claybaring. how do you guys do it?

Atom said:
I am not saying that clay does not serve a purpose but I have yet to hear of anyone using it that did not use wax.
Wax creates a surface condition that allows debris to stick to it.
Wax sticks to your paint and almost every thing else, So it's not unreasonable to consider that it is the wax and not the paint that debris is getting stuck into.
Paint is actually hard and it looses it's adhesive ability once it cures.
So something may very well get stuck on the paint but being stuck in the paint is a stretch.
I submit that after claying and waxing a car the paint will loose it's natural shine.
If you remove all the wax from your car will it still shine like it did when it was new?
To me that is the real test of a products viability.
Any abrasive that is rubbed on a painted surface will diminish the paints original shine.
With that in mind why would you put something on your paint that you know you will have to use abrasives to remove?
In fact why put anything on your pant that has to be removed?
Wax is a organic, it will decay over time
Paint is a synthetic it will last virtually forever.
A synthetic paint protectant that did not decay or have to be removed would be a better choice to me.
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I have never used wax on my last three Infinitis. I always use synthetic sealants.
I believe you are totally confused on this subject.
Contaminants do get in your paint finish, it is not wax that attracts it.
 
threezero said:
That's an interesting take on the traditional waxing routine. Does the synthetic protectant you use give off the same shine as wax?
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All wax formulas are different and will have individual qualities that will effect how they apply and the shine they generate.
That is why people have their preference.
So the answer would be no.
The product I use works differently. It does not put a shine on the paint as much as in the paint.
The paints natural shine is enhanced instead of covered. I would say the protectant I use delivers a superior shine with almost no effort.

Check out this youtube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucwo9c2Pr-I

What is impressive is the fact that this is a HD video and was not made immediately after applying the protectant. Every wax video I have seen was made directly after they laid the buffer down. This video was taken over a month after treating the paint.

One other plus, It works on the black vinyl trim too.

---------- Post added at 08:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:05 PM ----------
GEE35FX said:
I have never used wax on my last three Infinitis. I always use synthetic sealants.
I believe you are totally confused on this subject.
Contaminants do get in your paint finish, it is not wax that attracts it.
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I believe it would be more accurate to say we have a difference of opinion.
The fact is that I don't know what this sealant is made of that you say you use. So I can't comment on that.
It may be some really good stuff.
We all have our personal experiences.
What works best for me may not suit others and that's understandable.
If you like to wax and clay your that's your choice.
For me, I find it to be beneficial to my paint by avoiding the use of sealants, wax and clay all together.
 
In regards to the PC 7424 - here are some before/after from what I did.....1st time ever detailing anything....
This is my hunting rig - and I NEVER expected it to come out like it did (clean - like glass). It's been through hell and back - wheeling, mud, trees, branches, bushes - you name it.

Visit ChemicalGuys.com - they have EVERYTHING you need, awesome customer service - and everyone rants/raves about their products (on major detailing websites - I did shit-tons of homework). I figured I would spend $350 there - rather than pay someone for something I might be able to do myself.
I did the PC7424XP package - then added more pads, I did the Chemical Guys claybar - worked awesome! This paint feels better than our FX35!
Before:

DSC_1920.jpg
Before:
DSC_1928.jpg

After:
DSC_1980.jpg
DSC_1985.jpg
DSC_1979.jpg
DSC_1978.jpg
 
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Yea, hunting season is coming up here pretty soon too...LOL....

I have no idea how any synthetic conditioner or protectant could stop what this truck had been through.
Obviously a protectant wouldn't work in my situation - and abrasives are a must to fix my issues.
For the FX35 that is only driven on the street - possibly.
I still don't understand how washing without soap works? I had a tough time today getting the road-grime off the FX35 - and that was with a mit and soap. Water wouldn't have done it.
But as stated previously - to each their own. :)
 
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AndrewBigA said:
im deciding if i should even bother to correct the wrong information posted in this thread about clay bars!
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LOL!! Seriously - I should post a pic of the 2 claybars I destroyed......I have no idea what else would have removed all the crap I had on my truck. Maybe sandpaper? LOL...I'm pretty sure clay was the best product to do the trick....
 
Here's my take:

1. check the direction of the swirls. Are they circular or straight lines? Since you (including most people) will use clay bar in a straight back and forth motion, if the swirls are circular it's a good chance that it's not the clay bar that's causing the swirls. The swirls being circular usually means that your washing method and/or drying method is causing the swirls. It is extremely easy to cause swirls while washing & drying and black cars are the most noticeable.

There isn't a way to avoid swirls altogether, but here are a few methods on how to MINIMIZE swirls:
- use two buckets to wash your car (as someone else also mentioned), one soapy water, one rinse water. I put a grit guard on my rinse bucket to scrub my sponge after washing each panel.
- try different washing mitt. Some detailers use sheep skin, sponge with slits, grout sponge, and many others to minimize swirls.
- try to dry most of your car without rubbing towels on your paint. You can use leafblower, air tools, etc. If you don't have access to these, blot dry your car using waffle weave microfiber towel. The less you rub your paint with a towel, the less your chances of swirls.

2. If the directions of the swirls are in a straight line, it can be the clay bar. If so, I'd check the following:
- how aggressive is your clay bar? Medium to heavy grade clay bars can cause marring / swirls on your paint, especially noticeable on a black car & soft paint. Always use the least aggressive clay bar if you're not going to polish your car afterwards.
- lube both your clay and the surface. continue to spray while rubbing your clay on the paint.
- knead your clay bar after doing each panel.
- if you ever drop your clay on the ground, throw it away. I know it's temping to pick the dirt out and reuse it, but if you have one debri that can cause swirls or scratches, you'll rub it all over your car. That's why I only use a small piece when claying (like 1/4 of a clay bar).

As for the other questions...
- you can use PC on tight curves of the fx, but you'll need a smaller backing plate and foam pad combo. I think the standar is 5 to 6 inches, so get something that's 2 to 3 inches and the curves and tighter areas will not be a problem to buff.
- If your car is being clayed for the first time, it can take as long as 4-6 hours to clay the entire car properly. I clay my car every 6 months or so, and it takes me about 1 hr to clay my car. But I never let my car get really dirty and it's garaged.
- I use ONR as lube also. Car soap or dishwashing soap can be diluted and used as lube also, but with certain brands of clay, the clay will start deteriorating.
 
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Atom said:
Clay is abrasive, used for taking off particles stuck in wax, but it will damage your paint too.
Your paint will never look the same again.
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that^^ along with some other things you've said here, you've got some pretty far fetched theories going on there bro, where did you get these ideas, from an infomercial for some synthetic miracle product or something?


nothing will make your paint shine like a good carnuba wax, only problem is it doesn't last for very long & is actually sitting on top of the paint,where a synthetic product will actually bond better to the paint & last longer... the ultimate is usually considered to be a synthetic base with a carnuba topcoat. clay will not damage your paint. dish washing soap will not damage your paint, hell, even sandpaper used correctly will not necessarily damage your paint, & wax also will certainly not damage your paint.
 
Atom said:
I don't
Clay is abrasive, used for taking off particles stuck in wax, but it will damage your paint too.
Your paint will never look the same again.
The only people I know of who use clay are people who use wax. I don't use either.
I would throw the clay away and get some dishwashing liquid and get the rest of the contamination off your paint and opt for an acrylic paint conditioner.
Check out a video on You tube.
Acrylic paint conditioner on a FX35
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Atom said:
I am not saying that clay does not serve a purpose but I have yet to hear of anyone using it that did not use wax.
Wax creates a surface condition that allows debris to stick to it.
Wax sticks to your paint and almost every thing else, So it's not unreasonable to consider that it is the wax and not the paint that debris is getting stuck into.
Paint is actually hard and it looses it's adhesive ability once it cures.
So something may very well get stuck on the paint but being stuck in the paint is a stretch.
I submit that after claying and waxing a car the paint will loose it's natural shine.
If you remove all the wax from your car will it still shine like it did when it was new?
To me that is the real test of a products viability.
Any abrasive that is rubbed on a painted surface will diminish the paints original shine.
With that in mind why would you put something on your paint that you know you will have to use abrasives to remove?
In fact why put anything on your pant that has to be removed?
Wax is a organic, it will decay over time
Paint is a synthetic it will last virtually forever.
A synthetic paint protectant that did not decay or have to be removed would be a better choice to me.
Click to expand...


i think you should just STFU already. i hope nobody takes any of the advice that you preach about. where did you obtain your knowledge from? please tell me so i can have another laugh on your behalf. :tdown: knowledge comes from experience & it seems that you have very little if any of that when it comes to all things related to car detailing.
 
^^^so nice to see you folks jumping in here also to tell this guy his ideas and theories are totally whack. He reminds me of a couple engineers I know.
 
can anyone explain the frequency of using a clay bar? I use it only when i feel the touch is not smooth when running my hand across the car after the wash. I do use it frequently to clean the front bumper otherwise it's about 4-5 months between a full clay bar cleaning due to the length of time.
 
best answer really is "as necessary". a garage queen weekend car with several coats of wax built up can go years without needing "clay", or more specifically, needing to return to the raw paint finish, where a car that is abused & not maintained can need it much more often... also it may not always be necessary to clay the whole car every time you break out the clay... I can have a lot of times that most of the car is fine but only a few spots may need a little more attention than just a wash... like your example of sometimes just needing it on the front face... you could have clayed your whole car & detailed it just last week, but then go through an acid rain & get misted with some tree sap & need it again this week... all depends really...
 
thanks turbo..
any particular brand of clay bar that you guys would like to recommend?
up until last time i was using meguire's clay bar kit from autozone.
bought some off of ebay last time and that was very hard to knead,
it wasn't flexible at all.
 
the problem I see with the autozone stuff is they give you a very tiny piece & charge a fortune for it.. I'd take like 3 of those & knead them togeather really:smile (2):

I'm not so big on clay & I'm usually more likely to just break out an orbital buffer, but I use something called clay magic at the shop when I do use it... should be able to get it from an auto paint supply store... maybe a few bucks more than the autozone stuff but probably at least 4 times the size... there are different grits too rather than just one... Andrew may know something better though
 
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