Collinite No. 845 Insulator Wax Application Guide

As Collinite hits its 85th anniversary, we thought it would be a great idea to reflect on this legendary brand and the flagship product of the Collinite line, the 845 Insulator Wax. Founded in 1936 by Charles H Collins and his son Chuck shortly after the economic crisis we know as the great depression, Collinte set out to provide durable and long-lasting products that challenged the market. Capitalizing on the fact spending frivolously was a luxury few could afford, he developed a product that outperformed the competition and invested into the chemistry of the product, not advertising. What started with a kettle pot and a few textbooks transformed into a pedigree of polishes as well as durable waxes that the market had never seen before.

PRODUCT PREP:

You may be looking your bottle of Collinite No.845 Insulator Wax wondering if you got the first bottle from the 1936 production run. Don’t worry, your bottle of wax isn’t as old as your grandfather and it isn’t defective either. The product naturally sits in a gelatinous state once it has been pumped and bottled. Obviously, applying a product with the consistency of jelly would be quite the challenge. We can use a few different methods to prepare Collinite No.845 Insulator Wax for application:

1. Hot Water:
   Fill up a bucket or sink with hot water to a point where you can submerge ½ to 3/4 of the bottle. Place the bottle in the sink without submerging the cap and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes and shake it vigorously. Warming this unique product thins the viscosity of the product making it easy to apply.
2. Sunlight:
   Wait for a nice, warm sunny day and put your bottle out for a 10 to 15-minute session in the sun. It won’t come back with a golden tan, but it will be enough to thin the product like in the method above. Once again, shake the product thoroughly.
3. Brute Force:
   While I don’t normally recommend using this method, it can be done. Alternating between tapping the bottle on something solid like a workbench and aggressively shaking the product. Doing this, you’ll be able to mix the product enough to even out the consistency.

The goal of all these methods is to mix the components of the formulation and also even the consistency for application. If the product is still chunky, just repeat.

Now that we’ve got the wax prepped and ready it’s time to start slathering it on, right? Wrong! This product performs best when applied in a thin, consistent layer. For this, we could just start dabbing an applicator, but we’ve got a few different hacks you can use to make application even easier.

1. Dispensing Cap:
   The threading on most 16 oz. bottles is the same using an industry standard. You can pick up a spare flip cap, or possible find one laying around you garage. Of course, just make sure it’s clean if you “find” a spare somewhere around the house. If you can’t find a cap that works, you can always pick up a dispensing bottle like the Meguiar’s Self Cleaning Dispenser Bottle. Once you’ve prepped the product just transfer it over.
2. Sprayer Nozzle:
   My preferred hack for application is attaching a sprayer head to the bottle. While this method isn’t for everyone, I think that applying to the product to the applicator is just as important as applying it to the paint. An even layer of product on the applicator just helps ensure you put an even layer on the paint.

Before applying this product make sure you’re working with a fresh, clean surface. Wash, decontaminate, and do any correcting work if necessary. If you already have a paint protectant on the surface, be sure to strip it before application. To get the true Collinite No.845 Insulator Wax experience you want to apply this to perfectly clean finish.

APPLICATION:

Since we’ve taken the time to prep Collinite No.845 Insulator Wax the application process will run buttery smooth. Apply, or in my cast mist, a small amount of product to a wax or microfiber applicator. Remember, you want to apply this product extremely thin. Overusing the product will bring no additional benefit and will only make removal more difficult.

Move panel by panel keeping an eye on product distribution. Only reapply product to the applicator as needed. You can use a swirl finder light or a high-quality LED flashlight to help you highlight the product on the surface. You can also dab your applicator on the glass to check your application. If you see and even amount of product left on the glass, you have enough to keep going.

Once you’ve applied Collinite No.845 Insulator Wax to the vehicle allow it to sit for about 30-45 minutes to haze. The temperature and humidity of your environment can greatly affect this, so always do a swipe test to be sure it’s ready. To do a swipe test just take you finger and gently run it across the paint. If the product wipes away clean, you’re good to start buffing it off. If it smears, let it sit a little longer.

Collinite No.845 Insulator Wax buffs off easily, but I still use the best practice when it comes to removal. Break into the wax and start “chipping” away at the edges.

The last, and certainly the most important step of this process is to step back and admire the shine. It’s quite impressive that a formulation nearly as old at the invention of the automobile is what made Collinite the underground sensation that we know today. Spreading from garage to garage purely by the recommendation from people that already use it.

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