Dan@Adams

Yep! Greg on our show team has that one too, and I think you're correct that a few were given out to close friends and testers when the staff was very small back then 👍

Hi JB, and welcome to the forum! I'll try to address all of your questions the best I can.

1. This can occur with our Graphene Ceramic Coating and UV Ceramic Paint Coating on darker colored vehicles from my experience; however I did have some of them on a red metallic Chevy SS I did a while back too (UV Paint Coating, not Graphene Ceramic Coating). The UV LED Light will make this much more visible shortly after application, but the lines usually show up if the coating was not wiped away thoroughly enough - usually they will show up in an overcast or cloudy sky and it will look perfect in the sunlight. Usually a few drops of white Polish or Brilliant Glaze will remove the shadows without too much struggle if you catch them within the first 12 hours or so after application. After 12 hours they might require more effort and/or machine polishing to correct.

2. Not necessarily. If the rainbow effect was dissipating after 60-90 seconds and the coating felt slightly tacky or had a small amount of tension when wiping with the towel, that is sufficient time to let it dry. Sometimes it takes 2-3 minutes in my garage, sometimes 60-90 seconds - it depends on temperature and humidity levels.
 
3. That is just about perfect with the overlapping to ensure even coverage. I do wipe the applicator in a nice slow movement with a slight bit of pressure since some of the coating absorbs into the applicator.
 
4. The lines to me seem more prevalent when I seem to apply the coating a little too thin in areas, so yes I do add a few more drops of coating to the applicator; however, the process that I do that seems to work best for me is as follows:
I will put several drops of coating onto the applicator, then do an outline around the perimeter of a panel, without lifting the applicator from the surface. Oxygen makes the coating flash, so each time you lift and place the applicator down onto the surface, it will be heavier there (and this is where I will usually find high spots later).  Once I have the outline done, I will do horizontal back and forth across the panel, again without lifting the applicator from the surface. The perimeter edge of the coating serves as a "pool" to pick up extra coating into the applicator to make the horizontal lines nice and even, overlapping each line as you said. Once the horizontal passes are done, then I will add more drops of coating into the applicator and then do vertical passes on the panel in the same manner, without lifting the applicator from the surface as I move it up and down. If you split a door or hood into two sections to reach, I will do one section and then immediately do the other section before wiping off the first section. If I don't do this, I can then see a visible vertical overlap line where two sections met, once I wipe away both sections. So this can then show up as a faint high-spot line that I will have to take care of later. 5. To prevent it from happening again, I feel also comes into how the coating is wiped away. Once the rainbow begins to fade, I take a clean Suede Towel folded into fourths, and I lightly wipe/smear the coating all in same direction - either left/right or up/down. This towel will remove about 50% of the coating with this light wipe. Then I'll let the coating tack up again for another 30 seconds or so, and then take my Single Soft/Borderless Gray/Edgeless Utility Towel to remove the remainder of the coating. I wipe multiple passes and multiple directions with this second towel, to make sure all residue is removed and I have far less high-spots afterward using that process.

Also keep in mind that the UV LED Light shows EVERYTHING, and you don't want to chase having absolutely perfect coverage with the UV glow tracer. The UV glow will dissipate and look more even after a few hours. What I usually do is apply the coating, remove it, and then use the UV light afterward to do a spot inspection to see if I missed anywhere, otherwise you can spend double the amount of time trying to use the light while applying the coating.

Sorry for the lengthy post, but hopefully that helps out! Please let us know if you have any other questions

First, welcome!
 
Assuming you mean Wheel and Tire Cleaner, not Tire and Rubber Cleaner (which is also safe), no, you'll be fine to use it. But it may not be needed nearly as often since the coating will resist a lot of build up you saw before. A wash with just car shampoo and water may be all you need.

I've got a black one with the old logo on it. The logo's different than the one Adam's wearing in the post above. It appears larger and has an American Flag background behind the text. I'm thinking 2012/13ish? I doubt I'd purchased it, it might have been given to those of us that did beta testing back then. It's a canvas type material, and has a large pocket on each side.

Here's a link to another apron thread.  Shows the black one if your scroll through. 
 

I didn't see it mentioned, but when you washed, did you do just a hose and bucket wash? If yes, I would try a pressure washer with the appropriate nozzle tip, keeping the pressurized stream about 12-18" away from the paint. The pressure washer will hopefully remove some of the concrete dust build-up before you move onto a Clay Bar, Clay Mitt, Polish, or Brilliant Glaze. If you were on the other side of PA I would offer to help! Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm not eating those cookies!  

I figured. No harm, no foul. I'm trying not to taste it. I think something was Sugar Cookie last winter and it was one of my favorite scents then too

It works great. I'll add a caveat to be careful on garage floors and other slick surfaces because it can sometimes slide, especially when you're reaching out and changing your body angle. I'm looking for something to add a little more grip to the feet, unless someone else has an idea (I'm all ears!). It's sturdy, though, and I'm happy to have it in my arsenal.
 

I ran out to the garage and took some pics. They're not great, but you can see what it's like opened up and the measurements.  Hope it helps you.  The second pic, there's a smaller stool underneath the Adam's stool, but I think  you can see the Adam's stool okay.  Didn't feel like moving the car for a better pic.  These things are a necessity if you have a truck or SUV.  If it's something  you're considering, I wouldn't hesitate. They're a great addition and a lot better than the small stool I had before. Oh, and there are steps on the legs so you don't have to "jump" un 20" to get on it.
 
 

Just a quick update: I spoke to Phil and he's going to talk to our manufacturer to see if they would manufacture a coupler for us! 

Just a quick update: I spoke to Phil and he's going to talk to our manufacturer to see if they would manufacture a coupler for us! 

I guess making something work is a option. I’d just like it if I could say remove the flat nozzle off the end of the hose then install another small extension hose then put the nozzle back on. You get what I’m saying? If there was a easy coupler I could slap the hose on and off when needed and not have to store it on the hose hanger that is made of the blaster mount. I’m like 10ft short of what I need so I guess if not a coupler a 40ft hose option would be nice as well.

@Dan@Adams Perfect, thanks for the info and advice!

My opinion, do NOT machine polish PPF, it's far too risky if you have never attempted it before. In addition to degrading the adhesive like Chris mentioned, you can cause an almost permanent hazy finish on some PPF that is then very difficult to fix - delicate and repeated massaging with Brilliant Glaze...ask @BRZN and I how we know from a car at Carlisle a few years back! 

If it were me, I would simply wash the PPF, maybe use Fine Grade Clay and Waterless Wash with very light to no pressure only in spots that have stubborn bug guts, then Surface Prep and finally coat.

I agree with Rich - our Graphene Ceramic Coating isn't going to repel dust or be completely anti-static, but it will provide excellent protection and gloss to the paint, glass, etc. To me, I'm not a chemist, but wiping a static-charged microfiber towel onto the surface of the vehicle sometimes seems to leave a charge on the surface that might attract more dust, so I hold two corners of the towel and give the towel a quick snap to try to discharge any static before use - you'll notice this most after pulling a clean towel out of the dryer.

UV protection mostly comes from UV inhibitors in the clear coat of the vehicle, so applying protection on top of that allows the clear coat to last longer and do its job. A ceramic coating or graphene ceramic coating is going to provide much more protection than a sealant or wax, for a longer period of time, so it would be your best bet for UV protection. 
 
As far as application, you don't need a sterile clean room to apply, but an enclosed garage is strongly encouraged (required) to apply the full Graphene Ceramic Coating in the 60ml bottle. This is to ensure more even temperature and humidity during application, while being in the shade. Applying inside of a garage will also remove any moisture issues and allow the coating to cure properly. The Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating can be applied outdoors, since it only requires a 4-hour cure time, but we would still recommend to apply it in a garage if you can.

I've applied in the 50-80F range, so 65F would be great (I did two vehicles this past week with Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating, in the evenings at 62F in my garage). If a slight amount of dust builds up during the 24-hour cure time, I simply use a little amount of Graphene Detail Spray and a Single Soft or Borderless Gray Towel to wipe off the vehicle after that first 24 hours. The vehicle can get wet after 24 hours, but we recommend that you do not wash the vehicle with any soap until 5-7 days after application.

If you have not applied a ceramic coating before, don't be discouraged when you find high-spots, which are streaks or areas of the coating where you did not wipe it away fully. I like to coat a panel or half-panel at a time. Temperature and humidity will determine how long the coating needs to flash (rainbow) on the surface before being removed with two microfiber towels. Once the rainbow begins to fade, the coating usually has some tension or tacky feel on the surface, and this is when you want to wipe it off. I use one towel to spread and smear the coating, wiping away about 50% of it, then I use a second towel to wipe away the remainder on the panel. When I'm finished coating the vehicle, I like to briefly move the vehicle outside into the sun to spot-check it. If you catch the high-spots quickly enough, a drop or two extra of the Graphene Coating onto the applicator and then reapplying to the high-spot and immediately wiping it off should resolve the issue. If the high-spot has cured for a few hours, a few drops of Brilliant Glaze will usually remove the high-spot fairly easy. Once you've spot-checked the whole vehicle, move it back inside to cure for the remainder of the 24 hours 👍

Hi @aa146, and welcome to the forum! 

Our Iron Remover is a very strong chemical, so you do need to exercise caution when using it. I would recommend using it in the shade, and do not let it dry onto any surface. I try to avoid getting it on any exterior plastic trim pieces - it's mainly intended for removing iron contamination from painted surfaces. If the Iron Remover sits too long on some plastics, the plastic can discolor white almost like when getting wax residue onto plastic trim. You would then need to scrub it thoroughly with Tire & Rubber Cleaner to fix it. In other words, I try to wipe it off of plastics immediately with an old towel, while it is still working to dissolve iron particles on the paint. 

I don't see there being any issues on brushed aluminum. On raw polished mirror aluminum, it can leave a cloudy or hazy look, but brushed aluminum already has a slightly hazy look. I would recommend testing in a small area on the running board. If there are any problems on the running boards, Metal Polish #1 or Brilliant Glaze on the brushed aluminum should get it looking back to normal.

Let us know if you have any other questions!

I agree with Rich - our Graphene Ceramic Coating isn't going to repel dust or be completely anti-static, but it will provide excellent protection and gloss to the paint, glass, etc. To me, I'm not a chemist, but wiping a static-charged microfiber towel onto the surface of the vehicle sometimes seems to leave a charge on the surface that might attract more dust, so I hold two corners of the towel and give the towel a quick snap to try to discharge any static before use - you'll notice this most after pulling a clean towel out of the dryer.

UV protection mostly comes from UV inhibitors in the clear coat of the vehicle, so applying protection on top of that allows the clear coat to last longer and do its job. A ceramic coating or graphene ceramic coating is going to provide much more protection than a sealant or wax, for a longer period of time, so it would be your best bet for UV protection. 
 
As far as application, you don't need a sterile clean room to apply, but an enclosed garage is strongly encouraged (required) to apply the full Graphene Ceramic Coating in the 60ml bottle. This is to ensure more even temperature and humidity during application, while being in the shade. Applying inside of a garage will also remove any moisture issues and allow the coating to cure properly. The Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating can be applied outdoors, since it only requires a 4-hour cure time, but we would still recommend to apply it in a garage if you can.

I've applied in the 50-80F range, so 65F would be great (I did two vehicles this past week with Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating, in the evenings at 62F in my garage). If a slight amount of dust builds up during the 24-hour cure time, I simply use a little amount of Graphene Detail Spray and a Single Soft or Borderless Gray Towel to wipe off the vehicle after that first 24 hours. The vehicle can get wet after 24 hours, but we recommend that you do not wash the vehicle with any soap until 5-7 days after application.

If you have not applied a ceramic coating before, don't be discouraged when you find high-spots, which are streaks or areas of the coating where you did not wipe it away fully. I like to coat a panel or half-panel at a time. Temperature and humidity will determine how long the coating needs to flash (rainbow) on the surface before being removed with two microfiber towels. Once the rainbow begins to fade, the coating usually has some tension or tacky feel on the surface, and this is when you want to wipe it off. I use one towel to spread and smear the coating, wiping away about 50% of it, then I use a second towel to wipe away the remainder on the panel. When I'm finished coating the vehicle, I like to briefly move the vehicle outside into the sun to spot-check it. If you catch the high-spots quickly enough, a drop or two extra of the Graphene Coating onto the applicator and then reapplying to the high-spot and immediately wiping it off should resolve the issue. If the high-spot has cured for a few hours, a few drops of Brilliant Glaze will usually remove the high-spot fairly easy. Once you've spot-checked the whole vehicle, move it back inside to cure for the remainder of the 24 hours 👍

Hi Jonathan! That's a cool idea for sure that I can pass along; however there could be some drop in airflow adding more length to the hose, and we would need to make sure any coupler is 100% sealed as well. 

I'll bring it up to the product development team as a recommendation, thanks!

HA!  Winter washing for me means putting on a long sleeved shirt, and maybe socks!

We recently uploaded a new Winter Prep video onto our YouTube channel! It's an updated video for 2020, where Joe demonstrates how to keep your daily driver safe and protected for winter, using some of the newer products in our lineup. We hope you enjoy it! Make sure to subscribe to our channel and click on the bell to receive notifications on future videos.
 
 

Ray summed it up great there! With most of our sprays that offer more substantial protection than our pink Detail Spray, you do need to wipe them in more thoroughly. I do also recommend two towels especially when working on darker colored surfaces - with the first towel to spread and absorb 75% or so of the product, and the second dry towel to remove the remaining product. Less is more with our products too, so 2 full-pull trigger mists will cover half of a hood for me. Make sure to shake up the Graphene Detail Spray before use as well - if things have settled in the bottle, that may cause some of the streaking too.
 
If the streaking still persists, you could try the damp towel method, mist it onto the surface, take a slightly damp towel with water (not dripping wet) to do the initial wipe, and then take a second dry towel wipe away the rest. I've used Graphene Detail Spray on several vehicles now - metallic black, gloss black, cement gray, pearl white, metallic blue, and silver, and I haven't had any streaking problems yet with three different bottles - I ended up giving away two bottles for friends vehicles that I coated. Which type of towels are you using with it? I've used it with our Borderless Gray Towels and Single Soft Towels with excellent results.

I would recommend using the Graphene Detail Spray in the shade if possible, when the vehicle is cool to the touch. You can use it in the sun, but you will need to work in smaller areas and wipe it off quickly.

I would not recommend using our normal pink Detail Spray several times a week though as another option as you mentioned. Once a week or so would be ok, but it can build up over time. It will not harm the coating, but could cause the coating to not perform as well in terms of hydrophobics and repelling water. If you're looking for a product to wipe the vehicle down several times per week for light dust removal and so on, I would recommend our Waterless Wash. It's a straight cleaner without any protection, so it won't build up. Then you could use the Graphene Detail Spray every few weeks or so for maintenance of the coating.

Hi there, and welcome to the forum! It sounds like your prep work was spot on, and goes above and beyond what most would do, so I applaud you for that.
 
My hunch for why you aren't seeing the proper longevity of the coating would be that it was wiped away too quickly after being applied to the surface, since you stated you allowed it to rainbow and then removed the residue. Our spray coatings will rainbow, or flash, almost immediately after hitting the surface as they are exposed to oxygen, in as little as 10 to 30 seconds sometimes; however I usually let the product set up for at least 2-3 minutes (sometimes more) before removal. Our spray coatings are more forgiving for application and removal compared to the full coating kits, so even if they stay on the surface for a few minutes, they will wipe away fairly easy. 

Allowing the spray coating residue to 'tack up' for a bit, usually until the rainbow begins to fade to a more clear hazy look, will cause your towel to have a slight amount of tension to it while wiping away the coating. This will ensure that it is better bonding to the surface. I will use one of our Suede Towels to spread/smear and level the coating, removing about 50-75% of the residue, then I'll let it sit for another 30 seconds or so, and then I'll take a second clean plush towel (Borderless Gray, Edgeless Utility, or Single Soft) to remove the remaining coating residue. Using this method, and maintaining with Ceramic Boost, CS3, or Graphene Detail Spray, I usually see around 4-6 months of protection on my daily driver with our spray coatings, which is exposed to all sorts of harsh driving environments - heavy rain, high humidity and pollen during hot summers, salt/ash/snow slush, etc. 

I would recommend to try re-application in a test area. I would do a wash with our standard blue Car Shampoo, rinse thoroughly, dry, and then do your IPA wipe-down (or Surface Prep). Very thoroughly shake the Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating bottle first to mix all chemicals, then spray into a Microfiber Applicator Block or onto the surface directly - I like to spray into an applicator to avoid over spray onto other areas of the vehicle - then apply and remove as described above. If applying a second coat, we recommend waiting at least 1-2 hours before applying the second coat. Joe explains the flashing and wait time at around the 4:22 mark in the video below:
 
 

A new winter washing video is in the final stages of editing too and will be coming soon! 

We recently uploaded a new Winter Prep video onto our YouTube channel! It's an updated video for 2020, where Joe demonstrates how to keep your daily driver safe and protected for winter, using some of the newer products in our lineup. We hope you enjoy it! Make sure to subscribe to our channel and click on the bell to receive notifications on future videos.