Clay bar.......Not to sound like a tard but

[Harbinger]

When I use a clay Bar,

Just bought my first one,

I assume you use this just like a waxing pad, but how long do you leave this on for and is it just a MF to remove the clay afterwards? Do you polish it after as well,

Quite confusing to me.

Hoping to get years worth of chip and was marks off this week.

 

[Beef-Mc]

Use lube, always use lube.

Important life lesson for you!

 

[Dave..]

Use a lube or quick detailer, and rub the clay back and forth over the car. You're looking to get the clay picking up all the crap that has bonded to the paint.

​keep it lubed to reduced marring the paint.


I'd recommend you start with the top of the cup spoiler, do it thoroughly and you'll see what results you get next to the roof panel that hasn't been touched. You'll see what the clay does, and what you're aiming for.

 

[Cliotoby]

Youll remove contamination, not damage.

In fact youll inflict more damage claying it. Polish the car after (Autoglym Super Resin Polish.... maybe)

 

[JaredHasNoBrain]

well you lube up the surface you are doing then use the clay bar... Just when you drop it, don't pick it back up and keep using it. Throw that peice away.

 

[Matt W]

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/show...e-(Lost-when-the-articles-section-was-removed

 

[Harbinger]

Thanks, the car is just suffering from where it's been chipped and wax is white lining the edges of it so just hoping this get it's out even just a little bit, have bought one that is " super fine " and apparently will not even harm the lacquer / paint.

 

[JD]

Yeah I don't think you quite get what claying is.

Imagine using a razor blade on a bobbly jumper. When you run the razor over the jumper, the blades remove the bobbles that stick out from the surface. Claying your car's paint is the same idea, except the clay is the razor (lots of tiny cutting edges), the jumper is your paint and the bobbles are any contaminants stuck to the paint (tar, sap, iron deposits etc).

If you have chips in the paint work and polish/wax is showing these up, you need to use something to remove the residue (white powder) from the chips. Clay will not do this. An all purpose cleaner or IPA will.

 

[James28]

It's not like wax, it doesn't leave something on that you have to wipe off after.

 

[Yellow Dave]

Use a tar remover after washing before claying or you'll be there hours, pick up loads of dirt on the clay then continue to rub it round the paint further. Plus it will take a lot longer. A wipe down with a tar remover will speed up the process a whole lot.

 

[Harbinger]

Thanks for clearing this up, like i said a tard right. So I use the bar as a sponge with something like car shampoo as a lube, after the car has been cleaned and hopefully some of the crap will come off ( bumper is covered in marks and bit from molten road ) and to think of it the mirrors do to, the car was a bit neglected before me having it in April but the engine was mint, so just want it looking nice to match how it runs.

 

[skinz]

Thanks for clearing this up, like i said a tard right. So I use the bar as a sponge with something like car shampoo as a lube, after the car has been cleaned and hopefully some of the crap will come off ( bumper is covered in marks and bit from molten road ) and to think of it the mirrors do to, the car was a bit neglected before me having it in April but the engine was mint, so just want it looking nice to match how it runs.

Maybe read the replies... Matt posted a link for you - http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showt...on-was-removed

you dont use shampoo you use detailer when using clay bar, bumper will require tar remover. clay bar lifts contaminents from paint, but won't remove scratches/tar etc

 

[Yellow Dave]

You can use a strong shampoo dilution as clay lube

Best bet is watch youtube videos on how to do. Lube up the panel, keeping clay flat gently rub it over the panel adding more lube, and regularly turn or fold over the clay to a clean side. Rinse panel and dry.

If you have tar on the panel, the clay might lift it off but not very well or easily, and will then be wiped round the rest of the panel. Go into halfords and get a bottle of autoglym intensive tar remover and a microfibre cloth and use it before using the clay.

I refer you to Gallys pictures posted in the general chat thread where they haven't properly decontaminated first.