When am I done claying?

I

imported_Dan O

New member
So, I began my weekend prep today and started to clay after washing the car. This is only the second time I've done it, so bear with me here. I'm using Pinnacle Polyclay and began the work. As I began to work the clay into the paint with the lube I noticed a certain rainbow-like streaking. I was under the impression that this was the tar and other contaiminents streaking off. I checked for dirt on the clay bar constantly. However, even after doing the top of my roof and the trunk, the claybar showed little dirt or particles on a car that doesn't have a garage :(



I was going slow to make sure I got good coverage too. When checking my work with cellophane, I noticed the surface was smoother, but still not "perfect". While smoother, there were still areas that had contaimination even after going over the area 2-3x. So, do I really need to work the clay until the rainbow-like streaking on my car completely goes away? Is the clay always supposed to be lubed so it easily travels across the surface of the paint or am I supposed to drag it with some friction across the surface? Or, are these smaller, remaining particules better approached with something like PPCL?



Kory
 
Try more lubricant....The streaking sounds like the lube is drying up on you or the clay is sticking.



The clay should kinda float over the paint via the Lubricant. Constantly fold and knead the clay after a small section to ensure a fresh clean section of clay.



Some tear off small pieces and use that than discard.



Are you sure the bumpy parts are above surface defects and not like small paint craters or below clearcoat defects?
 
It's not clear what you're using as lubricant. First time I ever clayed last week it was immediately obvious. It almost felt as if shaving a layer of "stuff" off, not as rough but the point is that as I passed over the same area 2 or 3 times you could feel that it was getting smoother.



I used the carwash solution (Z7) as a lubricant and used plenty of it. I just took a wash mitt and spread the soapy water over the area that I was going to be working with the clay.



I was amazed how well it worked at removing all the tar and crud on the very low parts of the panels. Much better and easier than the tar/bug removing liquids. I did those areas of the car last to avoid scratching any other areas.
 
I've been using the Pinnacle Clay Lubricant that came with the PolyClay itself. Maybe that's doing the rainbow streaking?



I guess I'm still a little confused as my previous foray with clay made an immediate impact that could easily be felt with the cellophane. I checked DavidB's article on claying, too, and it didn't mention if the claybar itself was supposed to "stick" or "float" over the surface. I'll use more lube this weekend time, like Guess suggests, but I wasn't scratching the paint even when the clay would drag and I picked up very few particles in the clay itself. Does clay loose effectiveness over time?
 
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