grndc2gsr
05-03-2004, 06:39 PM
do i need to polish and wax after i clay? teh clay doesnt remove wax does it? thanks
SpaceAce
05-03-2004, 09:35 PM
As I understand it, claying is best to be done before you want to polish and apply wax and sealants. Claying will remove oxidation and surface debris (and probably some wax). Claying will not help swirls and scratches, so that is why you use paint cleaners and polishes (which will remove some wax) to make the finish look good. Once you have it looking good and your satisfied, then you wax/seal it which is basically a protective layer that helps protect your paint. Then you look at your reflection and ponder profound thoughts...........or just drive it and show it off.
naddage
05-03-2004, 10:15 PM
SpaceAce hit most of the points. Just a couple of things to add though -
I have read many times that claying removes any wax on your car, but I think after several passes, the clay will be too gummed up with wax to effectively remove any further contaminants and/or wax. Even if the clay does not remove the wax, then it will not be able to get at the contaminants embedded in the paint *under* the wax, which makes the claying process useless either way.
Given the above two scenarios, claying is best done on a clean, newly-washed surface. Since claying isn`t done too often, many people (including myself) have had great results with using a stronger soap, such as dawn dishwashing detergent. Car wash solutions are usually (and purposely) too mild to remove all the wax from your car.
Good luck and happy detailin =D