Using clay to level touchup paint

R

rad-man

New member
I've searched and there isnt a direct thread for this issue, but I found this as a reference: http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=42732&highlight=leveling



Simple concept... build up the chips and then "sand" them down with the abrasive clay. Except its not working for me. The buildup isnt cutting away. I tried the process after letting the paint for aprox. 4 hours. Is it possible that the paint is too fresh?



How long should I let the paint dry before claying?



Aything else I'm missing?
 
I've searched and there isnt a direct thread for this issue, but I found this as a reference: http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=42732&highlight=leveling



Simple concept... build up the chips and then "sand" them down with the abrasive clay. Except its not working for me. The buildup isnt cutting away. I tried the process after letting the paint for aprox. 4 hours. Is it possible that the paint is too fresh?



How long should I let the paint dry before claying?



Aything else I'm missing?
 
I actually tried this myself this past weekend to touch up some rock chips I had on my hood. After applying the paint, I waited 12 hours (overnight) and the next day tried using clay to level out the touch ups. While the buildup was reduced on the spots I had painted and by touch, felt level with the rest of the hood, visually, I could still see the spots I had touched up.



I am planning to try wetsanding the spots next weekend to see if I can hide them better. It's actually not that bad and you can only see the spots from about 1-2 feet away, but I want it perfect.
 
I actually tried this myself this past weekend to touch up some rock chips I had on my hood. After applying the paint, I waited 12 hours (overnight) and the next day tried using clay to level out the touch ups. While the buildup was reduced on the spots I had painted and by touch, felt level with the rest of the hood, visually, I could still see the spots I had touched up.



I am planning to try wetsanding the spots next weekend to see if I can hide them better. It's actually not that bad and you can only see the spots from about 1-2 feet away, but I want it perfect.
 
I thought clay was for like taking out stuff from the paint, not taking paint off.



That;s what sandpaper is for.



Thats what the experts say here. At least on my 4 wheeler the body is plastic so I don;t worry about paint chips. just gouges when I hit a big tree.
 
I thought clay was for like taking out stuff from the paint, not taking paint off.



That;s what sandpaper is for.



Thats what the experts say here. At least on my 4 wheeler the body is plastic so I don;t worry about paint chips. just gouges when I hit a big tree.
 
Yeah, this simply isn't an application for clay. Just wetsand them with something very fine like 3K grit and then polish it back to the proper gloss.



"Overspray" clay is designed to cut paint off, it *might* work for this but leveling touch-ups isn't the same as removing overspray and I'd question the degree of control you'd have. "Detailing" clay shouldn't even cut off LSP if used properly, so it's definitely not made for this- if it cuts paint you're doing something very wrong. Fine sandpaper *is* made for this and it works just fine. If you use the 3K grit stuff you can eliminate any sanding scratches by hand, no need for a PC let alone a rotary- I know from first-hand experience.
 
Yeah, this simply isn't an application for clay. Just wetsand them with something very fine like 3K grit and then polish it back to the proper gloss.



"Overspray" clay is designed to cut paint off, it *might* work for this but leveling touch-ups isn't the same as removing overspray and I'd question the degree of control you'd have. "Detailing" clay shouldn't even cut off LSP if used properly, so it's definitely not made for this- if it cuts paint you're doing something very wrong. Fine sandpaper *is* made for this and it works just fine. If you use the 3K grit stuff you can eliminate any sanding scratches by hand, no need for a PC let alone a rotary- I know from first-hand experience.
 
Detailing clay is not abbrasive, it removes contaminants by sticking to the clay. Try a product called Langka, it's a chemical process that reduces the blob. Sandpaper is risky, specially for a novice but try this if you are a high risk person, use a hole punch to punch out some 1000 grit paper and then glur the dot on the end of an eraser and use that to sand.
 
Detailing clay is not abbrasive, it removes contaminants by sticking to the clay. Try a product called Langka, it's a chemical process that reduces the blob. Sandpaper is risky, specially for a novice but try this if you are a high risk person, use a hole punch to punch out some 1000 grit paper and then glur the dot on the end of an eraser and use that to sand.
 
based upon my experience this past weekend, I would tend to agree. I saw the thread last week so I figured it wouldn't hurt to try clay anyways. If it didn't work, I figured that I would be no worse off before and I would just sand it as originally planned. Hopefully I will get around to it this weekend...
 
based upon my experience this past weekend, I would tend to agree. I saw the thread last week so I figured it wouldn't hurt to try clay anyways. If it didn't work, I figured that I would be no worse off before and I would just sand it as originally planned. Hopefully I will get around to it this weekend...
 
buellwinkle said:
Detailing clay is not abbrasive, it removes contaminants by sticking to the clay.
Click to expand...

That's not really true:



http://www.bettercarcare.com/articles.php?articleId=61 said:
I frequently see detailing clay marketing information that reads something like this: “…clay pulls contamination off of your paint...â€� This statement sounds pretty ridiculous when you realize that you must lubricate the surface you’re claying. How in the world do you pull on something that’s wet and slippery? This myth was born from a fear of telling people the truth. Clay is an abrasive paint care system. Yet used properly, detailing clay is not abrasive to your car’s paint; it is abrasive to paint contamination.
Click to expand...
 
buellwinkle said:
Detailing clay is not abbrasive, it removes contaminants by sticking to the clay.
Click to expand...

That's not really true:



http://www.bettercarcare.com/articles.php?articleId=61 said:
I frequently see detailing clay marketing information that reads something like this: “…clay pulls contamination off of your paint...â€� This statement sounds pretty ridiculous when you realize that you must lubricate the surface you’re claying. How in the world do you pull on something that’s wet and slippery? This myth was born from a fear of telling people the truth. Clay is an abrasive paint care system. Yet used properly, detailing clay is not abrasive to your car’s paint; it is abrasive to paint contamination.
Click to expand...
 
have you actually used langka? I've read that its a PIA to use.



Where is kompressornsc? He's the one who had good experience with this...
 
have you actually used langka? I've read that its a PIA to use.



Where is kompressornsc? He's the one who had good experience with this...
 
rad-man said:
have you actually used langka? I've read that its a PIA to use.



Where is kompressornsc? He's the one who had good experience with this...
Click to expand...



All I know is that it works for me. I don't know if it's that MB Touch Up Paint is softer or what, but it definitely works. I'd do some touch up and photograph the clay (with the streaks of paint in it), but my car is in the shop getting the F*&%* steering rack replaced and I won't have it back until next week.



In the words of Donny Baker "Clay works. I swear to God man, I swear to God!". :)



I discovered it one day just by accident-I was just normal claying & started seeing streaks of blue on my clay and realized it was taking the touch up off. Pre-nanopaint MBs chip horribly and I had a ton of touch ups. I thought I was just taking off normal contamination until I saw the streaks.
 
rad-man said:
have you actually used langka? I've read that its a PIA to use.



Where is kompressornsc? He's the one who had good experience with this...
Click to expand...



All I know is that it works for me. I don't know if it's that MB Touch Up Paint is softer or what, but it definitely works. I'd do some touch up and photograph the clay (with the streaks of paint in it), but my car is in the shop getting the F*&%* steering rack replaced and I won't have it back until next week.



In the words of Donny Baker "Clay works. I swear to God man, I swear to God!". :)



I discovered it one day just by accident-I was just normal claying & started seeing streaks of blue on my clay and realized it was taking the touch up off. Pre-nanopaint MBs chip horribly and I had a ton of touch ups. I thought I was just taking off normal contamination until I saw the streaks.
 
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