HYDROPHOBIC AND SHEETING ABILITY
It was raining and I can see that DG 105 had good water beading effect along with sheeting ability. What do I mean? Well when the car is stationary the water beads up well. When the car starts to move the water beads will start to move from 55km/h and really clump together at 60km/h. By 65km/h the water beads would have clumped together enough to form small sheets of water which start to fly off the bonnet of car.
So I did my regular 90km drive home with speeds ranging from 0-150km/h. Some parts were raining, some places were starting to rain some places was ending with a drizzle.
When I came back home the usual black streaks were on the bonnet. So after dinner I just used a hose water and a sponge to rinse and sponge the car down. All the black streaks came off with out a problem without any staining to the paint where other products which I have tried leaves a stain there. So DG 105 does help to prevent staining if you can clean the stain off early enough. Which is a big plus point for any of you who have white colored cars.
Now here is where the Duragloss starts to shine and is different from other sealants, coatings and hydrophobic polymers that I have experienced. Most other products leaves some form of oil behind after buffing. There are some products which leaves a layer of oil behind and I have noticed on my car that the dirt sticks to the oil and stains the paint even after 1 day in the rain.
With DG 105 when I was buffing with a clean micro fiber it basically didn't leave any oil behind. But what was left behind was a coating of sealant on top if the paint which is hydrophobic which resist stains and shines. When the car was parked in the rain today you can see the hydrophobic properties working beading away and when the car moves and the beads of water start to move and clump to form a sheet of water, it starts to sheet away.
Here is another way of explaining what I'm trying to say. Take for example Rain X windscreen water repellent. When you apply to the glass you can feel it leaves a thin oily smooth slick feel to the glass. You can see the film of oil on the glass when it rains and when the wiper wipes through the glass. Similarly but not necessarily identical "oils" may it be a polymer, silicone, mineral etc which are used in polishes, waxes and sealants when left on the paint may stain the paint as well when road grime is mixed with the oils. So why are there some form of oils in polishes, waxes and sealants? Basically for lubrication purposes and visual appearance for the most part of it.
Now here is my theory whether its true or false, wrong or right I don't know. Its just my theory which I have formed through my observation so far of Duragloss. When I buffed DG 105 off the paint with a clean (freshly washed and dry) cotton cloth, you can see lines/streaks and patches on the paint. I have found that this is usually caused by oils from the wax, sealant or coatings. Which I often see on other products which I have tried on my white and maroon civic. So after using the cotton cloth to buff. I decided to use the micro fiber and buff what haze which was left behind and oily streaks and patches. As soon as I used a new/clean micro fiber there was no longer any streaks and patches and all haze removed. When you feel the paint you can feel the paint is smooth and slick but not the smooth and slick like the Rain X feeling on freshly prepared glass.
So is it a good thing or a bad thing? Depends on what you are looking for. The oils will give it warmth and a wet look to the paint. But the disadvantage is that the oils will get stained and in turn stain the paint more quickly. But this staining problem is only a real problem with white colored cars. Any other color you wont be able to see the stain. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean its not there! So basically if you have any other car and would like the oils to remain on the paint but the haze removed, I suggest you use a cotton based cloth because a clean and "good" micro fiber cloth will clean off all the haze and oils. So if you want a wet look use a cotton cloth provided you don't see any streaks or patches on the car. If you want a clean, hard, shining, sterile look use a good micro fiber.
What I mean by hard, sterile, shine is just like you have sealed the car and the sealant has cured to the paint. Now the paint is smooth and slick correct? Now wash the car a few times or even just one time and when you wipe the car down it doesn't have that "oily" film anymore and you are left with just a shining car which has a hard reflective shine.
So DG105 for me I think is good as it helps solve my staining problem, is hydrophobic and sheets water away when the situation allows for it.
Now the million dollar question is how long will it last? Only time will tell.
CORRECTION ON THE DRYING PROCESS FOR DURAGLOSS DG 105 TPP
I would like to highlight a mistake to all readers in the previous posting which is:
"Duragloss Set To Go on Trial Part 2."
DG 105 let to haze and baked it in the sun for a while.
Well I got it wrong and it is actually backwards. You are suppose to apply DG 105 let to haze and dry, buff off all haze then only baked it in the sun if you wish to.
So did it really make any difference to the sealant? I have no idea. But that could have been the reason why the haze was a little difficult to buff off? Well I will never know until I try it the correct way. So for now I stand corrected in my flawed method and I have to re apply and buff off the proper way and re-gauge again if DG 105 is easier to buff off.
CORRECTION ON "DG 105 CLEAR, HARD AND STERILE"
Here I would like to say that YES DG 105 can be clear, hard, sterile and shining. YES DG 105 can have a wet look like others have described when using the product. It depends on how you remove the haze and the cloth used to buff the product.
I also stated in the last post that some people say that DG 105 looks better the next day. Personally I think it does every so slightly but that is so subjective that I don't even want to go there. The only real way to test is you measure the difference with a reflectometer which I do not have. So the only thing I can do is to theorize if it is even remotely possible for DG 105 to look better the next day.
The answer in a nut shell. YES it is plausible that DG 105 can look better the next day. Here's why.
http://www.coleparmer.com/techinfo/techinfo.asp?htmlfile=PortableGlossMeasurement.htm&ID=573
"Gloss => direct reflection on the 1st surface.
In case of high gloss surfaces, light reflected from the surface follows the reflection law (angle of illumination = angle of reflection). The intensity of the reflected light is dependent on the angle of illumination and material properties."
As can be seen from the illustration, definition and description as as stated in www.coleparmer.com gloss is the direction of reflection from the 1st surface. So if we assume that our Last Step Product (LSP) is the 1st surface then it would be very plausible that if the LSP has not fully cured it can affect the direction and intensity of the reflected light.
So YES it is definitely possible that DG 105 looks better the next day. If this theory is correct then this would hold true for any other LSP, coating or sealant which requires longer time for curing so that it gives a more reflective surface.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Over the weekend I will wash the car, make sure the paint is clean, reapply DG 601 PBA and DG 105 and dry to haze in the shade and not bake it first to see if its easier to buff off. I will not use DG 951 Aquawax until I have a base line of how long DG 105 will last unassisted by any "top ups" by any other products. Once I have a base line on what DG 105 can do and how long it will last, I can then compare how much DG 105 can last with assistance from DG 951 Aquawax. We will then move on to DG 2930 Track Claw.
