Can't wait to clay

I

imported_matthew

New member
I can't wait for a free day and some nice weather to clay my car.



I had bought some clay back last summer, but never used it. Today I got the idea that maybe I could remove some of the paint (from my garage) that I "got" on my bumper. It couldn't have been more obvious, white household paint on my black bumper. I managed to remove 50-75% of it within 10 minutes.



Just for kicks afterwards I got a clear plastic bag and put my hand in it then rubbed over the area I clayed and it was so smooth! I went over a area I didn't touch and it was very rough.



Just a few questions about claying before I take on the whole car. Can I scratch the car by claying it? How often should I "knead" it? How dirty is too dirty? The clay bar didn't seem to get dirty at all. Also, what size should I make it? I cut off about 1/4 of the bar and I tried different shapes to apply different ammounts of pressure.



Another question: I will clay the car after I wash (then dry it), however since I will be using the QD spray to luburciate it, what do I do with the spray after I clay a certain section? Do I just let it dry? Do I wipe it off with a MF towel? Is it ok to just let it sit on there until I finish the whole car then Wash it again?



I want to Wax it afterwards right? I'm thinking about some S100, anything else I should consider? Lastly (for now), what type of applicator should I use to apply the S100. Thanks all!
 
matthew said:
Just a few questions about claying before I take on the whole car. Can I scratch the car by claying it? How often should I "knead" it? How dirty is too dirty? The clay bar didn't seem to get dirty at all. Also, what size should I make it? I cut off about 1/4 of the bar and I tried different shapes to apply different ammounts of pressure.
Click to expand...

If you press down too hard or if there is something between the clay, and the paint surface, you can scratch it. Make sure you put on plenty lube so there is a film between the bar and the paint. Just lightly slide the bar in a back and forth motion and the clay should pick up the contaminants automatically, no need to press down.



matthew said:
Another question: I will clay the car after I wash (then dry it), however since I will be using the QD spray to luburciate it, what do I do with the spray after I clay a certain section? Do I just let it dry? Do I wipe it off with a MF towel? Is it ok to just let it sit on there until I finish the whole car then Wash it again?
Click to expand...

Either wipe off the residue with your MF towel or wash the car afterwords. Dont let it dry.



matthew said:
I want to Wax it afterwards right? I'm thinking about some S100, anything else I should consider? Lastly (for now), what type of applicator should I use to apply the S100. Thanks all!
Click to expand...

If you still have light scratches or swirls, use a SMR like 3M's SMR or Meguiars Swirl Free Polish, or Meguiars #9. Finish off with your favorite glaze (S100 Shine Enhancing Cleanser if you have it), then your S100 wax. The applicator that comes with it is fine.
 
matthew said:
Just a few questions about claying before I take on the whole car. Can I scratch the car by claying it? How often should I "knead" it? How dirty is too dirty? The clay bar didn't seem to get dirty at all. Also, what size should I make it? I cut off about 1/4 of the bar and I tried different shapes to apply different ammounts of pressure.
Click to expand...
IMO there are three causes of marring when claying:



1) Insufficient lubricant. The lube forms a barrier film between the paint and the clay so that the clay never actually touches the clay. The clay grabs the embedded debris that pokes through the lube. Too little lube and the clay actually touches the clay and causes marring.



2) Dirty clay. Trash on the clay can poke through the film barrier and cause marring. That is why the clay should be folded (not kneaded) frequently.



3) Too much pressure. This can easily force the clay through the barrier film and cause scratching.



Good luck and have fun!

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I have a question:



Do you guys usually...



Wash the whole car

Clay the whole car

Wash the whole car again

Polish the whole car

Wax the whole car



or do you do a section at a time?
 
If I have a whole day to detiail, I'll do the whole car. If I have to do it after work on weeknights, I do the following:



Wash car and dry thoroughly, clay, polish and wax whatever panel I can get to. Then each successive afterwards, I QD, and clay, and polish and wax a panel. Can easily get through the car in a week, and also layer sealants easily this way, because you can QD the panel you did the day before and add a layer. The only caveat is that you didn't drive through the rain, or some really dirty areas. If that happens, you'll have to wash again.



I managed to get through 3 panels of my wife's car and have 3 layers on each panel during the week this way before she got caught by a rainstorm.



This method is also very high in the wife acceptance factor, as you are not spending all day in the garage. :p
 
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