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Clay bar

22K views 19 replies 19 participants last post by  highfigh 
#1 ·
Edit: Original post here: How to on "Claying" -AstroWill


How to on "Claying"

(Product #'s & Brief Info)

First off, there is more than one (1) clay bar out on the market. Most of my information on the following products is being pulled from http://www.premiumautocare.com . They have a good supply of products for detailing your car/truck, and have great service. There are sites that can give you good information such as Autopia Car Care Products - Car Detailing Supplies, Car Wax, Car Polishers, Auto Detailing .

Products:

Four Star Ultimate Clay Combo Kit
Part # FS-UCCK

Clay Magic Detailing Clay
Part # CM-2200 Fine Grade (Blue)
Part # CM-1200 Medium Grade (Red)

Mequiars, Eagle One, etc all make a detail clay. The choice is up to you. However, Mequiars and Clay Magic are the only ones I have found in the local auto stores. I have used more than one brand, and to be honest. I can not tell that much of a difference.

Area's of concern

Not really any areas of concern. Claying is safe for today cars/trucks. Only warning I can give is this. Do not drop the clay bar. Doing so it will pick up rocks, dirt, etc. If this happens rip off the part that touched, or pick out the rocks, dirt, etc as it might scratch your paint when claying.

When you get the kit, the clay will be wrapped in a plastic cover. When you take the clay out of the wrapper, do not sit it on anything that will cause it to pick up trash. Example: Concrete, oil, dirt. It is a sticky bar, and is made to pick the "trash" off your paint. Getting a rock in the clay bar will only scratch your paint. You will only rub the rock all over the paint.

How to

How do I know if I need to clay my car/truck?

Easy, after you wash your car/truck take a plastic bag (thin) and place your hand inside it. Rub a section of your paint. If it feels like sandpaper, then you need to clay your truck. It is good at removing, tar, bugs, over spray, and daily road grime that gets stuck in your paint. After you use the clay and wax your car/truck it will shine better than before.

Now, first off you will want to wash the car/truck the best you can. Give it a good "normal" wash job. Afterwards, no need to dry it off as you will not need to before you start the claying process. The kit usually comes with a "detail spray". In my doings, I skip this, and get a squirt/spray bottle, and fill it with soapy water. As in your car soap. In my opinion it make the car slicker and keeps the clay bar from sticking.

You will want to do one section at a time. Start with the roof first. This is where the least amount of "trash" is and if this is your first time, you might get the clay bar dirty on your rocker panels picking up the road grime that has developed there. If you have done this before, you may not need to worry about it as much. Squirt some soapy water/detail spray on your roof, and mold the clay into a small circle shape. Place it in the palm of your hand and rub your paint. (as if waxing). Let the bar do the work, as you will feel it grabbing the "trash" as you rub over the areas, and you will feel the resistance get less and less as you go on. Then I would do your hood, then the fender, etc. Doing one section at a time. After each section or from time to time you will need to kneed the clay and form a new small circle. You might come across parts that will require you to rub just a little harder. That is fine, and you might notice that some of the bar will stick to your car/truck in certain locations. This happens, when you wax your car/truck it will all come off.

You can do this on glass, and chrome too.

When you are done, place the clay back in the provided container, and make sure to put it up wet, so it will no dry out.

When done, dry and wax the car/truck as normal and enjoy
 
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#3 ·
there are several different formulas of clay on the market, Clay magic holds the patent for it so they make it for all companies that sell it. I would suggest clay magic blue. The meguiars clay is too fine and takes a lot more rubbing to achieve the results. Unless if you want Popeye arms. Stay away from the red clay as it is very aggressive (has grit in it) . I use a lot of the red but I am usually doing a paint correction polishing after using it. It will make a mess of your paint if you are not following it with a rotary polishing.
 
#5 ·
Nice write up 1low.

I remember when those first hit the detail shops some years ago, they work great. Cut off a piece to use, that way if you drop it, theres no chance of ruining the whole bar.
Also, use lots of water, a spray bottle with a couple drops of dish soap in it works great.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for posting this writeup.
You say start with the clay and then wax , how do i know if i need to polish after claying to get the maximum shine results?
Also i have some Meguiars Mirror glaze laying around , would that be helpful at all after claying and before applying the wax for protectant?
Thanks
 
#9 ·
nobody even thought to answer the original ??? YES clay bar is worth it!
 
#12 ·
I don't know why that one online detail supply store ever gave the idea to use the bag over your hand trick - that will scratch some of the newer clearcoats and you should be able to feel it after drying off your car or just look at your windows - you can often see it on your glass, especially if your windows are tinted. The only thing that should touch your clearcoat is microfiber. Just a word to the wise.

The roof, trunk, hood and especially the rear/bumper seem to be the dirtiest/most contaminated parts of the car. Vertical surfaces are usually not too bad but the horizontal surfaces just sit and collect all the contamination that constantly bombards them. I would say rear bumpers are by far the worst, at least in my area.
Use a separate clay bar for the lower portions of the car - those sections can have hard debris (like paint)that will ruin your clay.

Remember to clay your windows too becasue they need to be polished and waxed just like the rest of the vehicle. Forget Rain-X, just wax all your windows or better yet, apply a good sealant and make sure your wiper bades are clean and you're set. You should always wax windows, headlights, brakelights, etc. it's all part of the package when you're waxing your vehicle.

Be careful about pushing too hard on the clay. I have seen clay cause damage and I got called in to fix it. Go over a few extra times but pushing may cause scratching and dull spots on the paint - I've seen it.

If your car hasn't seen polish for at least 6 months, polish before waxing after you are done claying - the results will be well worth it.

Depending on your driving habits, local environment (big city vs country for example) garaged vs outside, the need for using clay will vary but if there is contamination on your paint and you don't clay it off, all you are doing is waxing contamination and not protecting your paint.....basically, you're wasting your time and none of us have time to waste - that is why claying is so important before waxing - to make sure the polish and wax gets onto the paint.

All clay bars, as I understand it do, come from the same manufacturer and they are pretty much all the same. I have also tried a few out of curiosity and they were identical - they were branded differently but when I looked closer, I could see that they came from the same factory, LOL!
 
#13 ·
i used to wax my windows. but if it rains before the wax has hardened, you end up with water marks. i had it happen a few times because i parked next to the grass at work. the property is equipped with an under ground irrigation system.
one method i use to strip wax and road grime from my windows is a magic eraser, with a drop or two of jet dry. i also use jet dry in my wiper system. you don't need soap in the bucket if you have the magic eraser. but imo, i never use this method on a painted surface, i still use clay for that. the magic eraser also doesn't absourb debris, so rinsing is easy. some like to use paper towels, but i use only terry cloth, or a commercial grade cloth. actually, the magic eraser has been a staple in my detail process since it came out. i'm not as picky as some, but i have had to redo every detail job i ever paid for (1). i have posted pics of my detail work, i can appreciate all valid compliments or critiques. my eyes are sensetive to light, and glare. streaks are my pet peeve. oh, and my son brought home some modeling clay from his school to work with..... i got the exact same results with that clay as i do with my meguires clay system bar...lol
 
#15 ·
Claying is definitely a good way to make your paint slick. But keep in mind though, clay will not last forever. When enough debris get on the clay, it starts to micro mar the paint. When you drop it on the ground and dirt and sand stick to it, it micro mars the paint. And trust me, the first time you drop it in the sand or dirt, it is done. Sand will be in it and it will be totally worthless.

This is what I like to use



It's called Opti-eraser, available in fine and aggressive grade. It lasts a lot longer than clay, and if you drop it in the sand, all you have to do is wash it off. Also for you perfectionists, look into Iron-X, it litterally melts away bonded contaminants.
 
#19 ·
If you are trying to get tree sap and bugs off of almost any surface on your car, use Denatured alcohol. Wipes almost anything right off. Of course dont do it in the sun because the alcohol will just evaporate. Ive done my whole van roof and all in an hour than another hour to wax it.
 
#20 ·
I bought the Meguiar's clay bar after seeing how well it worked for a friend but as I thought about it, I started to believe it's a bit like chewing gum and eating potato chips, which mixes the two. The clay is kneaded after it becomes contaminated, which just redistributes the grit, so I decided to find a different way.

I found something that worked very well on my van- Ace Hardware sells a small scrubber for non-stick pans, made of blue polypropylene (or something similar) on a white plastic handle. I tried it on the hood after washing the whole van and at first, it made that scratching sound we all like so much, then that started to diminish until it stopped. Once it stopped, I rinsed the hood and it felt the same as if it had been clay barred. I rinsed the scrubber and it was totally clean, so I did everything below the roof- completely smooth and it looked brighter. My van is white, so the little scratches are harder to see, but I wouldn't hesitate to use this on other colors, since I would polish afterward, anyway.

I think this scrubber cost about $4 and it's not ScotchBrite. If I go there, I'll get a photo since I don't see it on their website (the search function sucks).
 
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