I've been reading about the uses of clay. So far, I understand it can remove everything from rust to swirls. And how do you use it? Do you wet it and rub the clay on or do you just take the clay and rub it on? Where do I find this stuff and what is it's commercial name? I was thinking of using it on my m/cycle to remove bugs. I usually use Mother's Gold everything for my scoots but find I still have to work hard at getting teh bugs off. I usually give it a clear, warmm wash first right after a ride. It seems to make the hard work a little less hard but sometimes you get those don't wanna let go bugs that are very difficult to get off.

 

Clay will not remove rust as in rusted metal body panels.

It won't remove swirl marks either.

Here is what happens, as your car sits and drive airborn contaminants land and stick on your paint giving you that rough feel to your paint. A clay bar is used to remove this leaving a slick as glass paint finish. I know Mothers makes a clay bar, I usually use the one that came with my Zaino or the blue one I think they sell called Clay Magic or something like that.

The process is simple, they supply you with a spray lube or you could use a mixtrue of water and car wash. Spray it on then rub the clay bar back and fourth over it. You don't want to use too much lube as the bar will just slide along and not remove anything, on the other hand if you use too little it will feel like it is graabbing the paint. When you are done it should leave the surface slick as glass to the touch.

For swirl marks almost every company out there makes something for that. You put it on like a wax and it hides the swirls. I use 3M's product as it is the best I have seen for darker colors. Follow that up with a good wax Like some NXT or Zaino(my personal Fav) and it will look like new.

My GTP was red and when I first tried the Zaino I went through the whole process one Saturday, The next week was sunny as hell out and you coulnd't even look at the car in the sun as you would see spots afterwards, that is how bright it made it.

 

Great explanation .... I'm going to try to add just a little....

Clay, in and of itself, really isn't anything more than an abrasive cleaning tool. The simple abrasion of the clay against the surface of the paint (with lubricant) simply cleaves off and/or removes bonded and/or stuck-on contamination.

One of the most common types of bonded contamination is something known as rail dust (or, at least it is around here). What happens here is a train goes down the track and the friction between metal wheel and metal rail generates a 'shower' of metallic flecks that spin off everywhere. This metal lands on a surface like a modern clear coat finish and 'melts' into the paint. It typically doesn't make it far but, you can't really remove this type of thing with a simple wash with your favorite car wash solution.

Enter a clay bar used properly...

The clay will glide across the surface and, with the friction, snare that fleck of metal and extract it from the paint. Remember, this is happening on a micro basis -- not a macro.


Like 01 mentioned, when you're done, you're left with a substrate that is as smooth as glass. (trust me here... go feel your paint after you've washed your vehicle... feel that rough texture? That's 'bonded' stuff (rail dust, industrial fallout, paint overspray, mineral deposits... etc. -- clay it using the directions as listed on the box (major readily available brands include Meguiar's, Mothers, Clay Magic -- all are very good products) -- feel it afterwards. That's the difference).

This is a try it and be sold on it deal.

Frequencey -- typically around a few times per year for me and I'm frequently in industrial areas and live in a very dirty environment (which is what pays the bills).

So, all in all, it's a simple 'surface preparation' step for someone who is very serious about the appearance and/or care of their vehicle. Surface prep, on ANY vehicle is the most critically important part -- any jackleg can smack a coat of wax on a vehicle and call it 'perfect'... it takes a true enthusiast to clay, polish, polish, polish, polish, wax, wax, wax and QD at the end to bring perfection.

RP

 

Thanks guys. Now everything is clear. I just may try it. But I have one more question, is it useful as a bug and bug oil remover?

 

For the stuff that is baked on and is hellishly hard to remove with a standard bug sponge (which I don't advocate by the way)... yeah, it is. Save this type of area (along with fenders, lower body panels, and the tailgate, for LAST (I find that my tailgate ALWAYS picks up stuff faster than any other body panel -- and that includes flat upward facing panels like my hood, roof, and tonneau).

Remember, the clay will have a useful life... if it hits the ground, it's trash. No questions asked.

Chop your bar into two pieces so that you have one on hand if you have a drop -- and you will eventually (trust me). I'll typically get two vehicles, or so, out of a standard 100 gram bar before I feel that it's too dingy to go any further. At that point, it may get used for lower rocker panels or for an exhaust tip before hitting the garbage. It's pricey but, with the frequency of use, it's more than worth it to most.

Remember too, clay offers no protection and, in fact, if anything, removes protection. If you start the process, I'd recommend going all the way through so, with that in mind, allocate enough time to do the task!

If you have any other questions, feel free to bark! Woof.

 

Advise is very much apprediated.

 

You betcha!

 

Just my 2 cents, but use the clay bar and be happy. For myself, it removes I'd say about 99% of the industrial fallout my truck is exposed to everyday. I work next to an iron foundry made 80 years ago so.... It also has many other uses such as paint overspray, never tried but that's what I hear. It really makes a smooth finish before you wax and seal this baby.

 

Thanks Blue. Where I live, the only polution I have to worry about is smoking on my doorstep. We have no manufacturing here. Oh ya. I forgot to mention the raven poop. It is almost, if not, as corrosive as seagull crap.

 

Actually you might be able to get away with doing the horizontal surfaces (hood, roof, trunk or cap) twice a year, and the sides once a year...except perhaps behind the rear wheels. Another use for the clay after you are no longer going to use it on paint is to use it to clean windows. Does a great job.

 

hmm well looks like everybody else has explained very well about clay

 

Is it a rub on rub off kind of thing or you just rub it on and that is it?

Sorry, Im a NOOB.

THANKS!

 

It literally is like a bar of modeling clay....the stuff it picks up just sticks in the clay....

the best part is the feel afterwards.....oooooooooooo....ahhhhhhhh....its awesome. You can sit something on the paint and watch it just slide off.....it feels great....I'm a little ill I know but it is a great feeling...

 

To add just a little bit here... it's more than 'feel'... it's optical appearance. Sure, it's mediscule in general but, this is one of those little steps that any good detailer/enthusiast will do to help set his/her vehicle apart from the rest. Any 'Joe Blow' can smack a coat of wax on their vehicle, it takes a true enthusiast to go through the necessary preparation steps to achieve a show car finish...

The perfection comes from preparation.


RP

 

I grew up in Steubenville, Ohio which it right on the banks of the Ohio River and has several steel mills very close by. We had got rail dust from railroad tracks that ran through, graphite settlement from the mills blowing smoke out of the smokestacks, etc. and I have never seen a product that could remove any of it completely but I have never tried a clay bar. I no longer live in Steubenville, I have since moved a little north in Ohio but I would still like to give it a try - thanks for the info!