Clay Bar Your Car!!

[atownsend91]

Hi all,

just looking for some basic advise on claying my car... i've heard the word thrown around on the forum so i'm beginning to think maybe I should atleast give it a try...

After youtubing a few clips it looks very simple...

What are the benefits of using a clay bar on your car? (whats the point in doing so...?)

Can anyone advise me on a basic starter kit maybe of a few products cost effective...?

I made the mistake of taking my car to a carwash and now i'm covered in swirls

 

[Mr-C]

Top Tip.. Save money by using Blue Tack. (I kid you not)

Clay bar will remove containments from your paint surface, Afterwards your paint works feels as smooth a s glass. It wont remove swirls

 

[TonyH38]

You could also get a clay cloth wich makes it a lot quicker and easier, go to the detailing forum and follow instructions.

 

[jdp1962]

You will need to apply a fresh coat of wax afterwards. The clay removes any existing wax protection as well as the bonded contaminants.

 

[lee_fr200]

Best thing for a beginner is a soft clay so get yourself either a meguires kit from halfords or chemical guys soft bar and luberWhen claying you need to use as much lube as possible (quick detailer or specific clay lube) and spray the lube as you're using the clay it should just run over the surface it's that wet! If it starts grabbing at the paint you're not using enough lube and will marr the paintOnly clay the car once you've washed it, de tar and iron out then the clay, follow by compounding then polish then wax or sealantIt's a pity you're far away otherwise you could book in for a detail and I could show you how to clayAs for swirls that the compounding and polishing phase

 

[A3_130]

Bilt Hamber clay is good stuff and pretty cheap plus you can lube it with just water

 

[AndyBM]

pop down to your local halford (ye, i know!) and buy meguiars smooth surface clay kit

it comes with enough clay to do the car, a bottle of quik detailer and a microfibre clothe

give the car a thorough wash, try to remove as much contaminates, like tar, bird bombs, etc as you can

massage the clay so its warm and soft 'spreadable', use as much detailer as possible and gently glide the clay over the panel, start from the top and work down, panel at a time

you will feel the clay will 'bite' at the paintwork, this is basically lifting up the grime off the paint, when the clay slides over the paint without biting, its done

thats the short end of it!

 

[atownsend91]

Thank you all for the advise here !!

This shall be my weekend task

next stop, find a decent machine polisher lol

 

[A4 Matt]

If you clay you WILL need to polish after as the clay will marr the paintwork! I use copious amounts of clay lube as you need to keep the panel wet while claying and ( stating the obvious!) make you sure you turn your clay regularly and if you drop it, bin it under no circumstances pick it back up and carry on!

Don't get fooled into paying excessive amounts for brand x clay either I use the Bilt Hamber auto clay and for less than £10 you get a huge chunk ( which I cut in two as you don't need to use it all at once!)

Just bear in mind though that unless you clay like a total pussy you WILL need to go over the paintwork with a proper polish after to remove the marring caused by claying, I use my DA with a white hex logic pad and Meg's M205.

Once that's done you can then seal or wax ya paintwork ( maybe even both!) and you should be good to go!

 

[atownsend91]

If you clay you WILL need to polish after as the clay will marr the paintwork! I use copious amounts of clay lube as you need to keep the panel wet while claying and ( stating the obvious!) make you sure you turn your clay regularly and if you drop it, bin it under no circumstances pick it back up and carry on!

Don't get fooled into paying excessive amounts for brand x clay either I use the Bilt Hamber auto clay and for less than £10 you get a huge chunk ( which I cut in two as you don't need to use it all at once!)

Just bear in mind though that unless you clay like a total pussy you WILL need to go over the paintwork with a proper polish after to remove the marring caused by claying, I use my DA with a white hex logic pad and Meg's M205.

Once that's done you can then seal or wax ya paintwork ( maybe even both!) and you should be good to go!

Cheers Matt... just as another question, do you detail your car in a garage? Just thinking because if done outside itll become dirty quick again correct?

 

[A4 Matt]

Cheers Matt... just as another question, do you detail your car in a garage? Just thinking because if done outside itll become dirty quick again correct?

I don't, but only because I haven't got a garage big enough!, if you have a garage you can use then deffo use it!

 

[Brodster]

Clay barring does not marr your paintwork...........if it does your doing it wrong mate. On a decontamination you dont polish afterwards as no need to. If you use the correct lube and grade clay bar you dont need to go near the paint with a DA.

 

[A4 Matt]

Clay barring does not marr your paintwork...........if it does your doing it wrong mate. On a decontamination you dont polish afterwards as no need to. If you use the correct lube and grade clay bar you dont need to go near the paint with a DA.

I'd beg to differ!

http://youtu.be/900rjH-FKHA

Assuming this link actually works, watch this wee vid and if you listen carefully you'll hear him say that claying WILL mark the paint, and you'll have to get rid of some slight marring!

That's just one video, there are others!

 

[Brodster]

Well if thats case then most clay bar makers are wrong as they claim no marring. I've never once marred any paintwork either using a claybar, clay mitt or clay cloth.

Just watched the video and laughed at it. Points to note.

1. No reference to car being washed.
2. The massive ball of clay bar was never softened before using it
3. Plastic bag method he talks about will actually scratch your cars paint.

Dont believe everything that you see/hear on YouTube

 

[hopeless]

I'd beg to differ!

Junkman's Claying 101 Video - YouTube

Assuming this link actually works, watch this wee vid and if you listen carefully you'll hear him say that claying WILL mark the paint, and you'll have to get rid of some slight marring!

That's just one video, there are others!

That video is hilarious.
If claying marks paint then you are definitely doing it wrong.

 

[A4 Matt]

Well I have to say these responses amused me greatly!

Obviously that video is JUST covering claying NOT washing etc, and it's assumed by the guy that made video that you aren't stupid enough to clay a dirty/unwashed car in the 1st place! ( I think he even makes reference to this in a way in the video!?!) a little "common sense" needs applying here folks!

As for the Baggie test, then what's wrong with that!?, it's possibly the most gentle way of telling if your paint needs claying, how else would you do it! (Did you actually watch the video!?)

Just showed this to my cousin who I'm with at the mo who's a detailer by trade www.reflectiondetailing.co.uk and even he sniggered! He agrees that if your claying you will introduce some very light marring, it's inevitable as you're removing contaminates from the surface of the paint!

Still I'll let you guys carry on as you are as your obviously happy with how your doing it!

To the OP, take from this what you will, just don't be surprised if you do see some extra very light damage to the paint after claying (which will be VERY easy to remove) which is called micro marring, but hey i could be talking ****&/ or I'm blind Pugh and can't see anything!

 

[Tank.]

not sure where someone would get the idea you don't need to polish after claying.

Claying is a single process to be used as part of a procedure.

Most folk would generally wash, dry then wax or polish their car depending on products,

The clay stage is an addition to the wash stage. Even after washing your car, with a wash mitt of course and not a sponge, youll still find rough patches on the paint, these are bonded contaminants, unlike the other contaminants that come away with a gentle wipe with the mitt.
Clay will remove tar spots, tree sap etc. Clay also should not heavily marr the paint, if it is then youre doing it wrong.
There are folk i know that think clay is a replacement for polishing which is incorrect

After claying your car the paint should be as smooth as glass, also claying will give which ever wax or polish you use a better chance to bond to the paint.

generally i snow foam the car or pre spay TFR, rinse, hand wash the car, rinse, fallout or iron x, rinse, tardis, rinse, claybar, hand wash again and dry. Then onto the polishing stages and finish with a wax

 

[A4 Matt]

Exactly!, I'm not trying to say claying will cause any bad damage (unless you drop the clay and are dumb enough to pick it back up and use it again!), just that it will cause micro marring which is very easily polished out after!

Granted marring can be difficult to see on some colours and might just look like the paint is slightly hazy, but on a car like mine which is a dark colour (Lava grey) it's as plain as day when viewed in the right light, quick pass with M205 though and it's gone!

 

[Tank.]

Not used a lot of compounds, my go to polish now is autobrite cherry glaze, enough cut with a soft pad to remove the really light scratches and doesnt stain plastic trim so can do a whole car without having to mask off areas.

 

[A4 Matt]

I love the M205!, long working time, buffs of peazy and is only a light cut for that "spit shine", very good stuff!

 

[Tank.]

maybe need to give it a go, i tend to get put off by dusting that ive experienced in the past, although figured it was down to using hex and lake country pads when the compounds were designed for use on flat pads

 

[lee_fr200]

Junkman is one of the most popular ppl on detailing world,

And he's very good at explaining for beginners, and after claying you will need to polish as it doesn't remove swirls and then wax

 

[lee_fr200]

Meguires 205 and 105 is perfect for 99% of jobs

 

[A4 Matt]

maybe need to give it a go, i tend to get put off by dusting that ive experienced in the past, although figured it was down to using hex and lake country pads when the compounds were designed for use on flat pads

If you have trouble with dusting up, have you tried spritzing the pad with a quick shot of detail spray?, that's another thing ive gotten off of watching Junkman vids,but tbh it really only applies with the M105 as M205 doesn't really seem to dust up!

 

[A4 Matt]

Junkman is one of the most popular ppl on detailing world,

And he's very good at explaining for beginners, and after claying you will need to polish as it doesn't remove swirls and then wax

He's very good at what he does and like you say is great at explaining things for beginners and usually covers most things that you need to know for a given subject be it polishing/claying.

That's what amused me the most though when I was seeing comments about watching that vid I linked up and laughing at it, because I knew how highly regarded Junkman is on Detailing world and how popular his YouTube vids are!, he ain't no amateur he really does know his stuff!

 

[lee_fr200]

Lol I was quite astounded as Junkman rly is highly regarded and I've seen his videos and I think he's damn good

 

[tom2]

Did mine for the first time in 2 years today,

I washed it clayed it then used ag srp followed by ag hd wax, great results!

 

[Brodster]

To be quite fair mate............I had never heard of the guy and will stick by my conviction of no marring using claybar. Been detailing for about 5 years which isnt alot compared to many, have done 100's of customers cars with afew being award winning at shows and never had any problems with clay bar marring whatsoever. Thats all I was saying.....no need for a DA polish afterwards

Everyone has their own method/techniques. If it works then great and may it continue

 

[A4 Matt]

To be quite fair mate............I had never heard of the guy and will stick by my conviction of no marring using claybar. Been detailing for about 5 years which isnt alot compared to many, have done 100's of customers cars with afew being award winning at shows and never had any problems with clay bar marring whatsoever. Thats all I was saying.....no need for a DA polish afterwards

Everyone has their own method/techniques. If it works then great and may it continue

Yes fair comment, you don't have to use a DA polisher, you could polish by hand, but the DA will take out a lot of the effort and massively reduce the time needed!

I am curious as to how you've never had issues with Micro marring after claying though, if the paintwork actually "needs" claying that is! I was sat in a pub in Exeter yesterday with my cousin who's detailing business I linked to on the previous page discussing this, and we both agreed that it's pretty much inevitable if the paintwork IS contaminated as the clay will be picking up/shaving those contaminates and you will inevitably drag some of that across the paint no matter how fastidious you are with turning the clay and lathering the clay lube on! Still no matter eh, it's the end results that count!

 

[wxc]

interesting thread im also a strong believer that dragging a clay bar can cause micromarring, which should then be followed with a DA polish Menzerna SF4000 is also my preferred choice if I am not using Meguiar's m205; I had a nightmare situation in the UK during the sahara dessert fallout earlier in the year - washed my car throughly and then clay bar with plenty lube and being very gently still marred the paint.

I think if you dont plan on polishing after clay barring, then just make sure that the surface of the paint is as clean of contaminants as possible - de-iron the car (Auto Finesse Iron Out is very good, also good on alloys) and de-tar (Autosmart Tardis is my favorite), wash the car again, and then clay bar. This will definately help minimise marring the paint.

I've moved on to using a clay mitt (G3 Farecla from Halfords 3-2 offer at the moment) and they are a great alternative and don't seem to induce marring as much as clay bars; but then it was my first time using it last week on a silver Golf