clay bars

[skatana600]

i used the mothers clay bar---- first i sprayed the spray (showroom detailer thing) then i moved the clay bar back and forth on the piant. i wait a little and then i wiped it off with terry cloth. after i was done it looked messier then before. should it look bad after i clean the clay bar up? and also how do you go about rubbing the clay bar on the car? i just held it and moved it from side to side.

[1andrews]

Just rub it lightly across the paint in whatever motion you want. When you feel the claybar `catch` on the paint rub it over that spot until its smooth again. Make sure where your rubbing is always lubricated.



The `showroom detailer` will make a mess of your car when you use it as a lube, so I would recommend washing your car after you clay it. Then apply wax or sealant: important as the clay will strip all the wax you might have had on your car previous to that.



When you are done `claying` a spot. Feel it lightly with your hand. If it still feels rough continue rubbing with the clay. You should put very little pressure on the clay, just enough so that it contacts the paint really.



Also fold and refold and kneed the clay often, as this is sort of a cleansing action and will keep any dirt or grime from rubbing into your paint (BAD!)!



Hope that helps!

[bigpoppa]

maybe a dumb question - but did you make sure the car was SPOTLESS before claying?



after that - liberally wet the paint with soapy water, then rub a small piece of the clay over a small section. As for pressure - I don`t even use the weight of the clay. Go very gently, do it twice if need be. sometimes if the surface isn`t wet enough - the clay can streak - maybe that`s your problem. can you describe it further?

[1andrews]

Good question ^^^



I hope your thouroughly cleaning the car before you clay??



also, Ds01C5, I do think he`s referring to the haze that the QD leaves behind, and can be a little annoying to get off. I didn`t bother trying, I just washed my car after I used the QD as a lube. The mothers clay bar left no residue for me so I doubt thats what he was talking about.



shkani04, take his^ recommendations on using soapy water instead of the showroom instant detailer.

[NGB34747]

When using soapy water as the clay`s lube should I mix my car soap extra strong to make it more slipperly??



I`m currently using some Zip Wax (by turtle wax) car wash.... it seems to work fairly well as a car wash, not to mention I have 4L of it lying around. Would this work ok as a lube for the mothers clay or should I go and purchase some other car wash soap that may be more slick to use?

[skatana600]

dude, i washe dmy car with soap

then dried it

then put on mother shwroom thing

then rubbed the clay on that

and when i wiped it off i had residue or streaks

after i rubbed it off it felt like someting was still on there, like a liquid was stil there\



is this where you want me to wash it again ? or what?



then it just dried and it got a litle smoother



then i put klaasse all purpose and the other klasse



after that the streaks were gone-- i sthat suppose to happen?



then s100 wax, after that it looked great

[shaf]

The Showtime ;) QD shouldn`t leave any streaks or residue if you buff it off before i has a chance to dry too much. You are supposed to wipe/buff off the QD when you`re done claying an area, and do NOT wait for it to dry or haze or anything. Clay and QD are not products you "apply" and haze over like you might with some other products.



I use a spray bottle of water to keep it wet or help buff off any dried areas. The clay shouldn`t leave any residue either. QD will probably leave the surface slick and feeling like it`s been waxed, depending on the condition of the paint of course. You don`t really have to wash it off again before moving onto the next stage unless you`ve somehow got clay residue everywhere or the car is dusty/dirty.



I imagine you could use pretty much any "normal" car wash as a lube. The key to this is the "lube" part, and you only need to use as much soap as is needed to have the solution slippery feeling on the paint. Maybe try mixing up a bit and see how it compares to using QD.



Hope this helps.

[skatana600]

so y ou dont wipe it off with terry cloth? thats what i did. but instead your saying to buff it off right? so do i get a buffer? do i have to buy a buffer to apply the clay bar correctly. Also is there big difference between terry cloth and mircrofiber towel? And where can you buy an absorber?

[Brad B]

I am not a big proponent of folding and refolding or kneading the clay over and over.



What I do is when the claybar is new I cut it into several little pieces. Then, right from the start, take those pieces and knead them into very thin, silver dollar size pieces, that you rub the paint with. This is very cost-effective and safe. Use only back and forth motions, never circular, and use these pieces until they get dirty or become saturated with the lubricant and begin to deteriorate. If they get dirty, flip it over and use the other side. If both sides are dirty simply throw it away. This way there is zero risk of particle contamination coming back to haunt you. This can happen if you fold and knead dirty clay inwards. And if you ever drop a piece of clay on the ground...it`s dead. Toss it.



I prefer a quality auto shampoo with copious amounts of water to quick detailer as a lubricant. It will aid lubrication and leave less residue.



Follow claying with compounding, then wax or sealant.

[shaf]

Originally posted by shkani04

so y ou dont wipe it off with terry cloth? thats what i did. but instead your saying to buff it off right? so do i get a buffer? do i have to buy a buffer to apply the clay bar correctly. Also is there big difference between terry cloth and mircrofiber towel? And where can you buy an absorber? A cotton terry cloth or MF is perfectly fine. "Buffing" is just a generic word for the act of buffing, which is kinda like wiping/drying and wiping some more.... I guess. It never means you need a machine.



Yes there is a big difference between MF and cotton towels in my opinion. Try a search on this.



Did you get the instructions that comes with the Mothers clay kit? :confused: They`re pretty good in my opinion and you shouldn`t have this much trouble. :nixweiss

[skatana600]

yea i read the instructions on mothers

[imported_ThreeSixT]

Brad B, that is a great idea. The risk of contamination coming back to haunt me after I have folded the clay has always been one of my concerns. I`ll have to try that next time. Sounds like it probably makes the clay as a whole last a little longer and make it more cost efficient like you said...especially if you pay an arm and a leg for the Pinnacle Poly Clay. Thanks for the tip :xyxthumbs