Man...this thing works! I had a sandpaper feeling on the top of my hood because my truck sits outside quite a bit under trees and gets what I think is sap buildup on the top surface of my truck (mainly the hood). I went up today and got a clay bar kit by Mothers and clayed my hood with it and MAN...it's as smooth as baby-*** flesh. I couldn't believe all the grit and grime that came off on the clay bar. This truck is only a year old and it had quite a bit of build-up on the surface. I highly recommend this to anyone. I'll probably end up doing this once a year now.

I finished the surface off with Meguiar's Cleaner Wax and finalized it with Meguiar's Tech Wax. The finish looks and feels absolutely gorgeous now.

 

Glad that worked out for you!

Many folks that first use a clay bar and go through the proper preparatory steps realize that there is a huge opportunity to bring their vehicle's finish to another level once they complete!

RP

 

Got me a big o stick of clay from the swap meet for 17 bux.

 

That oughta last you for a while!

 

Just a suggestion sk8inrj1....

Chop that bar into 2 or 3 pieces.

All of us turn into a klutz at some point in time (speaking from experience here). It's so much easier to throw a chunk of clay away after you've dropped it knowing that you have a clean chunk available in the jar.

What I'm saying is that you should make absolutely no exception to the rule of toss it if you drop it. One tiny grain of sand or grit positioned in the right area can spell disaster for your finish... It's tough to toss a clay bar when it's new but, it's a tad easier when you have backup.

RP

 

Another suggestion: Keep the staples (in the picture) away from the clay.

 

Nice one 2stroked... LOL!

 

Ok I've never used a clay bar. So I have a couple of rookie questions.

1. Is this something you treat the whole truck with or just spots?

2. Is it suppose to be used with wax or in lieu of.

3. Good place to purchase and what is average price.

Should I start a new thread or seach the forums to find out what the best practices are for using this and waxes etc to keep my paint looking good.

Thanks

Jim

 

Nah, no need to spin another thread. This information is probably very good within this one...

1. Clay is a substance (as shown in the earlier picture) that is designed to be moved across the surface of the paint to remove surficial imperfections that are 'stuck-on'. These are typically the sap, industrial fallout, and rail dust varieties but, there are oodles of things that become 'stuck' on your paint that washing alone will not remove. Clay is the way to remove most all of them safely and effectively. Clay can be used on any hard surface like paint, glass, and hard, non-porous plastics. Use it anywhere it's needed.

To determine need, wash your vehicle. Dry. Feel the paint. Feel those little rough spots? Now, clay. Feel those rough spots again? Probably not. If so, you may need to use a more aggressive style of clay or, probably, just re-clay. I clayed one particular client's vehicle thrice before I felt that it was complete. The hood, roof, and other areas exposed 'up wards' are most apt to accumulate 'stuff'.


2. Clay and wax are two totally different things. In short, clay will offer no surficial protection; it's simply an abrasive cleaning method. Also, when I say 'abrasive' I don't mean that you're paint is going to look like you took sandpaper to it; for that case, you shouldn't even be able to tell that you have gone across your paint with it with the single exception that, if the stuck-on contamination was bad enough, you may notice that it's more of a clear finish. You'll definitely notice the difference in feel.

Wax, in my opinion, should always be used post-clay somewhere in your process because the abrasive action of clay can and will remove a certain layer of film build that was present.

3. Good place = just about any reputable on line vendor like premiumautocare.com, meguiars.com, or mothers.com. Also, you can check most larger style parts stores like Pep Boys, AutoZone, etc...

Price is going to be between $10 for a bar or $15 for a kit which will include the necessary lubrication spray (most often a 'quick detailer' type of mist spray) and a clay bar. This is probably the best route to go honestly... the kit that is.

This may beagain? Probably not. If so, you may need to use a more aggressive style of clay or, probably, just re-clay. I clayed one particular client's vehicle thrice before I felt that it was complete. The hood, roof, and other areas exposed 'up wards' are most apt to accumulate 'stuff'.


2. Clay and wax are two totally different things. In short, clay will offer no surficial protection; it's simply an abrasive cleaning method. Also, when I say 'abrasive' I don't mean that you're paint is going to look like you took sandpaper to it; for that case, you shouldn't even be able to tell that you have gone across your paint with it with the single exception that, if the stuck-on contamination was bad enough, you may notice that it's more of a clear finish. You'll definitely notice the difference in feel.

Wax, in my opinion, should always be used post-clay somewhere in your process because the abrasive action of clay can and will remove a certain layer of film build that was present.

3. Good place = just about any reputable on line vendor like premiumautocare.com, meguiars.com, or mothers.com. Also, you can check most larger style parts stores like Pep Boys, AutoZone, etc...

Price is going to be between $10 for a bar or $15 for a kit which will include the necessary lubrication spray (most often a 'quick detailer' type of mist spray) and a clay bar. This is probably the best route to go honestly... the kit that is.

This may be a good choice for you...

Quik Clay System



Other brands include Mothers and Clay Magic. All three are pretty good products.

Wax, in my opinion, should always be used post-clay somewhere in your process because the abrasive action of clay can and will remove a certain layer of film build that was present.

RP

 

Thanks for the info RP. I'll stop this weekend although spring may need to arrive before I try using it.

Odd repeats of the info though....


Thanks again.

Jim

 

Interesting what the server did to my post there... I'm going to attempt to edit it...

RP

 

 

Is the clay reusable or do you need a new piece everytime?.....barring the fact that you drop it ofcourse.

 

Reusable. A typical bar will do several vehicles several times.

The rule of thumb on clay is to use common sense. If it's looking dirty, it's time to chuck it.

RP

 

Is this just used for problem areas or will it enhance the finish you currently have even though there isn't anything wrong with it? (example a new vehicle)