Nick’s unsolicited claying tips and tricks

Nick T.

Nick T.

New member
Disclaimer: I am not a professional detailer nor an expert on paint care. I’m just a charter member of the ARZOA* who has a little experience with clay, and one of my cars is Jet Black and shows all of my mistakes!



Basic Rules:

Clay baring does not damage paint, only unskillful or careless clay bar users damage paint! There are several basic rules to the successful use of clay bar:

(1) use plenty of lubricant

(2) use only fresh, clean clay

(3) use plenty of lubricant

(4) use a very light hand with the clay

(5) use plenty of lubricant

(6) stretch and refold the clay frequently (do not knead)

(7) use plenty of lubricant

(8) on any given area, only clay until it passes the baggie test

(9) use plenty of lubricant



Step by Step:

Wash your car using Dawn liquid dish detergent. This will get rid of any wax, oils, or silicone on the paint. Don’t use a circular motion, use longitudinal strokes on the horizontal surfaces, and vertical strokes on the vertical surfaces.



Prepare a spray bottle with a half ounce of your favorite car wash soap and fill with water ... preferable distilled water from the grocery store.



Put your hand in a sandwich baggie (the very thin kind, NOT a ZipLoc), spray a small area of your paint with the soap/water solution as a lubricant and lightly run your hand over the paint. Any contaminants will feel like huge bumps through the baggie!



Before using your clay it’s best to cut it into smaller pieces. I cut mine so that when flattened I have a fairly thin 2�x3� rectangle. When claying I use only one side of the patty - it makes stretching and folding easier. When folding is needed I pull on the 2� ends to make a 2�x4� patty, then pull on the 4� ends to make a 3�x4� patty. Fold in half and you have a clean 3�x2� patty that is clean on both sides. Again, use only one side before refolding.



Use your claybar lightly on any areas that feel bumpy ... and use plenty of lubricant. No need to use the expensive lube sold for use with a claybar .… your car wash solution is just as good, but use it very liberally. It's much less expensive than your paint!



After finishing the claybar process wash the car again with your favorite car wash solution. If you do a thorough rinsing as you work, then washing will not be needed. Again, use longitudinal strokes on the horizontal surfaces, and vertical strokes on the vertical surfaces. Use light pressure when washing, and rinse your mitt frequently. Blot to dry, do not rub.



If your paint has any swirl marks or spider-webbing, now is the time to take care of them.



A little caution with the claybar: Do not be tempted to save a couple of dollars by using the least expensive clay. As you use the clay periodically stretch it out and refold it to always present a clean surface to your paint. If you drop the bar, then throw it away! Always use a lot of lubricant and a light rubbing motion ... be gentle with your paint.



Recommended products:

Dawn liquid dish detergent (for wax, oil, etc. removal)

Clay Magic or Z-18 (for claying)

Big Blue Towel from Classic Motoring Accessories (for drying)



Remember: When claying use plenty of lubricant and a light touch. With a little effort you’ll have great looking paint. Good luck.



* Anal Retentive Z3 Owners Association
 
This coming from the guy who was about to give up on the whole hobby a couple days ago? :lol :bigups Well written. :bow Great tips.
 
Great write-up:up My only change would be not throwing away a bar if it touches the ground. It's much easier just to cut off the portion that has touched the ground and you save most of the bar. Just a thought.
 
Nope. I say burn it. Dropping clay is an issue. If you use small pieces of clay then it is better. I cut a 100g bar into 3 pieces usually and am not afraid to buy another bar. When it comes to my paint I don't see why I would spend so much money on polish and sealant and wax and then squeeze my cheeks when it comes to getting a new $10 bar of clay. Might as well start the job right. :xyxthumbs
 
When the surface of the clay becomes dirty from the contaminants pulled from the paint, I bring the clay into the kitchen, (my kitchen is right off of the garage) , place it on edge on a cutring board and trim off the contaminated area using a very sharp knife. This leaves a fresh clean surface to clay with again.



I recycle my clay. The older clay gets used for the lower body panels.
 
Hey Nick,



I'm going to clay the hood of my F150 with my brand new Glide Block & Waffle kit at the NorCal get together in June. Hope to see your there for some live claying tips!



BOB
 
Nick, those are great, detailed tips :xyxthumbs



If I might add something, it is about the baggy test procedure. The best way to do it is to stretch the bag on the paint and then run tips of your fingers lightly over the bag instead of dragging the bag over the surface, less risk of scratching IMO.

I also second cutting the bar into smaller pieces.



You know where you have to post your tips, don't you? ;)
 
F1Crazy said:
If I might add something, it is about the baggy test procedure. The best way to do it is to stretch the bag on the paint and then run tips of your fingers lightly over the bag instead of dragging the bag over the surface, less risk of scratching IMO.

I also second cutting the bar into smaller pieces.



You know where you have to post your tips, don't you? ;)
Click to expand...
Your new and improved baggie test sounds like a great idea! I’ll give it a try. :xyxthumbs



Yep, I cut mine so that I get a 2�x3� patty when it’s flattened - but didn’t think about it when I made the post. <IMG SRC=http://home.jps.net/~ntaylor/images/blush.gif>



Nope, I don’t know where the tips should be posted. :nixweiss Please enlighten me! Thanks.
 
Hey Nick!



Great tips! Before I found this site, I started using clay bars on my vehicles and kind of figured out some these procedures. But it's always good to know you are doing things right.
 
My original Claying Tips & Tricks has been edited to add claybar cutting and folding tips. Thanks F1Crazy! :bow
 
<FONT size=2>Another Nick’s unsolicited Claying Tip</FONT>





Are you a little worried about claying your beautiful paint for the first time? Don’t be! Here’s a tried and true way for a first time clayer to safely learn about claying and get a very clean windshield to boot.



Wait until your windshield has collected a few bugs and some road dirt, then gather up your clay, a bottle of QD or dedicated lubricant, a spray bottle of shampoo/water solution, your favorite glass cleaner, a clean microfiber towel, and a sheet of old newspaper.



Do a quick wash and rinse of your windshield to get rid of most of the debris so that you won’t really trash your clay. Now start claying one side of the glass using QD or your dedicated lube. Use plenty of lube! Start with a very light pressure, then gradually increase the pressure to fairly heavy - pay attention to the feedback that the clay is providing to your hand. Try using only a small amount of lube on one area - feel the difference! Rinse with clean water.



Now repeat on the other side of the windshield using the shampoo/water solution as your lubricant. Note the difference between the QD (or dedicated lube) and the shampoo/water solution. Rinse with clean water when finished.



After this quick, safe, and easy experiment you will know how the clay feels, how it works, and which lube is best for you. You’ll now have the experience and confidence needed to safely and effectively clay your beautiful paint!



Now to finish: use your glass cleaner and the microfiber towel and clean the glass as usual to get rid of any remaining lubricant residue. For the final step very lightly mist the glass with your glass cleaner and do a final buffing with the newspaper. No smears, no smudges, no streaks, and no lint!
 
Nick

Thanks for the great post. I only wish I had read it BEFORE I clayed my car. This was the second time I had used my ZAINO clay and everything was going great until I got over zealous on a particular bug smear on the fron of the hood that would not come out.



Despite the fact that I used plenty of lube and the clay was clean(I checked it several times and refolded judiciously) I managed to mar the paint over the bug smear pretty good. They are not scratches per se, as I certainly cannot feel them with my finger or nail, but when the light hits the hood at a certain angle, they are quite visible and I cringe every time I see them.



The only thing I can figure is I marred the clear coat, but I am not sure. I would appreciate any insight and tips you can offer to try and repair this damage. Sorry I do not have pics, working on getting a digital camera.



Thanks for any help you can provide.
 
Nick

Thanks for the great post. I only wish I had read it BEFORE I clayed my car. This was the second time I had used my ZAINO clay and everything was going great until I got over zealous on a particular bug smear on the fron of the hood that would not come out.



Despite the fact that I used plenty of lube and the clay was clean(I checked it several times and refolded judiciously) I managed to mar the paint over the bug smear pretty good. They are not scratches per se, as I certainly cannot feel them with my finger or nail, but when the light hits the hood at a certain angle, they are quite visible and I cringe every time I see them.



The only thing I can figure is I marred the clear coat, but I am not sure. I would appreciate any insight and tips you can offer to try and repair this damage. Sorry I do not have pics, working on getting a digital camera.



Thanks for any help you can provide.
 
CarFanatic - - Sorry to hear about your bad luck with the clay, but the marring should be fairly easy to fix.



Get a bottle of 3M Swirl Mark Remover from your local large paint store and a bottle of S100 Shine Enhancing Cleanser from a Harley Davidson dealer.



The 3M SMR comes in two types; one for dark paint and one for light paint. If they don’t have the one that matches your paint it’s no big deal, get the one that they have. It is a very mild abrasive. Follow the instructions on the bottle - it may take 2 or more applications to rub out the marring. Use only a medium pressure on your pad. If the SMR isn’t aggressive enough, go back to the paint dealer and ask for the next most aggressive polish, take care of the marring and follow with the SMR.



The S100 is an extremely mild abrasive and will do a good job of bringing out the shine. Again use medium pressure on your pad, gradually decreasing to light pressure. Wipe off and check frequently so that you don’t get your work area shinier than the surrounding paint or you’ll have to do the whole car to match!



Good luck and have fun!
 
Nick

Thanks for the advice. I will go hunt down some of the SMR as I have been meaning to add it to my collection anyway.



I appreciate your prompt response and detail. By the way I saw your Z3 on the opening forum page and it looks fantastic. I am sure by now you know evey inch of that paint and it shows. Very nice work.



Thanks again.
 
Thanks for the compliment.



Further info about the final polishing product(s): P21S GPEC is for all practical purposes as S100 SEC and Platinum UPP-C is a very similar product. Either would be a good substitute for the S100 SEC if you already have one of them.
 
Well I clayed my car for the first time yesterday...



I've read many posts on this board about the procedures and what not, felt pretty confident when I started.



I do have a few questions though..



I don't understand the need to have to wash the car after you're done with the claying. I used the Mothers package and since you're using a detaily spray, there should be no need for having to wash the car. Am I wrong thinking this??



I didn't "cut" mine up as suggested, I just tore a piece off about 1/4 the size of the bar and went to work. It took me 1/2 of the bar to do the whole car (mustang coupe) and I really think there was plenty of life left in the parts that I used.



After I finished with the claying, I used the wax that came with the package, and I was so impressed with the job that I think my car looks better now then it did when I picked it up off of the show room floor.



Thanks:wavey
 
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