Awesome. How can I go about getting into one of these 3 day courses you speak of?

Thanks again for your help. (I'll be making a run to the junkyard, and I'm about to place a huge order at ADS, so I'll be having some fun in the coming months.)

 

Unfortunately, the 3-day isn't offered to the general public. You have to be a distributor or an employee.

RP

 

Oh. That's a shame. What about detailers who use Meguiars products and advertise (grins). I think I can print out a picture of the Meg.'s logo and tape it to my garage... Advertising, Right? J/K.

well, I guess I'll just have to experiment with my own tactics on other peoples' cars...I'll have loads of fun.

 

Unless you have sandpaper wrapped around your clay go ahead and clay often. I recommend doing a good clay job with a medium grade clay and then claying once or twice a month with a fine clay. Use good clay and good clay lubricant and you won't have anything but good come from it.

 

I presume that you consider "Fine grade clay" to be the stuff you get at Autozone, etc, and medium grade...???

where do you get the variant grades, do you really need a more aggressive clay (I thought that you could use less aggressive clay for a longer period of time to achieve the same result with less risk of marring), and what's the cost of varying grades of clay???

Thanks.

 

Right on. Clay baring should be reserved for a reason more or less, and is unecassary to do on a regular basis. A couple times a year (like right after winter and during or towards the end of summer) will suffice. Make sure you aren't using harsch clay for light applications

 

A lot of the clay is labeled as medium or fine. Honestly I have not used a clay from a local store in a long time so I don't remember what clay like Mother's was. But if you look for clay online that you can't find locally it will usaully specify a grade.

 

I disagree with a 'once or twice per month' frequency. That's far too often in my opinion.

The necessity can't be there to do it that often...well, unless you're working at a smelter or steel mill...

You're subjecting your paint to a process that can, indeed, cause unrepairable damage. It just takes one 'screw up' and you're paint is thrashed. Why subject the paint to it and run that risk?

Kind of like Russian Roulet... the bullet is going to be in the chamber after one of those spins.

RP

 

Have you ever came close to doing damage to your paint while claying? If so you must be doing something wrong. There are tons of people that clay with every wash even. People that have long drives to work, live near rail roads, subject to acid rain, contamination, and so on on a regular basis will require frequent claying.

You guys should take a look at www.autopia.com for some hard core detail enthusiast. You will get a lot more explanation there.

 

I cannot imagine claying a huge truck every week, then waxing, you are talking about 4 or 5 hours a week I don't know who would have that much free time.

 

If you are using a good lube and a fine clay you don't have to rewax every time you clay. The clay is pulling embedded particles out of your paint, not polishing away the wax or sealant.

 

95 people out of 100 don't live within 100' of a track nor do they commute beside a major metropolitan airport, industrial area, or spray paint can crushing facility on their trip to work. Maybe, just maybe, those 5 out of that aforementioned 100 folks may need to clay monthly but, I still seriously doubt it. 1 out of them is probably a more adequate representation.

Even the big wax companies, who obviously would LOVE for you to buy more products, agree that claying should be done on an 'as necessary' basis.

I'm a member at autopia... have been for years. I don't participate there much but I do pull a plethora of information out of there. You're correct; there are some 'hard core' enthusiasts there but, as you'll find, they are here, there, and a little bit of everywhere when it comes to a topic like this. Once source for information is definitely not the best source for all instances.

Heck, your website forum isn't too shabby either (even though you're linking back to a source that sells materials that, obviously, benefits you directly without being a supporting vendor) from a perspective of providing good information. There are a lot of them out there... detailcity, showcargarage, meguiarsonline, autopia, waxforum... they could go on and on... I'm not always right. I've marred a finish or two in my day and have had to go back and fix them... you always need to selectively take data gathered online and use what you know to be correct and use it to your advantage. I know you realize that as you're obviously versed in paint care as well.


No, I haven't damaged my paint -- nor any of my clientèle's paint with clay. I have, however, worked on a handful of vehicles that *HAVE* been damaged -- one of which was a 2002 Corvette that the owner is very knowledgeable about paint, paint care, and the methods associated with paint care. Long story short, he picked up a grain of sand in his bar. After completing half of his hood, he noted a bunch of hairline, sharp, scratches.

You see, that's my point. You don't have to be a buffoon to screw something up. This guy is one that I consider to be somewhat of a mentor to me quite honestly. He knows his stuff. He's sharp. Why would he come to me to get it out if he's so 'sharp' you ask? Simply put, it was the chemical supply. As most detailers, I have a plethora to toss at it -- he didn't and didn't want to buy it to 'experiment'. Honestly, he used the rotary more than I did when getting it out. Naturally, I didn't charge him a dime because I, too, learned from the incident.

Others that I've worked on have come from buffoons. One of which dropped his clay on his GRAVEL DRIVEWAY and then proceeded to clay after 'picking the grit' out of the sand with his fingernails. He claimed that he just didn't want to throw away his $15 Clay Magic kit because it cost so much... He got dinged for well over $100 for me to work out his problems...

A tiny grain of sand, suspended in the clay bar at the right position (and moon angle and angle of refraction from the sun blah blah blah) will yield disastrous results... some of which can only be fixed with a respray.

Why in the world would I want to run the risk of potentially damaging my vehicle, or any of my client's vehicles, for something that simply is NOT necessary on a habitual frequency? It is, indeed, Russian Roulette.

I really like syrup on my pancakes but I don't use an entire bottle of Aunt Jamima's on a triple-stack. There is such a thing as an overkill.