Creating a Wet-Ice over Fire Shine
on your vehicle.

      If your car's surface has a rough, gritty or pebble-like texture, it indicates the presence of paint contamination. 

Removing Paint Contamination:

    There is no wax, natural or synthetic, or any chemical treatment that can prevent or protect against this contamination. Compounding with an abrasive polish may remove paint contamination but it can only be performed a few times before removing too much of the top, clear coat finish.
 

    The latest evolution in clay technology is BLACKFIRE PolyClay. These clay-like bars are made in the U.S.A. of entirely man made polymers. 

Mist surface with lubricant,
rub clay across surface.

Wipe off any residues
with a soft towel.

    As the bar becomes soiled, you can pull, stretch and refold it to expose a new, clean side but I prefer to use a clay cleaner and remove the embedded contamination. Using a clay cleaner like BLACKFIRE Clay Cleaner and Extender keeps clay bars cleaner and greatly extends their life. When the bar does becomes totally soiled (dark colored) discard it. A single 4 oz. bar should clean at least 7 to 10 cars. 

    Do not use a bar dropped on the ground.

Tech Note: Clay bars will not remove scratches, swirls, dull, oxidized paint or restore surface gloss. This is accomplished by polishing the surface after claying. Polishing alone will not remove paint contamination.

    For the purpose of this article, I'm assuming we're working on a newer vehicle with paint in good, but not perfect condition. If you're restoring an older vehicle with abused, neglected or severely oxidized paint, it should be compounded at this point with a product like Menzerna Intensive Polish, before proceeding with this polishing step. 

    Polishing visually reduces or removes spots, swirls and minor paint defects. Polishing also maximizes surface gloss by burnishing the surface more "mirror-like". For best results, I like to apply polish with a dual-action, machine polisher like the Porter Cable 7424 and buff off residues by hand using a Microfiber Buffing Cloth.

 About dual-action polishers:

   Dual action polishers trade safety for paint cutting ability. Since the pads oscillate (jiggle) rather than rotate, dual action machines may not be able to  remove  deeper swirls, water spots and scratches. That said, dual-action polishers will always produce better results than could be achieved by hand.

    On the plus side, the random, oscillating motion of dual action polishers makes these machines very safe for novice users. It is virtually impossible to damage the paint or clear coat with a dual action polisher.

    The polish I've chosen is BLACKFIRE  Gloss Enhancing Polish. I particularly like this polish because it is both a polish and a glaze. It maximizes surface gloss, visually reduces paint defects and "wets" the paint, to create the illusion of the paint being under water. It's also a very easy polish to apply by machine.

Here's what you'll need for polishing:

• Dual-action polisher (Porter Cable 7424 Ultimate Detail Machine)
• A 6 inch Hook-and-Loop Backing Plate (This comes with the 7424 Ultimate Detail Machine listed above.)
• Two 6-1/2 inch or 7-1/2 inch, CCS, White Foam Polishing Pads. 
• Foam Pad Lubricant & Residue Remover.
• BLACKFIRE Gloss Enhancing Polish.
• At least one Microfiber Buffing Cloth.
• Snappy Clean Pad Cleaning Powder

Polishing procedure:

    Before you get started, prepare a bucket of water with one packet of Snappy Clean Pad Cleaning Powder. As you polish, the white foam pad will "cake" with polish residues. It typically requires two pads to polish the average vehicle. At the half way point, remove the dirty foam pad and toss it in the bucket to soak. This prevents polish residues from drying in the pad.

• Place a 6-1/2or 7-1/2 inch, CCS, Constant Pressure, White Polishing  Pad on a 6 inch Hook and Loop  Backing Plate  and attach to your 7424 machine polisher.
• Work on a small area, 24 to 36 inches square, out of direct sunlight.
• Apply two 6 to 8 inch lines of Gloss Enhancing Polish directly to the surface.
• Lightly mist the white pad with Pad Lubricant. (One mist is all you need. If the pad gets too wet it will create polish splatter)
• With the machine off, spread the polish over the surface using the foam pad. This coats the foam pad with polish and reduces polishing paint temperatures. 
• Place the White, CCS, Polishing Pad against the paint and turn the machine on. Set the speed dial on the polisher between 3-1/2 and 4. 
• Work the pad over the surface in a back-and-forth motion and then an up-and-down motion.

Put a 6 inch, Velcro™ Backing Plate on the 7424 Polisher and attach a 6-1/2 or 7-1/2  inch, White, CCS Polishing Pad 

Apply Gloss Enhancing Polish to the paint.

Mist polishing once with pad lubricant.

Spread polish with machine off.

Set the speed dial between
3-1/2 and 4,

Work in a back-and-forth
and up-and-down pattern.

Most vehicles have some areas which can not be detailed by machine.

Polish, seal and buff these areas by hand using a Microfiber Applicator Pad and Microfiber Buffing Cloth.

• Go over the surface several times or until the polish starts to dry.
  
  
• Buff off residues by hand with a  Microfiber Buffing Cloth.
  
  
• The polished surface should be bright, highly reflective and haze free. Continue polishing the next section until the entire vehicle is done.

Remove residues with a dry Microfiber
 Cloth and inspect the surface.

    The foundation of Wet-Ice over Fire Shine is BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond, All Finish Paint Protection. This is a paint-friendly, water-based, sealant formulated with the latest generation of German, acrylic, super-polymers. Wet Diamond, All Finish Paint Protection creates a vibrant, high-energy, laser-sharp, base shine.

Here's what you'll need for applying Wet Diamond, All Finish Paint Protection:

• Dual-action polisher (Porter Cable 7424 Ultimate Detail Machine)
• A 6 inch Hook-and-Loop Backing Plate (This comes with the 7424 Ultimate Detail Machine listed above.)
• One 6-1/2 inch or 7-1/2 inch, Red, CCS, Concours Finishing Pad.
• BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond, All Finish Paint Protection.
• One Microfiber Buffing Cloth.
• Snappy Clean Pad Cleaning Powder

Applying Wet Diamond, All Finish Paint Protection:

• Place a 6-1/2 or 7-1/2 inch, Hi-Gloss, CCS, Constant Pressure, Red Concours Finishing  Pad on a 6 inch Hook and Loop  Backing Plate  and attach to your 7424 machine polisher.
• Work on a small area, 24 to 36 inches square, out of direct sunlight.
• Apply two 6 to 8 inch lines of All Finish Paint Protection directly to the surface.
• With the machine off, spread the sealant over the surface using the dry foam pad. This coats the foam pad and the paint with sealant.  (I prefer to apply this sealant with a dry pad, without using any pad lubricant.)
• Place the Red, Concours Finishing  Pad on the paint and turn the machine on. Set the speed dial on the polisher between 3-1/2 and 4. 
• Work the pad over the surface in a back-and-forth motion and then an up-and-down motion. Apply until the sealant starts to dry. Cover one section of the vehicle at a time (i.e. the hood, a door, fender, etc.)
• Allow a haze to form. Hand buff to a brilliant shine with a Microfiber Buffing Cloth.

Put a 6 inch, Velcro Backing Plate on 
the 7424 Polisher and attach a 6-1/2 or 7-1/2 inch, CCS, Red Concours Finishing Pad 

Apply Wet Diamond, All Finish Paint Protection to the paint.

Spread polish with machine off.

Set the speed dial between
3-1/2 and 4,

Work in a back-and-forth
and up-and-down pattern.

Allow haze to form. Buff to a bright
shine with a Microfiber Cloth.

    Soak dirty pads in a bucket of Snappy Clean, Pad Cleaning Powder, rinse, squeeze out excess water and allow to air dry.

    Do not allow polish or sealant residues to dry in the pad.

Soak dirty pads in a bucket with Pad
Cleaner, rinse and allow to air dry.

    The hard part is over. Allow at least eight hours (overnight) for Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection to cure.

Putting Wet-Ice over the Fire.

    This one-of-a-kind wax is specifically designed to be used on top of All Finish Paint Protection. It creates a rippling liquidity on the surface and enhances the illusion of depth. When two coats of Midnight Sun Ivory Carnauba Paste Wax are applied over All Finish Paint Protection, the resulting shine is wetness over energy, Wet-Ice over Fire!

Everything you need comes with the paste wax.

    Midnight Sun Ivory Carnauba Paste Wax comes with a Concours, Red Foam Wax Applicator and a Microfiber Buffing Cloth.

    Midnight Sun Paste Wax is buffed off "wet" before the wax fully dries. I like to wipe a thin layer of wax over 1/4 to 1/3 of the car (i.e. hood and 2 fenders) then go back and buff to a bright shine. It wipes on like butter and buffs off easily with a Microfiber cloth. When one area is done, wax and buff the next area until the entire vehicle has a deep, rich shine.

IMPORTANT: Allow at least 8 hours (or overnight) for the first wax coat to cure.

    Finish by applying a second coat of Midnight Sun Ivory Carnauba Paste Wax. Apply the same as you did previously. Wipe on one section at a time and hand buff immediately. Enjoy my Ice over Fire shine!

NOTE: I know you're anxious and want to perform all of the steps one after another but you will not get the same results. You must allow time for All Finish Paint Protection and Ivory Carnauba Paste Wax to cure. Eight hours between coats is minimum but it can be days or even weeks later.

ADDITIONAL WAX LAYERS: It takes two coats of Midnight Sun, Ivory Carnauba Paste Wax to achieve the basic Ice over Fire shine. Additional wax coatings may or may not make a noticeable difference. We have experimented with black and red show cars with as many as twelve (12) coats and have been able to detect  improvements in depth and liquidity. Always wait a minimum of 8 hours between coats.

RECAP OF STEPS:

    Here's a recap of everything we did to create the Ice over Fire shine.

• Washed and dried vehicle.
• Tested for paint contamination. If contamination was found, we used a clay bar and lubricant to remove it.
• Polished with BLACKFIRE Gloss Enhancing Polish. We applied the polish using a Porter Cable 7424 machine polisher and buffed off residues by hand.
• Created a high gloss foundation with one coat of BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond, All Finish Paint Protection. We applied this sealant with a Porter Cable 7424 polisher and hand buffed with a Microfiber Buffing Cloth. This layer was allowed to cure for at least eight hours.
• Hand applied and hand buffed one coat of Midnight Sun Ivory Carnauba Paste Wax. This coat was allowed to cure for 8 hours.
• Hand applied and hand buffed a second coat of Midnight Sun Ivory Carnauba Paste Wax