In the past I've just been flipping and doing a good auto wax with some elbow grease on the bikes I've fixed up. Well the disease has set in and I'm now collecting more vintage bikes and flipping less. So I am thinking about trying something else, I see a lot of you guys use McGuires scratch X for some good results. Are there any other specialty waxes that you guys love. And not to sound too stupid but how are you applying it. Just a rag with elbow grease? Has anyone tried on of those new dense foam balls to put on a drill, like they sell at wallyworld or auto parts stores? thanks for your help, Al.

personally i wouldnt use scratch X with one of those foam balls...i'd be afraid of going through the paint and down to the metal. Maybe a random orbit polisher, but i don't find those work very well on bikes. I'd try mothers wax with a foam ball perhaps...I really like the way factory paint ends up after you polish the hell out of it with a cloth wheel. to me it just seems...smoother.

with scratchX I get my best results with the Mister Miyagi method. Wax on - Wax off.

Just a rag with elbow grease. Work it in, wipe it off.

-Kurt

I wouldn't use any mechanical method on any frame, unless I was stripping it for paint or PC.

+1, wax on, wax off. Soft cotton rags.