how do you clay bar??

bluef0x · 04-20-2005, 01:51 AM

i just watched this video from adams polishes website, and wow that shit scared me

http://www.adamspolishes.com/videos/clay_bar.cfm

theres the video, i claybard monday and i must say, i didnt notice any improvement- paint became a little smoother, but nothing to boast about- the waxing did the most. but i was verrrrrrry careful and used way more lube on little areas at a time and went slowly left and right. this guy on here is going crazy with that claybar and looks like he would scratch or something - he goes past the part he sprayed and shit.... wtf- do u guys clay like that???

also when he uses the PC he goes hella fast and says "you can apply any pressure u want" .... i have some random waxing thing, "waxmaster" and in the instruction manual says do not apply pressure.. is my waxmaster a PC??? i know its cheap but will it work ok?? never used it really but wanted to try it out.

Waynestowels · 04-20-2005, 02:31 AM

I am sure that was more of a "how to" than a demonstration of the correct techniques to clay.

When I clay it looks nothing like that.
The strokes should be smooth, consistant and overlapping..., not "here, there and everywhere" like in the video.

When claying, you want to make sure to clay evenly to have not only a smooth finish, but also a finish that does not look streaked.

I have inspected cars that on first glance look great, but looking closer, the finish looks streaked.
After removing the wax, then glazes, polishes, etc..., it came down to a poor quality clay job.

Notice in the video on the close-up of the clay, there are only a couple of "high spots" on the clay that are touching the finish. (that will cause the finish to be "uneven and streaked") .
Every area of the paint must have the same attention given to it to have the "perfected look".

I recommend cutting the clay in several pieces. Use one piece at a time (not the whole clay bar).
Flatten the clay so you can "feel" the surface underneath the clay. You want the clay to lay as flat on the surface as possible.

You will get a better finish and be able to actually finish faster as you are covering more area with the same amount of strokes (more clay area will be covering the paint) and controlling the clay with a moderate speed moving evenly on the paint.

The Waxmaster is not a PC (PC is short for Porter Cable), although both are random orbitals.
The nice thing about the PC or DeWalt DW443 orbitals is the ability to use quality foam polishing pads.
The PC is not a very powerfull machine and I personally see no purpose to put a lot of pressure on it.

Putting pressure on a small polisher like the PC will make it work harder, thus run hotter and will run slower.
My personal theory with a machine like the PC is to allow the pad and the polish to do the work.
If you feel it is not enough, go to a cutting pad and more aggressive polish.
If that is still not enough or cutting to slow, it is time for the rotary polisher (only recommended if experienced).

Hope this helps

bluef0x · 04-20-2005, 02:45 AM

what's the waxmaster then?

its been sitting in my garage for so long but i took it down monday and after digging the 6" of dust (lol jk) opened it up.... looks kinda the same as a PC. whats the difference?

MasterBlaster · 04-20-2005, 08:14 AM

I used to clay my car up in Alaska after every winter season. Between the road tar and other crap on the car the paint would feel like sand paper. If you got up close enough you could see all the little black dots and minute metal pieces rusting on the paint surface.

After the clay bar treatment the paint would be smooth as glass. It may not have shined a whole lot more but the paint was spotless...nothing on it at all...nada...zilch! Then a good glaze, wax and it was good to go for the summer.

It was nerve racking at first when you slide the clay bar across the paint and it makes a grinding noise at first and gradually gets lighter as the crap got picked up in the clay. I only used the bar for one years treatment and scraped it after that...I also dropped my first bar of clay about 5 minutes into use so I had to throw that one out as well...learn quick to not drop that stuff.

Waynestowels · 04-20-2005, 11:51 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by bluef0x

what's the waxmaster then?

its been sitting in my garage for so long but i took it down monday and after digging the 6" of dust (lol jk) opened it up.... looks kinda the same as a PC. whats the difference?

This item-
http://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2....D=1100757&fp=F
or this item-
http://www.coastaltool.com/cgi-bin/S... 36160400#cart

Derek@2020Kustoms · 04-20-2005, 12:10 PM

If you are getting good contact, your clay is flat and you do the the entire surface there is a lot to boast about. As for the PC, I personally like to let it do the work. Pressure isnt really needed but wont harm anything if you do. As Wayne said, it will run hotter and harder but it won't kill it by any means.

buellwinkle · 04-25-2005, 06:37 PM

The Waxmaster is just too large for any effective polishing but should be fine for applying and removing wax. The PC (7224 or 7336) is far more effective for polishing when used with commercial polishes. Based on Meguiars recomendation, put about 4-5 lbs of pressure when polishing. For waxing, no additional pressure is required. Personally I prefer an rotary polisher like the Makita but it does require more skills than the PC. Check out either www.MeguiarsOnline.com or www.Autopia.ora for more info on how to clay or polish. Also, Meguiars has detailing classes at it's headquarters in Irvine that you may want to attend if you can come down this far. They go over claying, polishing using the PC, waxing, etc.

As for Mother's wax, never tried it but I like the synthetic waxes like Klasse AIO, Meguiars NXT Tech Wax or Zaino as they last longer. Currently I'm sold on NXT as it's readily available, easy to put on/take off, doesn't dust much and seems to last for months. Also, for clay, the best deal out there is Meguiars as it includes the detailing spray and bar for a list price of $9.99. For polish I like Malco Rejuvenator, 3M Finesse or Meguiars DACP #83, available at automotive paint stores where you can also get buffing pads (I like Lake Country or Meguiars).

Waynestowels · 04-25-2005, 08:38 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by buellwinkle

The Waxmaster is just too large for any effective polishing but should be fine for applying and removing wax. The PC (7224 or 7336) is far more effective for polishing when used with commercial polishes. Based on Meguiars recomendation, put about 4-5 lbs of pressure when polishing. For waxing, no additional pressure is required. Personally I prefer an rotary polisher like the Makita but it does require more skills than the PC. Check out either www.MeguiarsOnline.com or www.Autopia.ora for more info on how to clay or polish. Also, Meguiars has detailing classes at it's headquarters in Irvine that you may want to attend if you can come down this far. They go over claying, polishing using the PC, waxing, etc.

As for Mother's wax, never tried it but I like the synthetic waxes like Klasse AIO, Meguiars NXT Tech Wax or Zaino as they last longer. Currently I'm sold on NXT as it's readily available, easy to put on/take off, doesn't dust much and seems to last for months. Also, for clay, the best deal out there is Meguiars as it includes the detailing spray and bar for a list price of $9.99. For polish I like Malco Rejuvenator, 3M Finesse or Meguiars DACP #83, available at automotive paint stores where you can also get buffing pads (I like Lake Country or Meguiars).

Looks like you have been doing your homework

All the products you listed are some of the best out there.
I personally do not care for most of Meguiars products, but the #83 is one I do like.
The NXT is on sale at our Wal-Mart for 1/2 price, although I do not care for it, there are a lot of people that do.
It is a good product to use before a show, as it contains fillers that help hide slight imperfections.

Overall..., you have a very good selection and could recommend them too

Wrkn prgs · 04-25-2005, 09:23 PM

Use the search button young grasshopper

Orange Dime · 05-05-2005, 09:42 PM

15 minutes to clay bar a whole truck?? is that for real? and were can you get that clay bar from Meguiars with the spray??

dropped1 · 05-06-2005, 12:29 AM

I'd give yourself atleast 45 minutes to an hour because it's just not something you want to rush, and pick up some dirt and really damage your finish.

You can get a clay kit at any auto parts store such as advanced auto, autozone or even k-mart.

Waynestowels · 05-06-2005, 01:22 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Orange Dime

were can you get that clay bar from Meguiars with the spray??

I picked up several at K-Mart, Clay And Spray for $6.99ea..., can't beat that deal

You can also get the Clay Magic Clay and Spray for $9.99 at Autozone
Clay Magic is a great clay

dropped1 · 05-06-2005, 01:44 AM

you sure do find deals wayne...when you posted the k-mart sale... I went and looked but they were still $15.99 Oh well.

Waynestowels · 05-06-2005, 11:34 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by dropped1

you sure do find deals wayne...when you posted the k-mart sale... I went and looked but they were still $15.99 Oh well.

Thanks..., I am always looking

If you can not get the closeout clay from K-Mart, I recommend going to Autozone and picking up the Clay Magic clay & lube.
It is priced reasonable at only $9.99 plus no shipping and it works really good

I also recommend cutting the clay into several pieces, usually 4-6, then if one gets dirty, it falls, etc..., you have several left.
This will last you a couple of years rather than using the whole bar on a car then throwing it out.

This process means less profit for us retailersas there will be much less sales, but I like to help out and post what is best for the customer and the detailer..., quality and honesty is my main concern

Hope this helps...

04-20-2005, 01:51 AM	#1
bluef0x Never Finished... Age: 22 Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 68 Location: NOR*CAL User is: OffLine	how do you clay bar?? i just watched this video from adams polishes website, and wow that shit scared me http://www.adamspolishes.com/videos/clay_bar.cfm theres the video, i claybard monday and i must say, i didnt notice any improvement- paint became a little smoother, but nothing to boast about- the waxing did the most. but i was verrrrrrry careful and used way more lube on little areas at a time and went slowly left and right. this guy on here is going crazy with that claybar and looks like he would scratch or something - he goes past the part he sprayed and shit.... wtf- do u guys clay like that??? also when he uses the PC he goes hella fast and says "you can apply any pressure u want" .... i have some random waxing thing, "waxmaster" and in the instruction manual says do not apply pressure.. is my waxmaster a PC??? i know its cheap but will it work ok?? never used it really but wanted to try it out. Last edited by bluef0x : 04-20-2005 at 01:59 AM.
	[Reply w/Quote]

04-20-2005, 02:31 AM	#2
Waynestowels Registered User Age: 47 Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 805 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: how do you clay bar?? I am sure that was more of a "how to" than a demonstration of the correct techniques to clay. When I clay it looks nothing like that. The strokes should be smooth, consistant and overlapping..., not "here, there and everywhere" like in the video. When claying, you want to make sure to clay evenly to have not only a smooth finish, but also a finish that does not look streaked. I have inspected cars that on first glance look great, but looking closer, the finish looks streaked. After removing the wax, then glazes, polishes, etc..., it came down to a poor quality clay job. Notice in the video on the close-up of the clay, there are only a couple of "high spots" on the clay that are touching the finish. (that will cause the finish to be "uneven and streaked") . Every area of the paint must have the same attention given to it to have the "perfected look". I recommend cutting the clay in several pieces. Use one piece at a time (not the whole clay bar). Flatten the clay so you can "feel" the surface underneath the clay. You want the clay to lay as flat on the surface as possible. You will get a better finish and be able to actually finish faster as you are covering more area with the same amount of strokes (more clay area will be covering the paint) and controlling the clay with a moderate speed moving evenly on the paint. The Waxmaster is not a PC (PC is short for Porter Cable), although both are random orbitals. The nice thing about the PC or DeWalt DW443 orbitals is the ability to use quality foam polishing pads. The PC is not a very powerfull machine and I personally see no purpose to put a lot of pressure on it. Putting pressure on a small polisher like the PC will make it work harder, thus run hotter and will run slower. My personal theory with a machine like the PC is to allow the pad and the polish to do the work. If you feel it is not enough, go to a cutting pad and more aggressive polish. If that is still not enough or cutting to slow, it is time for the rotary polisher (only recommended if experienced). Hope this helps
	[Reply w/Quote]

04-20-2005, 02:45 AM	#3
bluef0x Never Finished... Age: 22 Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 68 Location: NOR*CAL User is: OffLine	Re: how do you clay bar?? what's the waxmaster then? its been sitting in my garage for so long but i took it down monday and after digging the 6" of dust (lol jk) opened it up.... looks kinda the same as a PC. whats the difference?
	[Reply w/Quote]

04-20-2005, 08:14 AM	#4
MasterBlaster Got Toofs? Age: 37 Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 18 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: how do you clay bar?? I used to clay my car up in Alaska after every winter season. Between the road tar and other crap on the car the paint would feel like sand paper. If you got up close enough you could see all the little black dots and minute metal pieces rusting on the paint surface. After the clay bar treatment the paint would be smooth as glass. It may not have shined a whole lot more but the paint was spotless...nothing on it at all...nada...zilch! Then a good glaze, wax and it was good to go for the summer. It was nerve racking at first when you slide the clay bar across the paint and it makes a grinding noise at first and gradually gets lighter as the crap got picked up in the clay. I only used the bar for one years treatment and scraped it after that...I also dropped my first bar of clay about 5 minutes into use so I had to throw that one out as well...learn quick to not drop that stuff.
	[Reply w/Quote]

04-20-2005, 11:51 AM	#5
Waynestowels Registered User Age: 47 Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 805 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: how do you clay bar?? Quote: Originally Posted by bluef0x what's the waxmaster then? its been sitting in my garage for so long but i took it down monday and after digging the 6" of dust (lol jk) opened it up.... looks kinda the same as a PC. whats the difference? This item- http://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2....D=1100757&fp=F or this item- http://www.coastaltool.com/cgi-bin/S... 36160400#cart
	[Reply w/Quote]

04-20-2005, 12:10 PM	#6
Derek@2020Kustoms Registered User Age: 28 Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,536 Location: Windsor, Ontario User is: OffLine	Re: how do you clay bar?? If you are getting good contact, your clay is flat and you do the the entire surface there is a lot to boast about. As for the PC, I personally like to let it do the work. Pressure isnt really needed but wont harm anything if you do. As Wayne said, it will run hotter and harder but it won't kill it by any means.
	[Reply w/Quote]

04-25-2005, 06:37 PM	#7
buellwinkle Registered User Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 88 Location: So Cal User is: OffLine	Re: how do you clay bar?? The Waxmaster is just too large for any effective polishing but should be fine for applying and removing wax. The PC (7224 or 7336) is far more effective for polishing when used with commercial polishes. Based on Meguiars recomendation, put about 4-5 lbs of pressure when polishing. For waxing, no additional pressure is required. Personally I prefer an rotary polisher like the Makita but it does require more skills than the PC. Check out either www.MeguiarsOnline.com or www.Autopia.ora for more info on how to clay or polish. Also, Meguiars has detailing classes at it's headquarters in Irvine that you may want to attend if you can come down this far. They go over claying, polishing using the PC, waxing, etc. As for Mother's wax, never tried it but I like the synthetic waxes like Klasse AIO, Meguiars NXT Tech Wax or Zaino as they last longer. Currently I'm sold on NXT as it's readily available, easy to put on/take off, doesn't dust much and seems to last for months. Also, for clay, the best deal out there is Meguiars as it includes the detailing spray and bar for a list price of $9.99. For polish I like Malco Rejuvenator, 3M Finesse or Meguiars DACP #83, available at automotive paint stores where you can also get buffing pads (I like Lake Country or Meguiars).
	[Reply w/Quote]

04-25-2005, 08:38 PM	#8
Waynestowels Registered User Age: 47 Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 805 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: how do you clay bar?? Quote: Originally Posted by buellwinkle The Waxmaster is just too large for any effective polishing but should be fine for applying and removing wax. The PC (7224 or 7336) is far more effective for polishing when used with commercial polishes. Based on Meguiars recomendation, put about 4-5 lbs of pressure when polishing. For waxing, no additional pressure is required. Personally I prefer an rotary polisher like the Makita but it does require more skills than the PC. Check out either www.MeguiarsOnline.com or www.Autopia.ora for more info on how to clay or polish. Also, Meguiars has detailing classes at it's headquarters in Irvine that you may want to attend if you can come down this far. They go over claying, polishing using the PC, waxing, etc. As for Mother's wax, never tried it but I like the synthetic waxes like Klasse AIO, Meguiars NXT Tech Wax or Zaino as they last longer. Currently I'm sold on NXT as it's readily available, easy to put on/take off, doesn't dust much and seems to last for months. Also, for clay, the best deal out there is Meguiars as it includes the detailing spray and bar for a list price of $9.99. For polish I like Malco Rejuvenator, 3M Finesse or Meguiars DACP #83, available at automotive paint stores where you can also get buffing pads (I like Lake Country or Meguiars). Looks like you have been doing your homework All the products you listed are some of the best out there. I personally do not care for most of Meguiars products, but the #83 is one I do like. The NXT is on sale at our Wal-Mart for 1/2 price, although I do not care for it, there are a lot of people that do. It is a good product to use before a show, as it contains fillers that help hide slight imperfections. Overall..., you have a very good selection and could recommend them too
	[Reply w/Quote]

04-25-2005, 09:23 PM	#9
Wrkn prgs Useless posting member Age: 20 Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 8,736 Location: Conover, Oh User is: OffLine	Re: how do you clay bar?? Use the search button young grasshopper
	[Reply w/Quote]

05-05-2005, 09:42 PM	#10
Orange Dime U CaN c Me CoMiNg! Age: 22 Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 159 Location: New Hampshire User is: OffLine	Re: how do you clay bar?? 15 minutes to clay bar a whole truck?? is that for real? and were can you get that clay bar from Meguiars with the spray??
	[Reply w/Quote]

05-06-2005, 12:29 AM	#11
dropped1 bagged1 Age: 23 Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 2,214 Location: Yokosuka, Japan User is: OffLine	Re: how do you clay bar?? I'd give yourself atleast 45 minutes to an hour because it's just not something you want to rush, and pick up some dirt and really damage your finish. You can get a clay kit at any auto parts store such as advanced auto, autozone or even k-mart.
	[Reply w/Quote]

05-06-2005, 01:22 AM	#12
Waynestowels Registered User Age: 47 Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 805 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: how do you clay bar?? Quote: Originally Posted by Orange Dime were can you get that clay bar from Meguiars with the spray?? I picked up several at K-Mart, Clay And Spray for $6.99ea..., can't beat that deal You can also get the Clay Magic Clay and Spray for $9.99 at Autozone Clay Magic is a great clay
	[Reply w/Quote]

05-06-2005, 01:44 AM	#13
dropped1 bagged1 Age: 23 Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 2,214 Location: Yokosuka, Japan User is: OffLine	Re: how do you clay bar?? you sure do find deals wayne...when you posted the k-mart sale... I went and looked but they were still $15.99 Oh well.
	[Reply w/Quote]

05-06-2005, 11:34 AM	#14
Waynestowels Registered User Age: 47 Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 805 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: how do you clay bar?? Quote: Originally Posted by dropped1 you sure do find deals wayne...when you posted the k-mart sale... I went and looked but they were still $15.99 Oh well. Thanks..., I am always looking If you can not get the closeout clay from K-Mart, I recommend going to Autozone and picking up the Clay Magic clay & lube. It is priced reasonable at only $9.99 plus no shipping and it works really good I also recommend cutting the clay into several pieces, usually 4-6, then if one gets dirty, it falls, etc..., you have several left. This will last you a couple of years rather than using the whole bar on a car then throwing it out. This process means less profit for us retailersas there will be much less sales, but I like to help out and post what is best for the customer and the detailer..., quality and honesty is my main concern Hope this helps...
	[Reply w/Quote]