how the weekend detailing turned out..

P

porterror

New member
Well. Here is what I did.



- NXT wash

- Sonus Claybar + sonus lubricant

- AIO (Hand)

- NXT Tech Wax



This friday i'll be applying either #16 or some Sourvern if i can get my hands on some.



Outcome so far:



- This is the first time clay baring and also using AIO. I've noticed more swirl marks after using AIO for some reason, that i didn't notice when I was just using NXT Tech or Wax? Also my clay bar is completely dirty. It was amazing how much I actually got off!!



Questions:

- How the hell do i clean that clay bar!! I picked out as much dirt and pieces while doing the bar'n, but the thing looks bad, ideas or suggetions?



- It did rain the next day after I nxt the car, but the wax seemed to hold up well, i just went over it again with some QD and microfiber to keep it nice. Does rain the next day have a huge effect on the layer of NXT i laid down? and do you think i should put another on before I do my layer of #16 or Sourvern?



- Why did i see swirls now? And whats the best way to attack these, both product wise and @ what time during the process do I include this?
 
The cleaner must have removed any old fillers and waxes that disguised the swirl marks.



Your next step is to correct the defects (swirls) with a machine cleaning and polishing.



Use the Porter Cable DA and foam pads. Look in Autopia for the sticky threads in the Machine Polishing forum.



Basically, the machine polishing comes after the clay bar and before the LSP (sealer/wax).



Here's the thread where I first learned how to use the PC: http://forums.mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=13563
 
Questions

- How the hell do i clean that clay bar!! I picked out as much dirt and pieces while doing the bar'n, but the thing looks bad, ideas or suggetions?:
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Throw the clay bar away if it is really dirty. Clay is a consumable just like car wash shampoo.

When I clay I break my clay bar into small pieces, then use one piece at a time. As one side of the clay gets dirty I fold the clay in half exposing a clean side of clay. Once my piece of clay is dirty I either use it for glass then chrome or if it is too dirty throw it away.
 
first problem is, i don't have a PC. Can removal of swirl marks be done without one? I've never used a PC before, but my dad does have an old machine buffer in the garage, but the speeds seem insane to me, was spin rather fast. But, i dont' know much about machine buffin
 
Sullybob said:
Throw the clay bar away if it is really dirty. Clay is a consumable just like car wash shampoo.

When I clay I break my clay bar into small pieces, then use one piece at a time. As one side of the clay gets dirty I fold the clay in half exposing a clean side of clay. Once my piece of clay is dirty I either use it for glass then chrome or if it is too dirty throw it away.
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When you're claying your car, don't the bits and pieces that the clay picks up scratch and damage the rest of the car's paint? I never understood how to get around that.
 
Lore said:
When you're claying your car, don't the bits and pieces that the clay picks up scratch and damage the rest of the car's paint? I never understood how to get around that.
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They can thats why you fold the clay to expose a clean side. When you can no longer get a clean surface on the clay retire it.
 
Here's another tutorial on the PC: http://autopia.org/kb/index.php?page=index_v2&id=38&c=root



Don't use a high speed buffer unless you have been trained and understand the damage you can cause if you're not careful.



You can remove swirls and scratches by hand. It takes the right products and a lot of elbow grease. Be prepared to get tired.



You might want to invest in a PC and some quality pads as it is a machine that you will use for years. (maybe offer to detail your dad's car in exchange for him buying the buffer)



I wish I had learned some of the techniques and procedures that are well known here at Autopia when I first started washing and waxing cars 37 years ago. You are lucky we have the internet and advanced products like Microfiber towels nowadays.
 
Sullybob said:
They can thats why you fold the clay to expose a clean side. When you can no longer get a clean surface on the clay retire it.
Click to expand...



Right, but are you folding it after every inch that you go over? My guess is that you're supposd to fold it every few inches or every 1 foot - and during that time materials will collect on the surface of the clay.
 
I pick the clay up and look at it. If it needs folded I fold. When I did my car for the first time I used about 1/2 a clay bar (clay Magic). How often you fold it depends on the condition of your paint.

The contaminants will get pushed into the clay bar by you claying. The clay kind of sucks up the oxidation and rail dust. You will reach a point when the clay gets loaded up with contaminants, then you will need to fold the clay.

I hope that this makes sense.
 
You also want to use plenty of lube this will help the clay glide across the surface of the car and help keep the junk in the clay from scratching your paint.

Hopefully some one can explain this better then me.
 
I recently clayed my two cars for the first time. I folded the clay over about 1/4 for the hood, 1/2 a door, and 1/2 the trunk.



And it was pretty dirty too. I chucked the bar after the two cars. I might have been able to do more cars with it, but its only 10 bucks.
 
Well I kinda used the "Learn" option for learning how to clay properly. It worked out real good, but I used up so much lubricant in the process. I found it good to check the clay every so often and pick out pieces of anything hard in the surface. Also, I folded and rolled it into a ball multiple times, then flattened it out and used that as my new side. I think it worked great, and didn't cause any damage
 
Thanks to everyone for their responses. That makes a lot more sense now - as you can see, I've never clayed before!
 
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