc - spray liberally with All Purpose Cleaner or Microfiber Revitalizer. Soak the heaviest contamination and rub the towel against itself to agitate, then set aside for cleaning later. Pre-soak towels to help start the cleaning process long before you get around to doing your detail laundry. Prep a separate bucket with clean water and add 2-3oz of Microfiber Revitalizer. As towels become too dirty to continue using toss them into the pre-soak bucket. Place a grit guard, upside down and ON TOP of the towels after they've been put in the mix to hold them in the solution as they try to float to the top. For microfiber polishing pads or applicators use a stiff brush, like the pad conditioning brush, to break up residues before they harden and set in. Pads can also be added to your pre-soak bucket if desired. If a towel ever becomes so contaminated that it doesn't wash clean, it may be time to retire it to a new job. Rotate towels that have been heavily stained to less delicate tasks.
 MICROFIBER STORAGE:
Where your towels are kept when they are not in use is just as important as how they are cared for, so make sure you have a solution for keeping your towels out of harms way and dust free between uses. Plastic storage totes are an inexpensive solution - the lid will keep your towels from collecting dust in an area like a garage and will also minimize the amount of crawly insects that might find a new home buried in all that plush softness.
 
Always be sure your microfiber is completely dry before storage. Mildew will form on towels in some climates if they are even slightly damp. This is especially true of microfiber applicators and pads. The foam backing and cores is a magnet for moisture avoid using air tight containers for anything with a foam core or backing unless you are completely confident it is dry all the way through.
 
BOILING YOUR TOWELS:
Over time your microfiber may become contaminated past the point it can be completely cleaned using traditional methods. Typically this will present itself during use - drying towels will begin to feel less absorbent. Plush towels may lint slightly or smear products more than remove them. This is an indication that the fibers are 'full' either from residues deposited during use or things like fabric softener accidentally introduced during cleaning.

In any event, if your towels begin to loose their performance or just don't feel as good as they did new boiling is the solution, the last resort, to bring them back. NOTE: this process applies only to towels and microfiber without foam cores or backing. Never boil pads or applicators. 
Fill a large cooking pot approximately 2/3rd full of water and bring to a boil Add approximately 1-2oz of distilled white vinegar per gallon of water and stir Place a few of the towels to be treated into the pot, maintaining a slow boil Stir continuously with a large spoon, avoid letting the towels rest against the bottom or sides for too long After about 60-90 seconds in the boil, remove the towels using tongs and rinse under cool water Wash using the "Regular Cleaning" guidelines outlined earlier and they should be as good as new. NOTE: Should boiling fail to bring absorbancy to a towel or the towel continues to lint then you are most likely dealing with a towel at the end of its lifespan. Retire the towel to less important tasks and replace with a new one for future use.
 
HOW LONG WILL A TOWEL LAST?
There really is no set answer to that question. Depending on how frequently they are used, how well they are cared for, and the types of products they're used with a towel can last for a very short or very long time. On average a towel should last the average user at least a year or two. Understand that no towels are good forever, they wear out eventually like any other product that sees frequent use. 

If you experience diminished performance after some time and try the recommended boiling method it might be time to retire that towel and replace it with a new one. Your vehicle is a big investment and towels by comparison are a relatively small price in making sure it stays looking nice.
 
One thing is for certain - the better care you take of your microfiber towels and accessories, the better they'll do at caring for your vehicles.

Look for one FREE with your next order, while supplies last!

 

Well then! Some interest is there for my little "Wash Island Iced Tea"
 

 
 
That is I think a 36 oz. Chamber. Half Adam's WW, Half Adam's Car Shampoo. Shake like the dickens, then go nuts!
 
 
NOTE: The above mixture is for a Foam Cannon (attaches to a Pressure Washer). If you want a recipe for a Foam Gun (like I use at home...6 oz. Car Shampoo to the rest of the canister water. Water goes in first. Again, shake it like the dickens...

Mook

Beginning today the warehouse is throwing a sticker into most orders (lets face it, you order one block sponge and nothing else we're not giving you a sticker) and will continue to do so until they're gone. Our team here has committed to designing and printing new stickers all the time so when these are gone a new style will start being included.

They might be logos, something funny, cool, or any number of designs, but we will continue to produce them as long as you enjoy getting them, even if they're just stuck to your tool chest. What do we want in return for all these free stickers? Show us where you 'stick your shine'!

Take a picture of your Adam's sticker where you stuck it and post it here, share it on our facebook page, or upload it to instagram with the hasthag 'adamspolishes'. Those that share their pics with us are highly likely to receive additional swag, prizes, and other cool stuff.
 
Want more than one? No problem - we'll add additional ones to your order for just $1 each. Click here

All photos have been resized, cleaned up, reorganized, and will be reposted starting now. I realized the massive 3000px high res pictures were probably a bit overwhelming in such large quantities on most high speed connections. Enjoy the shots. They'll be added to this thread throughout the day... there is A LOT of them

Its that time of year again! Auction Week is rolling along in Scottsdale, AZ which means a few members of the Adam's Team will be headed out to capture images of the action to share with you. Check back starting Thursday night for updates!

The Deep Clean Tire Scrub Brush is being brought back from the dead. When it was removed from our line there was a bit of groaning and disappointment in its disappearance. We heard you loud and clear and this rubber scrubber is back and available for purchase!
 
ADAM'S DEEP CLEAN TIRE SCRUB BRUSH
 

 
Sometimes tires need an aggressive scrubbing to release trapped dirt and road grime. Other times your new car may have had sticky silicone based tire shines applied that just won't come off easily, or maybe you just want a nice compact scrub brush with a short handle to give your rubber a good cleaning. Introducing Adam's Deep Clean Tire Scrub Brush! 
 
Outfitted with stiff blue nylon bristles mounted to an 8" black brush head and handle, this compact brush is manageable yet powerful. Use it to break loose the most stubborn of grime from your tires to get that deep down clean before applying a fresh coat of Adam's Super VRT for that 'new rubber' look. 
Also great for scrubbing rubber or plastic floor liners that have become heavily soiled from winter driving or dirty shoes. Adam's Deep Clean Tire Scrub Brush is your solution for all those jobs that need a little extra scrubbing power. 
 
As you've come to expect from Adam's this brush is 100% Made in the USA and backed with an unconditional 110% satisfaction guarantee!
 

Sealants, glazes, waxes, and even coatings - in the world of car care right now there are a number of options when it comes to protection and enhancement of your vehicles exterior. But what should you be using? While there is no right answer for everyone, there certainly is a right choice for you depending on how your vehicles are used, stored, and ultimately what your goals are for the finish.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR OPTIONS
Each type of product provides unique benefits and some level of compromise. Understanding what benefits are part of each type of product and choosing your last step product (LSP) or combination of steps based on what you need them to do is important. Ultimately, each person needs to strike their own personal balance between 2 aspects:

DURABILITY = how long the product lasts and how well it protects the underlying clearcoat.
AESTHETICS = the visual impact the product provides in terms of added gloss, depth, etc.


GLAZE:
Durability: Very Low | Aesthetics: High
Glazes are probably the least understood product considered a part of the LSP category. The term glaze has been used and misused widely over the years by a number of manufactures, but most professionals have come to accept that a glaze is most commonly a non-abrasive product used to mask imperfections and provide aesthetic enhancement.

Most glazes will be a blend of a few basic ingredients - wax, solvent, and oils. These three components are blended in a ratio to allow them to help fill in minor imperfections and thanks to the solvent content even offer a level of paint cleansing.

Glaze has long been a favorite product of car lots all over the world since they offer fast, easy, and inexpensive enhancement of painted surfaces in one step. However, the short lived effects have left more than a few new car owners wondering why their recent purchase looked so awful after just a few washes.

Ultimately glazes are best suited as a compliment to another LSP or used only for short term enhancement. The blends rarely lend themselves to more than a week of staying power in mild conditions and they're often easily washed away or evaporate when exposed to moderate heat.

In spite their short lifespan on your vehicles finish a glaze can offer fast, easy, and dramatic enhancement of gloss and depth making them a great choice as a topper right before a show, cruise, or whenever you want a little extra 'pop' on your finish.


WAX:
Durability: Low to Moderate | Aesthetics: High
Wax is actually comprised of naturally occurring compounds, harvested from a specific type of palm tree, commonly known as the detailing world as Carnauba wax. Carnauba wax comes in a variety of grades, purities, and can be refined to various levels. Its blended with oils, other wax types (like bees wax), and in some cases even some polymers to create car wax. Carnauba is actually a hard and coarse substance that has to be blended to create a chemical suitable for application to a vehicle - so be skeptical of any product claiming to be 100% carnauba. The makeup of carnauba would make it almost impossible to spread over your paint if it isn't cut with various other ingredients. See the magnified picture of raw carnauba wax below for a better idea why no car wax can be truly 100% carnauba.



Blending various waxes, solvents, oils and polymers together can give you virtually an infinite number of combinations and types of car wax, but there are some limitations no matter how good the blend. These limitations center mostly on how susceptible to deterioration from heat, detergents, and abrasion wax is. Even the best grades of carnauba will have a melting point between 160-180 degrees F, meaning a black car parked outside on a summer day in a climate like Arizona will easily begin to see evaporation of wax coating, within just a few days, or even a few hours the wax will be completely gone. Additionally, waxes will offer lower resistance to harsh detergents, like those found in touchless car washes.

The biggest benefit to waxes is their overall enhancement to painted finishes. A good wax will enhance colors, fill minor imperfections, and produce a rich, deep look that typically won't be seen with other LSP options. On dark colors (blacks and blues) you'll see additional depth and dimension. On brighter colors (yellows and reds) you may notice a more rich, vibrant look.


SEALANT:
Durability: Moderate to High | Aesthetics: Low to Moderate
Sealants tend to be mostly synthetic man made products chemically engineered to do very specific things, but mostly they excel at providing durable protection. Because these products are essentially created in a lab they can be modified, customized, and engineered to meet any number of criteria and perform in different ways.

On average a sealant will provide better durability than a comparable wax product. With much higher resistance to heat, UV, and detergents an application will withstand more abuse. Sealants encompass a wide variety of chemical compounds including acrylic resins, polymers, and aminos. Some will include varying amounts of wax in their blend to aid in filling or adding gloss.

For years sealants fell behind waxes in terms of providing aesthetic enhancement, but more recently sealants have been bridging that gap, offering better durability and an ever increasing levels of gloss and depth. While a sealant hasn't quite been able to recreate the rich depth found from carnauba based products the gap separating the two is increasingly smaller. Most sealants currently on the market offer excellent clarity and reflective properties making their look ideal for colors that don't typically benefit from waxes like metallic silvers and white.


COATING:
Durability: Extremely High | Aesthetics: Low to Moderate
The most recent technology for exterior protection is found in the coatings category. Once a product only for professionals the detailing world has begun to see more consumer friendly products that offer previously unheard of longevity and various other benefits. Described as nano coatings, glass coatings, or ceramic coatings the chemicals used in this category offer durability spanning multiple YEARS rather than months with some even claiming permanent protection.

Coatings can almost be thought of as a clear coat for your clear coat. They form a hard, clear, cured, hydrophobic barrier that is more resistant to scratches than automotive clear coat and even prevents contamination from sticking making them easier to clean.

The products in this category continue to evolve offering an increasingly diversified amount of benefits, with some coatings being easier to apply, others offering better scratch resistance, and others even focusing on some amount of gloss enhancement like a wax. The coating market is still very young and continues to evolve.

It should be mentioned that there is some level of skill involved in a coating application as well. A finish should be completely corrected prior to a coating application simply because any defects still in the paint will be trapped beneath the coating. Additionally coatings have specific cure times and techniques - be sure to research the application and requirements for any coating before attempting to apply yourself.


SO WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU BE USING?

There are no specific rules for choosing a product to use on your particular car, but there are some clear frontrunners to choose from simply by looking at how you use/store your vehicles mixed with your overall desire for increased shine.

For outright show car looks its hard to beat a wax. Its ideal for a car that spends most of its days in the garage or lives in more mild climates. A wax still continues to be the ultimate choice for someone looking to get the most 'shine' out of their finish. While sealants and coatings continue to find new levels of shine they still don't quite measure up to the look of a quality carnauba paste wax.

On the other hand a sealant or even a coating might make sense for your car if its a daily driver or its exposed to extreme winters or very hot summers. If you're among the large percentage of people who have to drive their car every day, even when the weather is less than perfect durability and ease of maintenance are your primary concerns. Ultimately you want to keep your car protected from the elements - so for a driver or car stored outside explore the options of sealants and coatings.

Ultimately, the choice of what is best is up to you. Find a product or products that have the right mix of the durability and enhancement for your budget and your free time. Afterall, if you just enjoy the process of cleaning and waxing your car then a wax is going to give you the most excuses to rub on it. Theres no rule you can't apply a wax to your daily driver or a sealant to your garage queen, but understand that you might not be seeing the full benefit of your product choice if its not ideal for the conditions its exposed to.




LAYERING MULTIPLE PRODUCTS

What if you want the best of both worlds? Well, you could venture into the world of layering. Working with a couple of product types in specific layers can give you a number of benefits, so long as you apply them properly.

As a general rule, the most durable product should always be used as the base, so for example if you were working with a sealant and a wax, the sealant would be your base layer that is then topped with the wax. The only exception to this rule comes into play with a combination of glazes and wax. Because wax doesn't bond to the paint in the same manner as a sealant or a coating a glaze can be used UNDER a wax to maximize the filling ability of the glaze without compromising the longevity of the wax coat.

The flip side of layering different products is in the top coat performance. Remember that whatever is applied last will be what outward behavior you see most. So when you top a coating with wax you will notice the aesthetic benefit, but you might also notice that the surface isn't as hydrophobic as it would've been with just the coating alone.

The best thing to do is to experiment for yourself to see what you like. With so many possible combinations theres going to be a process that suits you best, finding it is just a matter of trying them and evaluating for yourself.

MULTIPLE LAYERS OF THE SAME PRODUCT

If some is good, more must be better? Right? That might not always be the case. Many products will stack a few layers deep for additional surface coating, but there is a point of diminishing return. A wax for example will max out at about 2 thin coats, attempting to put 5 coats of a wax down in search of extra gloss and super durability just doesn't work. The additional coats simply begin to smear the base coats around and can actually have a negative impact on the clarity of the finish. The same is true of glazes for the mostpart.

Sealants, while more apt to layer without issues, still only stack a few layers deep before they begin to offer no additional benefit and you begin wasting product. Our independent testing showed no noticable benefit for a panel treated with 2 coats of sealant vs a panel treated with 4 coats.

With coatings, the tricky part of their curing process and the specific type of coating. Some coatings require substantial cure time before an additional layer can be applied, others require additional layers be applied before the first is fully cured to bond properly as the cured coat will actually repel the 2nd coat. Refer to your specific coating technology for guidance if you intend to layer.


LSP OPTIONS FROM ADAM'S:
WAXESBUTTERY WAX AMERICANA PASTE WAX PATRIOT WAX GLAZESBRILLIANT GLAZE SEALANTSLIQUID PAINT SEALANT H2O GUARD & GLOSS QUICK SEALANT GLASS SEALANT COATINGSCOMING SOON!

It smells like strippers - a combination of baby powder, oils, and body glitter... not that I'd know what that smells like.
 
Admittedly genius marketing on their part for their type of branding and the clients they tend to cater to, but not exactly in line with our branding or company ideology. We'll leave that kind of thing to them as its not our style.
 
 
Just because it should be stated again - STOP SMOKING IN THE CAR!!

I dig the powder scent, as long as it eliminates/neutralizes odors. As a smoker that would definitely make me want to buy it. I know, "Stop smoking in the car".

... what scents would you want?
 
 
I've been kicking around a few air freshener ideas, but the challenge (as it always is) to designing an interior scent is satisfying the preferences of as many people as possible. We're not going to get into the game of offering 200 different scents to satisfy every need, but 2 or 3 options could be in the works.
 
So post up your top 5 preferences for interior scents and be specific - so for example "berry"... what kind? Stawberry? Blueberry?
 
These will likely be spray-in odor eliminators/air fresheners... not the little trees type mirror dangles. Lets hear your input - its your feedback that will help us decide where to take this project and if we move to development what scents we'll focus on.
 
To get us started, heres mine:
 
Coconut Leather Piña Colada New Car Detail Spray  
 

It would be great if weekend warriors could read the posts - not have the ability to input, just review.
 
I would hate to miss out on all this great information. I also fear the pros may just migrate to this section and weekend warriors would miss their valuable input on the rest of the site.

BTW - the drivers side hood portion is the most recent, and closest to complete, version... note the difference in the crystals. I didn't get video but as soon as the car began moving that section blew off like snowflakes while most of the other sections stuck around until melted.

My daily driver, which is parked outside 24/7/365 has been serving as a test bed for a number of coatings, both prototypes and competitors for awhile now. With temps down in the low 20's this morning I had to snap some cool pics of the overnight frost and how its behaving. You can definitely see clear indications of the various products and how they allow ice crystals to form.
 

 

 

 

 
 

Friends, what a year it has been!  In October of 2013, we started using a 3rd Party Logistics company.  Reason:  We couldn't ship orders quick enough, and believed this was a viable solution.  That program didn't go so well.   Well, really, it failed miserably, expensively, and we pulled out after a big lesson was learned. 
 
Original plan, and post was explained here: http://www.adamsforums.com/topic/26715-incomplete-orders-errors-delays-the-reasons-why-and-the-big-plan-to-fix-it/
 
Then, another aggressive plan:  Establish remote distribution centers, to efficiently deliver orders to either coast in 2 business days!  Looked good on paper, and we ran the numbers a zillion times.  It made financial sense, if our system was perfect.......but, it wasn't.
 
We learned: Maintaining multiple distribution centers required significant additional inventory, bulletproof inventory management software and system, and a new, well-trained team in each location.
 
While that might sound like a tough thing to do, in reality, it proved extremely difficult!
 
Now what?  Well, now we are back to the basics.  Back to Colorado, shipping from our HQ exclusively.  We have gotten the band back together too!  Dylan is back in on the team, and we have already accomplished some goals.
 
We lost sight of the simplicity that made our business, and brand so authentic.  It's safe to say we will be keeping it simple moving forward, and specialize in having the greatest USA made products available, instead of being a distribution powerhouse.
 
Thank you for sticking with us through my blunders and fumbles.  I'm humbled to have earned, and kept your business.
 
Sincerely,
 
-Adam