waxing in circles

[Paul Johnson]

OK, just finished applying wax, dutifully rubbing in circles. So the question is, why circles rather than rectangles or lines? I can think of two explanations:
1. There is some technical reason that I don't know.
2. Long ago some poor teenager was waxing his dad's car, putting the wax down in lines. Dad came out to see, and since the kid had to be doing it wrong, he barked at him about applying wax in circles, thereby obligating all sons ever since.
Anyone know?

 

[aerog]

Don't know the answer - except there are a lot of people that don't agree with waxing in circles, and there are a lot of theories about any resultant straight-line microscratches being less noticable than circular ones. There are also theories that using straight-line techniques vertically on some part of the car yield a more reflective look, and horizontally on others. Thats the way I sometimes wax my MGB, not that I've noticed much difference.

 

[R6MGS]

I try to usually go in circles, not sure why though I've just always done it like that...Some areas are almost imposible to go in circles though, ever tried waxing a C3 Corvette or other really curvy/angled car It's impossible to get the wax on in a uniformed fashion!

 

[Americanshine]

Ok, Wax On/Wax off, whats is the answer? It is usiually personal perference. BUT think about it this way. When they lay down the paint on a car, do the spray it on in circles? No they spray it on in strokes back and fourth, back and fourth. The grain of the paint then shows in such a pattern.

Why I find that with all of the show cars (especially black and the darker colors) that I have detailed, they show best with the figure eight configuration that I apply wax on with. Large figure eights, then buff to a shine when the wax has hazed up, (or leave it there for a week cuzz I am too lazy to take it right off right away).

Again, whatever you preference is, but that is what I find works here in the Mojave Desert.

 

[77MidgetMkIV]

I go in figure eights as well. I always thought that circular/fig.8 was better because it was more uniform. Never though about paint grain or micro-etching (My car is mostly MACRO etched!)