Somehow I've missed this detail somewhere, but...

I was using paste wax for the first time (in the past I've used spray and gel/liquid waxes..) and when I applied it to the car I didn't realize how quickly it dried and hardened. I was afrair to RUB (buff?) off the dry wax and so re-waxed it bit by bit (to keep it lubricated) when polishing it off.

Am I missing something here?

 

No, your fine. Read the label carefully. Years ago, the paste waxes said to run on, let dry, then rub off. Today, for example, I know Pinnacle Sourveign Carnauba says to wipe off immediately (in that you dont need to let it harden) and much easier to rub off

Just do a small section at a time

True story, I knew a guy once who waxed his entire Chevy Monte Carlo (or whatever), left it on for days, and when he wasn't tired, he'd go rub it off. It never did any harm but that was 20 years ago

 

It's the Meguiars (sp?) Gold Class and it just says, in no too specific terms, to rub on a thin film, "wipe off the excess", and then wipe again with a clean towel. It doesn't say "immediately" or "when dry" or anything like that

 

Then I would think it doesnt matter

 

When in doubt, follow the instructions!

Some waxes need to dry, some do not. Personally, I prefer ones that need to dry so I can wax the entire car and then go back and buff it. The process seems to go faster that way. Meguiers NXT wax was great for that; once it was dry it required almost no pressure to buff out the haze (the white residue on the trim was a whole other, unpleasant matter).