is clay needed when using a compound or something like ssr1

[joyriide1113]

is it still a requirement to clay the vehicle when using a compound, ssr 2 and ssr1?

by the way is ssr1 a compound? it didnt quite remove the scratches i presumed to be light when used with a orange light cutting pad.

i know i should make a new thread for this but dont wanna clog the board. since ssr1 didnt remove those scratches would it be ok to use something a little stronger. somehting like ssr2 or ssr 2.5

[Beemerboy]

You should clay before you use any swril remover. Its not like you have to but that sets up the paint for a better finish. SSR1 might not be agressive enough to remove the scratches that you have. I would use the SSR2.5 with a cutting pad to start and then go to SSR1 with a polishing pad. Swril removers are like compound they are somewhat agressive

[mynci]

:yeah Remove those embedded contaminants first. I wouldn`t consider SSR1 a compound at all. It`s closer to a final polish (a good one at that), in my opinion.

[Jngrbrdman]

Clay and polish are totally seperate and necessary steps to a proper detail. Clay can`t do what a polish can do and polish can`t do what a clay can do. It does more than just make the paint smooth. It also pulls contamination out from the paint. The best that a polish could do is level the contamination off at the surface. It won`t remove it.