Clay questions/How soft should clay be?

[imported_rca]

I tried using a clay bar on my G35 this weekend and I`ve got some questions about the process...



1. What should be the consistency of the clay/how should it feel?

2. How much lubricant should it take to clay a G35?

3. What kind of residue should be left behind?



Here`s what I did:

It was about 65 degrees out, and somewhat cloudy, so the sun was mostly not beating down on the car. I used the Pinnacle PolyClay kit, which included the Pinnacle PolyClay and the Pinnacle Clay Lubricant.



I cut one of the 2oz. bars in half and started to use it. At first the clay bar felt very firm - it took a lot of force to stretch it or fold it over. As I started to use the clay I could feel what the instructions describe about the clay grabbing at first and then gliding smoothly over the paint. As I worked on the roof of the car there was relatively little residue and it buffed off fairly easily.



Okay, so far so good, as I continue to go over the car the clay is starting to get softer and easier to stretch/fold/knead. Well, by the time that I`m about half way done the clay felt like uncooked dough - it was really squishy and easy to stretch. It was also really slippery from all the lubricant and it felt like I could just rub the clay over the car without spraying the area with lubricant. Also there was a lot of residue being left behind, some of which buffed off, but some didn`t want to buff and just washed away with water (after I was done).



I ended up using the other half of the bar to finish the car, and by the end that piece of clay was also really squishy. In all, I`m guessing I used 8-12oz. of the lubricant.



So, getting back to my original three questions, does what I describe sound correct? Did I screw something up here?



Thanks in advance,

-rca

[Accumulator]

rca- Disclaimer: I haven`t used the Pinnacle clay. But my $0.02 follows anyhow (I *do* do a lot of claying):



No real way to determine whether you used too much/little lube, every situation is different. It *does* sound like maybe your clay got a bit saturated with lube. Still, better too much than too little. I think you`ll be happier if you cut your clay into more/smaller pieces and replace them after every panel or so. That way the clay won`t get "too used" (or whatever was happening to it) and hopefully won`t leave residue *or* get contaminated, which can lead to marring.



Many/most clay will feel stiff when you first start using it, then softer after it gets heated up. I like to warm it up *before* using it, as I think it`s less likely to mar when it`s softer, and also more likely to do its stick-to-contaminants thing. Some people heat it in the microwave, but I haven`t tried that yet; I just knead it by hand. When it`s cool/cold in the shop, I`ll set the clay container on/near something warm for a while first.



I didn`t exactly answer your Qs in a 1,2,3 manner, so post back if there`s something I can clarify.

[SK2003TypeS]

I have the same experience with Pinnacle`s claybar. It`s really hard in the beginning, tough to stretch out, etc. As you mix lube "into" it by folding and kneeding, it starts to losen up. Also notice, if you get a lot of lube mixed in, it begins to break up and may get granular to the point where you get a hole in it. By this point, the clay is pretty much ready for the garbage.



If I`m getting residue, I tend to just add more lube and it goes away. Like Accumulator said, better too much than too little lube. I don`t think you screwed anything up. It`s just kind of a learning curve.



When I clay, I usually hear the dirt/grime getting picked up by the clay. After 1 or 2 passes, it then goes silent and the claybar feels like a melting ice cube sliding over a kitchen counter top.

HTH

Congrats on the G and Welcome to Autopia ! :wavey

[Simplistic]

i quickly learned that you can never have enough lube i was skeptical at first and thought you could use TOO MUCH lube (i.e. the paint would be really wet and slippery). this is not the case, if the surface is not wet then clay gets left behind which needs to be polished or buffed out.



i personally like it when my clay is very malleable. hard/cold clay is hard to work with. you`re on the right track, keep it up. but use more lube!

[TortoiseAWD]

I had the squishy clay syndrome a couple of times . . . I haven`t had a recurrence since I began drying my clay before folding. Just dab the wet clay on a clean MF towel (or even tap it against your shirt, if your shirt is clean) to remove excess lube before folding. IMO, clay breaking down is caused by folding lube into the clay, not by using too much lube on the paint surface.



Tort

[imported_rca]

Thanks for all the replies, and also for the tips. :bigups



It`s definitely a confidence booster to know that the things I described happening are fairly normal.



For next time I think I`ll try warming the clay up before using it. Also, I think the clay probably was getting saturated with lube as I used it, so I`ll try drying it on a MF towel before folding.



-rca