In the article, Cleaning Your Ageless Iron Classic, you learned the essential steps for properly washing your iron beauty. Now that the tractor has been thoroughly washed, it’s time to evaluate the paint surface and the possible need for cleaner, polish, or wax.
In general, a good coat of wax should provide protection for three to four months. That greatly depends, however, on your geographical location, the way a tractor is stored, and how much it was exposed to the elements during the show season.
It’s important to note, too, that dull-looking paint can be attributed to both above-surface defects and below-surface defects. The former, which include everything from bird droppings to tar and tree sap, can often be removed with a good wash or, at the very least, a cleaner or a polish.
Some detailers swear by the use of a clay bar for removing embedded particles and surface-born contaminants.
Before using a clay bar, though, it’s important to apply a layer of detailing spray on a freshly washed surface. The film will serve as a lubricant for the clay so it doesn’t stick and leave behind any residue.
To remove deposits, simply slide the clay bar over the lubricated surface, kneading the bar regularly to expose fresh clay. Otherwise, grit and dirt that is now embedded in the clay could scratch the surface. Because a clay bar is so effective at removing deposits, it’s important to realize that it also takes off wax. Don’t use a clay bar unless you plan to rewax the finish as part of the whole process.
In the meantime, below-surface defects, which include scratches, oxidation, and acid-rain etching, require more serious attention. Start with a mild abrasive designed to gently remove paint defects, swirls, or scratches.
Emphasis is on the word mild. In fact, automotive paint care professionals recommend you start with the least abrasive product and test it on the worst defect to see if it eliminates the problem. If not, move on to something more abrasive, reserving the least abrasive product for the areas with the least problems.
Although a rotary buffer can be used to remove the cleaner, it’s generally best to do the whole job by hand to avoid the possibility of burning the paint from too much friction. If you do use a power buffer, it’s best to go with a dual-action or random-orbital polisher.
Using a foam applicator pad, spread the product over a limited area at a time by using small circular, overlapping strokes.
Most sheet metal will be fine with a simple polish. If the paint has swirl marks, you may want to start with a glaze. Remember to let the product do the work rather than trying to do it with heavy pressure. Otherwise, you risk the chance of grinding debris back into the paint.
Finally, use a soft terry cloth or microfiber towel folded into fourths to remove the cleaner. Use one side to carefully remove the material, then flip it over to remove any additional residue. Keep changing the wiping surface so you don’t begin wiping the surface with a portion of the cloth that is so dirty it acts like an abrasive. If you’re using a polish instead of a cleaner, you should follow the same basic procedure as above.
Based on the shine you get from cleaning and polishing the sheet metal, you may think you’re finished at this point. Unfortunately, that shine won’t last long unless you do something to protect it. In most cases, that protection comes from a coat of wax, silicone, or polymer. Some people even use more than one product; they apply a polymer sealant and allow it to dry before moving on to the wax.
The number of choices at your local automotive store may leave you genuinely confused when it’s time to choose a wax. The first step is to avoid the cleaner-wax and polish-wax combinations. These contain a mild abrasive cleaner or chemical cleaner, which shouldn’t be necessary, as they’re designed to do in one step what you did with the cleaner or polishing compound. You should especially avoid them if you’ve used a polymer sealant, as they will only scratch the coating you’ve just applied.
There are basically two main categories of waxes: carnauba or natural wax, and synthetic products, often referred to as paint sealants. Both have their strengths and weaknesses.
Synthetic waxes are typically a little easier to apply, but sometimes they don’t give the depth of shine that a carnauba wax can. The other thing you need to know is a silicone-based synthetic can impair your ability to do any touch-up or spot painting in the near future, since new paint will not stick to any surface that contains even a trace of silicone. Silicone does, however, have the ability to penetrate all the paint layers, including the primer, providing a somewhat longer interval between rewaxing.
On the other hand, some paint care specialists insist the best option for a deep, lasting shine is a good-quality carnauba wax, even though it is harder to put on, harder to polish, and requires a lot more work. The good news is that the hood and fenders on a tractor involve much less area than the typical automobile.
By definition, carnauba wax is derived from the leaves of the carnauba palm, a plant native to northeastern Brazil. As the hardest wax known to man, it is extremely durable. Even though so-called 100% pure carnauba waxes contain a blend of other products, it’s still best to look for a product that lists itself as pure carnauba wax. Most are available as both a liquid and a paste.
Now comes the work. Simply apply the wax sparingly using a damp cloth or applicator and use a straight-line motion. Work a small section at a time, moving the cloth the length of whatever panel you’re working on. Then let it dry for five minutes or more before wiping it with a soft towel and buffing it out.
Jim Deardorff, a professional painter from Chillicothe, Missouri, with more than 25 years experience in painting agricultural equipment, insists he has found a better solution than either wax or sealers.
After thoroughly cleaning a tractor or machine, he applies a relatively new product from Germany called Permanon Platinum, which is a state-of-the-art nanotechnology coating that is simply sprayed onto the surface with a spray bottle or a pump-type applicator and rinsed off. No buffing or polishing is required, which makes it the easiest of all solutions.
Permanon coatings basically utilize waterborne nanosize particles of silicium that form an electrostatic bond with the surface being protected.
“When Permanon Platinum is applied to a clean, hard surface, it produces properties that are similar to hardened glass,” Deardorff says. “It also fills the microscopic pores and pits in paint and other hard surfaces where dirt typically accumulates. Equally important, it’s chemically stable and, since dust and dirt will not bond to treated surfaces, everything easily washes right off, including road salts, alkaline solutions, and other chemicals.”
Permanon Platinum is only available as a concentrate, which is mixed with distilled water at a ratio of 1 to 10. The concentrate costs around $1 per ounce.
Whether you go with carnauba wax, a sealer, or the latest nanotechnology product, it’s important to protect your tractor from the elements, whether that includes rust, road treatment chemicals, paint fading, or bird droppings while it’s parked in the shed. Either cover tractors, or remove any surface pollution as soon as possible. Like Deardorff says, “Paint maintenance is like money in the bank drawing interest.”
For more on choosing and applying cleaners, polishes, sealers, and waxes, visit autogeek.net; autoeducation.com; or detailguide.com/03_how_01_07_prep_seal_wax. While these sites are written for car owners, the information applies to any tractor repainted with enamel or polyurethane, including those with a clear coat.
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