Claying scratches my paint

I

imported_Detailing Technology

New member
I clayed the hood and fenders of my car and had to break out the PC to remove some scratches my clay usage installed.

I am using a 50:50 mix of Zaino soap and water to well lubricate the area. I am using Z-18 clay and tried Pinnacle yellow clay.

How do you clay? Do you move slowly? Do you apply any pressure?
 
I move rather quickly and with more pressure than most people use, and I get no marring. :think: But, that lube seems to be WAY too strong...think about more like 1:15 (shampoo:water).
 
I also move quite quickly with very little pressure. I find a good soap solution works great and I never get any marring. My clay is a very mild type and it really does remove the contaminants from the paint. Try less pressure and a milder solution.
 
There is a GREAT, How to article here[Learn section] on claying lots of INSIGHT on proper process and proper lubricant. What was your process before claying?
 
Just to inform you, its OK if claying mars the finish. Just remove the light marring with a polish.....I actually expect it when claying.
 
Maybe you were claying off abrasive contamination. Unless you knead/replace the clay frequently that could cause marring- you do a foot-long area, the clay gets abrasive contamination on it from the first inch and you get eleven inches worth of marring because the clay has effectively turned into sandpaper.
 
Accumulator said:
Maybe you were claying off abrasive contamination. Unless you knead/replace the clay frequently that could cause marring- you do a foot-long area, the clay gets abrasive contamination on it from the first inch and you get eleven inches worth of marring because the clay has effectively turned into sandpaper.
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I did knead the clay, but I believe I got the scrathces from applying too much pressure. I also think I made an uneven clay surface.
 
jsatek said:
I did knead the clay, but I believe I got the scrathces from applying too much pressure.
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Accumulator was saying you could mar in one swipe...pick the contaminant up at the beginning of the swipe and drag it along the rest of the way. In that scenario, even kneading after every swipe won't help. As others have alluded to, if you are going to polish after, claying can be pretty foolproof. If you aren't going to polish after...you need to tune into the feel of the clay, what is coming off (rail dust vs. bug or plant debris, for instance), pressure, etc.
 
One of the mistakes I made when claying was trying to use the clay bar to remove larger objects of debris, such as dead insect parts or plant material. These caused some long, singular scratches in my paint. If that's the kind of scratch your seeing, it may help to inspect the entire surface of the car before you clay, and spot-treat any visible debris with a bug-and-tar remover.
 
svracer said:
One of the mistakes I made ..caused some long, singular scratches in my paint..
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That's the sort of thing I was thinking about in my earlier post. If there's any chance that your clay/wash mitt/whatever is getting contaminated, don't cover a lot of ground with it. You won't notice a 1/4" long scratch, but you'll sure see one that's a few inches long.
 
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