I Have Never Clayed Before

[ArmyofOne]

Steve, i need your help. I have never clayed before, and honestly I am not sure where to start. Spring is right around the corner, and my meguiars lineup is standing by. I will put a pic of the lineup up a little later on.

I found a meguiars clay stick for $7.99 at the local ace hardware. I snatched it up. I suppose this will work for getting the process down. start with the cheap one. I did a search and all the things i have found (including your "what do i do first" thread pinned at the top of the page) told me to clay, but didnt show or tell me how.

so yeah... a step by step would be great. :D

Edited January 16, 2006 by ArmyofOne

[ArmyofOne]

Here is my Detailing Crew! LOL.

-Simple Green (for the engine compartment, works the best IMO)

-Meguiars Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo

-Meguiars Gold Class Clear Coat Paste

-Meguairs NXT Liquid Wax

-Meguiars NXT Tire Spray

-Meguiars Scratch-X

-Meguiars Color-X

-Meguiars Gold Class Rich Leather Foam

-Meguairs Gold Class Dash Trim Foam Protectant

-Meguairs Gold Class Quick Detailer-Exterior-Mist & Wipe

-Meguairs Gold Class Quick Detailer-Interior-Mist & Wipe

-Meguairs Hot Shine Tire Spray

-Armor-All Protectant Wipes (the only armor all product i will ever use, for quick cleanup of small spills, and for detailing the engine bay plastics. I *hate* armor-all otherwise)

-Bissell Steam & Clean II Steam Cleaner.

-California Water Blade (say what you want about it, i love this thing!)

-Coleman Orbital Buffer/Applicator.

And the buffer:

Remember, i dont always use all of these products at once, as many of them do the same thing.

Edited January 16, 2006 by ArmyofOne

[93ls400walt]

Steve, i need your help. I have never clayed before, and honestly I am not sure where to start. Spring is right around the corner, and my meguiars lineup is standing by. I will put a pic of the lineup up a little later on.

I found a meguiars clay stick for $7.99 at the local ace hardware. I snatched it up. I suppose this will work for getting the process down. start with the cheap one. I did a search and all the things i have found (including your "what do i do first" thread pinned at the top of the page) told me to clay, but didnt show or tell me how.

so yeah... a step by step would be great. :D

I clayed for the first time. And I thought it was great. I first used Scratch X, then i clayed with a Mothers Calif gold kit. It came with a clay bar and a bottle of quick detailer. You need something slippery to let the clay glide.

Of course the car must be clean. Flatten the clay out to a palm size piece, do not drop the clay, if you do get another bar, so you will not have any grit in the clay. Spray the paint in small areas with the liquid and rub the clay back and forth ( like you are hand sanding ) keep the spray in your other hand and keep the paint very wet. If you hit a " dry " spot the clay may scratch, but it will leave a clay streak. You will feel that the clay is gliding more smoothly as it does it's work. This does not take much time at all. Keep spraying and moving on with the clay. I did mine in sections drying with a MF towel as I finished. Yes, I did have some clay streaks. But Meguries paint cleaner removed this very nicely. And was a great prep prior to the finish wax. ( do not let the paint cleaner dry on your paint or touch plastic, glass ect. per directions. I had paint damage to my car that I bought in Florida from blowing sand. The bumper, hood and in front of the moon roof as well as the side mirrors had a rough texture like fine sand paper. The scratch-x helped but the claying made these areas smooth and slick as ice. I finished with Meguries NTX liqiud wax. Perfect. LOL

[nc211]

Army, I've clayed a few of my cars over the past "99 subaru outback, 01' maxima, my current LS and my buddies 87' 300Z Turbo". How I have done it is:

Wash car with normal car wash soap. Rinse the car, dump bucket and put in new round of same car wash soap and water in bucket. Then I use the new soapy water as my lubricant for the clay bar. The spray stuff mentioned by Walt I'm sure works great! But I don't have a steady enough hand to not get it on the glass and rubber, so I just use the soapy water. I also clay the windows too, to get the embedded bug guts out of the glass. I have just pulled about 1/4 the bar off, flatten it out in my hands, dunk it in the soapy water and go from there. As I go, I have the soapy water in the sponge and soak the area first with it.

Now, don't be suprised if when you finish with the clay bar, you look at your car and go "HOLY CRAP, WHAT HAVE I DONE TO MY CAR!?!?!" This happened to me on the Subaru....it looked ruined. But once I started putting the polish on it, the shine came through like you wouldn't believe!

You'll be glad you did the clay bar on the car...it makes it sooooooo smooth and really cuts down on the wind noise when driving down the road.

[TOGWT]

The best way to describe the proper method for using detailer clay is to use plenty of the lubricant and aquaplane the clay bar over the surface in straight-line motions. Inspect the clay surface often and fold (knead) clay to present a clean surface to the paint to avoid scratching; when the clay surface becomes really soiled (it becomes more difficult to find a clean surface by kneading, discard and use fresh clay.

Methodology

•Divide the detailer's clay into equal pieces and knead into a ball to ensure pliability

•Take one of the pieces and flatten it out into a circle, approximately enough that it will fit into two or three fingers

•Spray a 2-foot by 2-foot surface with a lubricating solution (WooliteTM or Dreft™ / Water 5:1), ensure that the surface being clayed is always wet (important enough to restate- ensure that the surface being clayed is always wet)

•Inspect the clay’s surface often, knead /fold to provide a clean surface as necessary

•Glide the clay across the area in a front to back straight-line aquaplaning type motion, Use long strokes without lifting the clay from the surface

•Use a light to medium even pressure until the surface becomes smooth and silent.

•If the Clay is streaking on the paint, you need to apply more lubricating solution, it is better to over lubricate the paint film surface than let it dry-out

•To avoid wasting detailer's clay because you probably will drop it, place a towel on the ground under the area you're claying so the clay will fall onto the towel without picking up gravel etc.

•If you drop the clay on the ground do not try to clean it, discard it or it may cause micro scratches in your paint film surface.

•Rinse of any clay residue and ensure there is no more contamination to remove

•Move onto the next two-foot by two foot square area and repeat the process.

•Once half the section is completed turn the clay over to a fresh, clean side and completes the remaining section.

•Check the surface of the clay often, once it becomes contaminated fold to a clean surface.

•Wash, rinse and dry each section and ensure all imbedded surface contaminants have been removed before moving on to the next panel / section

•I would go over the paint surfaces again with the clay to ensure nothing was missed

•Apply a chemical paint cleaner (Klasse All-In-One or Zaino Z-PC Fusion Dual Action Paint Cleaner Swirl Remover) to clean out the paints micro pores

•When complete wash, rinse and dry the vehicle.

[each one / teach one, then student /becomes teacher]

[ZINFANDEL22]

The best way to describe the proper method for using detailer clay is to use plenty of the lubricant and aquaplane the clay bar over the surface in straight-line motions. Inspect the clay surface often and fold (knead) clay to present a clean surface to the paint to avoid scratching; when the clay surface becomes really soiled (it becomes more difficult to find a clean surface by kneading, discard and use fresh clay.

Methodology

•Divide the detailer's clay into equal pieces and knead into a ball to ensure pliability

•Take one of the pieces and flatten it out into a circle, approximately enough that it will fit into two or three fingers

•Spray a 2-foot by 2-foot surface with a lubricating solution (WooliteTM or Dreft™ / Water 5:1), ensure that the surface being clayed is always wet (important enough to restate- ensure that the surface being clayed is always wet)

•Inspect the clay’s surface often, knead /fold to provide a clean surface as necessary

•Glide the clay across the area in a front to back straight-line aquaplaning type motion, Use long strokes without lifting the clay from the surface

•Use a light to medium even pressure until the surface becomes smooth and silent.

•If the Clay is streaking on the paint, you need to apply more lubricating solution, it is better to over lubricate the paint film surface than let it dry-out

•To avoid wasting detailer's clay because you probably will drop it, place a towel on the ground under the area you're claying so the clay will fall onto the towel without picking up gravel etc.

•If you drop the clay on the ground do not try to clean it, discard it or it may cause micro scratches in your paint film surface.

•Rinse of any clay residue and ensure there is no more contamination to remove

•Move onto the next two-foot by two foot square area and repeat the process.

•Once half the section is completed turn the clay over to a fresh, clean side and completes the remaining section.

•Check the surface of the clay often, once it becomes contaminated fold to a clean surface.

•Wash, rinse and dry each section and ensure all imbedded surface contaminants have been removed before moving on to the next panel / section

•I would go over the paint surfaces again with the clay to ensure nothing was missed

•Apply a chemical paint cleaner (Klasse All-In-One or Zaino Z-PC Fusion Dual Action Paint Cleaner Swirl Remover) to clean out the paints micro pores

•When complete wash, rinse and dry the vehicle.

[each one / teach one, then student /becomes teacher]

Jon's got ya covered army it's really easy just feel with the clay and your hands and keep it slick. Hey you like meguiars I see huh? LOL

[ArmyofOne]

The best way to describe the proper method for using detailer clay is to use plenty of the lubricant and aquaplane the clay bar over the surface in straight-line motions. Inspect the clay surface often and fold (knead) clay to present a clean surface to the paint to avoid scratching; when the clay surface becomes really soiled (it becomes more difficult to find a clean surface by kneading, discard and use fresh clay.

Methodology

•Divide the detailer's clay into equal pieces and knead into a ball to ensure pliability

•Take one of the pieces and flatten it out into a circle, approximately enough that it will fit into two or three fingers

•Spray a 2-foot by 2-foot surface with a lubricating solution (WooliteTM or Dreft™ / Water 5:1), ensure that the surface being clayed is always wet (important enough to restate- ensure that the surface being clayed is always wet)

•Inspect the clay’s surface often, knead /fold to provide a clean surface as necessary

•Glide the clay across the area in a front to back straight-line aquaplaning type motion, Use long strokes without lifting the clay from the surface

•Use a light to medium even pressure until the surface becomes smooth and silent.

•If the Clay is streaking on the paint, you need to apply more lubricating solution, it is better to over lubricate the paint film surface than let it dry-out

•To avoid wasting detailer's clay because you probably will drop it, place a towel on the ground under the area you're claying so the clay will fall onto the towel without picking up gravel etc.

•If you drop the clay on the ground do not try to clean it, discard it or it may cause micro scratches in your paint film surface.

•Rinse of any clay residue and ensure there is no more contamination to remove

•Move onto the next two-foot by two foot square area and repeat the process.

•Once half the section is completed turn the clay over to a fresh, clean side and completes the remaining section.

•Check the surface of the clay often, once it becomes contaminated fold to a clean surface.

•Wash, rinse and dry each section and ensure all imbedded surface contaminants have been removed before moving on to the next panel / section

•I would go over the paint surfaces again with the clay to ensure nothing was missed

•Apply a chemical paint cleaner (Klasse All-In-One or Zaino Z-PC Fusion Dual Action Paint Cleaner Swirl Remover) to clean out the paints micro pores

•When complete wash, rinse and dry the vehicle.

[each one / teach one, then student /becomes teacher]

Jon's got ya covered army it's really easy just feel with the clay and your hands and keep it slick. Hey you like meguiars I see huh? LOL

Not just like it, i love it. Its all i have ever used...I used to detial cars for a living when i lived in Dallas, but i never clayed any of them.. i used to charge alot too...but i never offered this service. :( Most of the cars i did were higher end anyways, and were usually kept in decent shape. i would revisit the same customers every 3 months fro a repeat visit. so i "maintained the shie and it never got a chance to collect these "particles", at least i didnt think so.

[SW03ES]

Everyones got you pretty well covered here, but if you search you'll see I posted a pretty complete writeup on here at some point.

All I have to add is a comment about Walt's process. The proper process would have been to clay before the polishing step, in this case the Scratch X.