Clear this ? up for me please
- Thread starter timn99
- Start date
No need to wash. If you plan on polishing later I usually dont even wipe down the lube after claying, saves you about 20-30 minutes and is a wasteful step if your going to be polishing anyways.
If your not polishing after the clay, I would recommend what Bob says, a QD wipe down when its all said and done.
Jim
If your not polishing after the clay, I would recommend what Bob says, a QD wipe down when its all said and done.
Jim
I usually have a flat surface of clay that covers my four fingers since that is basically where i put the clay when I use it. I have never seen the Z18 clay, but for all the other clays I've used, I cut the bar in half and use on half at a time.
And for the soap question, you can either do it while washing your car or yes, you can put it in a spray bottle as well. Whatever works best for you.
Jim
And for the soap question, you can either do it while washing your car or yes, you can put it in a spray bottle as well. Whatever works best for you.
Jim
mikelea4ever
New member
IMO, its a waste of time to wash after claying. Just use a good amount of QD when claying so no clay will stick in your paint. Why wash if you'll polish it? I will only wash it if I will not follow it with polish. 
Accumulator
Well-known member
timn99 said:
kleraudio said:
I'm even more extreme than that! I tear my clay into fairly small pieces (but still large enough that the force of claying is distributed over a decent size area; I don't go for nickel-size pieces most of the time) and I don't do much kneading. Rather, I use them and set them aside for wheeld duty, then get out another piece. Yeah, I do go through a bit of clay with that method, but *IMO* it's not as likely that some abrasive contamination will work its way back to mar the paint and it's not a big deal if (more like "when"
) I drop a piece.Oh, and I wear rubber/latex gloves when I clay as the clay tends to stick to my skin. The combo of the gloves and clay lube might explain why I drop it now and then :nixweiss
Hmmm, the claying while washing the car sound very interesting and promising. That may save some time.
That way I can wash and rinse each panel, clay panel using clean wash lube of 2-bucket system (or would I need a third bucket of uncontaminated wash soap mix?), then a final rinse of the panel to clean off any clay/lube residue.
Then the final drying using MF waffleweave, in preparation for the JW Prime Strong and AJT.
Or should I wash the entire car, mix up a new bucket of clean wash soap, then clay each panel? Damn, I hate being an engineer!!:hairpull: :hairpull
That way I can wash and rinse each panel, clay panel using clean wash lube of 2-bucket system (or would I need a third bucket of uncontaminated wash soap mix?), then a final rinse of the panel to clean off any clay/lube residue.
Then the final drying using MF waffleweave, in preparation for the JW Prime Strong and AJT.
Or should I wash the entire car, mix up a new bucket of clean wash soap, then clay each panel? Damn, I hate being an engineer!!:hairpull: :hairpull
kleraudio said:
Junebug
JAFO
How about this, mix up your wash - save a little for clay lube before washing the car. After washing/rinsing - clay -rinse - dry. I use to wash and dry then move the car in the garage, clay and wipe down then polish. I found it easier to clay while the car was still wet from the rinse.
timn99 said:
I will generally clay the car while washing, this will save alot of time.
Doing an ONR wash, wash panel as usual, but before drying spray the panel with ONR QD and clay. Dry panel as usual.
You can use any wash shampoo as clay lube, as well as a QD.
I start with a ball of clay that is about the size of a ping-pong ball. Flatten that out until it is less than 1/4 thick.
Accumulator
Well-known member
timn99 said:
That's basically the way I do it, but I do a quick, cursory *wash* and rinse of the previously washed panels after I clay.
For the lube, I either use dedicated clay lube or keep a spray bottle bottle of shampoo mix handy. Some people just dunk the clay in the shampoo bucket, and I doubt that it'd cause any problems as long as the shampoo and the clay are comptatible....it just seems like a less-than-optimal idea to me :nixweiss
zingyginger
New member
onr - optimum no rinse wash & shine
accumulator, what do you think the method described below? found it by googling "bmw detailing 101." it's on the middle of the first page written by a member named David.
How to: Properly Clay your Car
Make sure you have thoroughly washed and dried your car prior to claying.
Cut the clay bar in half. Take the half and cut it into 15 equal pieces:
2 for the hood
2 for the roof
1 for the trunk lid
1 for the trunk rear and rear bumper
2 for the rear quarter panels (1 per side)
4 for the doors (1 per door)(if you have a sedan)
2 for the front fenders (1 per side)
1 for the front of the car
Take the piece and roll it in to a sphere. Take the sphere and flatten it out into a circle so that it covers the top third of your first two fingers. Spray the first section of the roof with quick detailer. Glide the clay across the area in a front to back motion applying some pressure. Work in 2x2 areas. If you feel your fingers going through the clay, then you are pushing too hard. If the clay is streaking on the paint, then you need more QD. While gliding, you should hear a slight noise and feel some resistance. This is the grit being lifted from the paint. When the resistance and noise stops, dry the QD off with a quality towel. Move onto the next 2x2 section and do the same thing. Once half the section is done, flip the clay over and do the other half of the section. Once the section has been completed throw the piece of clay away. It is too contaminated to use on another section. If you do use it, you will most likely put micro scratches in your clear.
Keep working your way down using each dedicated piece for its area. Flip the clay over when you have completed half a section. Throw the clay away when the section is done.
When complete your car should be as smooth as glass. The next steps should be to remove the swirls (if necessary), remove any hazing from polishing/bring out the full gloss, and seal in the rejuvenated finish with a wax or sealant.
accumulator, what do you think the method described below? found it by googling "bmw detailing 101." it's on the middle of the first page written by a member named David.
How to: Properly Clay your Car
Make sure you have thoroughly washed and dried your car prior to claying.
Cut the clay bar in half. Take the half and cut it into 15 equal pieces:
2 for the hood
2 for the roof
1 for the trunk lid
1 for the trunk rear and rear bumper
2 for the rear quarter panels (1 per side)
4 for the doors (1 per door)(if you have a sedan)
2 for the front fenders (1 per side)
1 for the front of the car
Take the piece and roll it in to a sphere. Take the sphere and flatten it out into a circle so that it covers the top third of your first two fingers. Spray the first section of the roof with quick detailer. Glide the clay across the area in a front to back motion applying some pressure. Work in 2x2 areas. If you feel your fingers going through the clay, then you are pushing too hard. If the clay is streaking on the paint, then you need more QD. While gliding, you should hear a slight noise and feel some resistance. This is the grit being lifted from the paint. When the resistance and noise stops, dry the QD off with a quality towel. Move onto the next 2x2 section and do the same thing. Once half the section is done, flip the clay over and do the other half of the section. Once the section has been completed throw the piece of clay away. It is too contaminated to use on another section. If you do use it, you will most likely put micro scratches in your clear.
Keep working your way down using each dedicated piece for its area. Flip the clay over when you have completed half a section. Throw the clay away when the section is done.
When complete your car should be as smooth as glass. The next steps should be to remove the swirls (if necessary), remove any hazing from polishing/bring out the full gloss, and seal in the rejuvenated finish with a wax or sealant.
Accumulator
Well-known member
zingyginger said:
That sounds *SO* familiar it reminds me of somebody here at Autopia! Maybe Lynn (MIA and dearly missed)..but I can't say for sure.
The *only* issue I could raise with that is the "do a 2x2" (inches/feet/?). Stuff happens and sometimes that'd be too large or too small for the piece of clay...just depends on the contamination.
I probably don't make my clay pieces quite that small either, and I just tear-then-knead them as opposed to any deliberate, measured cutting of equally-sized pieces.
But since I'lll use a *lot* more of probably *larger* pieces, I sure go through clay faster than that too
And if you don't *need* to go through as much clay as I do, then I sure wouldn't :nono More of that "it just depends" and I err on the side of caution.Thus, I suspect I'm more gentle/careful/paranoid too...I'll often inspect/knead/flip the clay after a single contact where I moved it maybe an inch (!).. No, no, not all the time
Hey, I'm nit-picking. Otherwise, that's basically identical to what I do; so yeah, it sure sounds good to me. Somebody could do a lot worse than follow those instructions to the letter. Good write-up too, IMO the BMW board in question is probably fortunate to have that "David" individual posting there.
zingyginger
New member
thanks, accumulator!
it was part of a detailed post on the whole wash-clay-polish-seal procedure that included suggested products (excellent for newbies like me). the poster, david, attributed the technique to a Brad B. i would have included the link but couldn't (is there a rule for not mentioning other forums?). it's the top link on the google search so if anyone else wants to check it out it should be easy to do so.
anyway, i tried this method on my 15 year old white corolla that has never been clayed and found that 2x2 feet removed a lot of fine oxidation (the sonus gray clay turned orange). i needed to go back and do 2x2 inches for specific spots. took me hours but when i was done claying, it looked like it was already waxed and buffed
having smaller clay pieces made the procedure similar to using a kneaded rubber eraser between my fingers and kept me from rubbing too hard but it took me hours to do it. on my month old car, i'll try using larger pieces to see if it goes any faster (hopefully without marring).
any suggestions for a gentle otc clay? i got the sonus green but i'm thinking it wouldn't last that long.
it was part of a detailed post on the whole wash-clay-polish-seal procedure that included suggested products (excellent for newbies like me). the poster, david, attributed the technique to a Brad B. i would have included the link but couldn't (is there a rule for not mentioning other forums?). it's the top link on the google search so if anyone else wants to check it out it should be easy to do so.
anyway, i tried this method on my 15 year old white corolla that has never been clayed
and found that 2x2 feet removed a lot of fine oxidation (the sonus gray clay turned orange). i needed to go back and do 2x2 inches for specific spots. took me hours but when i was done claying, it looked like it was already waxed and buffed having smaller clay pieces made the procedure similar to using a kneaded rubber eraser between my fingers and kept me from rubbing too hard but it took me hours to do it. on my month old car, i'll try using larger pieces to see if it goes any faster (hopefully without marring).
any suggestions for a gentle otc clay? i got the sonus green but i'm thinking it wouldn't last that long.
Accumulator
Well-known member
zingyginger said:
AFAIK there's no rule against posting a link to another forum.
I wonder if that's *our* Brad B :think: :nixweiss
Anyhow, glad to hear your claying went well.
I'd try the ClayMagic Blue. I've never tried it but people whose opinions I respect like it. I've used Mother's and been less than wowed by it...not *bad* stuff though. But man-oh-man do I like the Sonus green for gentle work, and IMO nothing OTC is likely to compare with that stuff.
zingyginger
New member
Accumulator said:
Here's the link then:
Detailing 101: Common Question and Answers, What and Where to buy stuff + Technique - BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum - E90Post.com
That's quite possibly the same Brad B since he has a BMW and this was a bimmer forum. As for the claying, I figured with all the oxidation and pre-autopian swirls, my fifteen year old white car can only get better! :grinno: I do get the sense that the gray clay may be too abrasive for my month old car, hence the purchase of Sonus green clay.
For other newbies, using clay as a search term & brad b. as poster in the advance search mode, I found a lot of older threads here that were pretty helpful in describing the process of what to do and not do when claying. :2thumbs:
Accumulator said:
I'll try ClayMagic Blue but I'm guessing I'll be back for more Sonus green especially since with all the fallout in San Francisco, I'll be needing to spot clay regularly.
Accumulator
Well-known member
zingyginger- Thanks for the link. I can't say that I agree with him about other topics to the extent that I do about his claying, but to each their own and again, people could listen to much *worse* advice than his.
The Sonus green is my go-to clay, and I use it for something at most every wash. But it's awfully mild.
The Sonus gray seems to cause a lot of marring and might not be a good idea unless you already plan to polish (doesn't sound like it).
The Sonus green is my go-to clay, and I use it for something at most every wash. But it's awfully mild.
The Sonus gray seems to cause a lot of marring and might not be a good idea unless you already plan to polish (doesn't sound like it).