Clay Bar

[Greekman]

What is the correct procedure for using a clay bar on your paint? I have used the Zaino Bros. bar and waxes and am very pleased with the results.

When I used the clay bar before it was just after I stripped all the old wax off with Dawn Liquid Soap. Now I have several coats of cleaner, wax and polish on.

Do I need to do all the coats again after the clay bar? Or just polish?

They say the more coats of wax you put on (Zaino Bros.) the deeper the finish and shine is. I don't want to start all over by using a clay bar again.

Thanks everyone for any help with this

.

 

[82dukman]

OK, I you mean that you have several coats of Zaino on the car, the clay bar will not remove the Zaino. You can clay lightly and then continue the applications.
You should only use the caly bar if the paint feels "rough". Otherwise you don't need to use it.

 

[Greekman]

Paint Imperfections?

I thought that the clay bar also is used for imperfections in the paint, such as water spots, tree sap and bird droppings?

Besides the rough paint?

.

 

[78SilvAnniv]

Zaino clay bar

Will this work on overspray?

Chime in Tanzanite!
Silver

 

[twiget]

Heidi,

I doubt the clay bar will work on overspray, especially if it's been there for any length of time.

As for the proper use of the clay bar, I do pretty much the same thing as you Greekman. Stip the car of wax via a few washings with Dawn. The easiest way to tell if all the wax is off the car is to spray it down. If the water sheets off, the wax is gone. If it still beads, there is still wax there. Then treat the car to a good rubbing down with the clay bar.

Between coats of polish and wax I like to apply a coat or two of the spray detalier to the whole car. This serves two purposes, one, to clean any dust or pollen that may have settled on the car, and two, if you missed any wax from when you wiped the car down, you will probably get it this time.

I've used the clay bar to remove bird droppings, bugs and tar from the paint several times after I've detalied my GS. I've never noticed any change in the wax in that area. And Zaino wax is some pretty tough stuff, about the only thing that will take it off the paint is time and Dawn.

Just my .02

Jason

 

[RubyDropTop]

The Origin Of Automotive Clay...

was in body shops as a product used for the removal of overspray. A quality claybar should remove overspray, that is what it was intended for.

In regard to the intentional removal of Zaino, you do have a few choices, twiget....but one of them is not Dawn. Dawn aides in the removal of waxes, Zaino is not a wax.

In order to remove Zaino you can use either Isopropyl Alcohol or a quality paint cleaner, such as Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion.

 

[Dave L.]

I had the nose touched up on my vette and they got overspray on some of the car.That clay bar system removed it with ease.I am totally sold on it.The shine on the car afterwards is blinding!
Dave

 

[Spiderman]

I love this place. This post saved my from having to start one. I don't know if it is overspay or road grime, but (my car is white) when you get within three feet of the back end it is covered with little dark spots. (similiar to the look of overspray. very tiny little specs all over.) The same is true up under the rocker panels and the bottom of the rear quarter panels. I know it has been waxed because they won't wash off. not even with an abrasive sponge. I will be ordering some of the Zaino products due to the raves they have been getting around here (CAC) and I will be sure to get a clay bar. I hope it will get my baby back to her blinding :cool Artic White finish again.

Spiderman

 

[Dave L.]

clay bar

Spiderman- Give that clay bar system a try.I was very sceptical to say the least when I used it the first time.It removed overspray that was on the car for months with incredible ease.I didn't strip any wax off the car before application.I made sure the car was very clean. Good luck.Let us know how you make out.

Dave

 

[BlueL36]

Are there any do's and don't's to using the clay bar itself? Not sure I understand the "rubbing down" with a clay bar. Seems a speck of dirt in clay would create a sandpaper effect. Sorry if this is a dumb question.

 

[Tanzanite3]

Here is my take on it!

First.. Twiget, Ruby is correct.. Dawn will not remove Zaino ! It is great for removing the carnuba based waxes many people prefer though! Won't affect the polish from Zaino though.

Second.. Clay Bar is THE only product sold by Zaino with any abrasive qualities at all!

Not dumb at all Blue: When using the clay bar you have to continuously fold it into itself and if and when it gets dirty(remember, the car has been thoroughly cleaned prior to starting the Clay Bar process!), discard it and use another piece.. there are two portions in the container when you buy a new Z18.

I think that the Clay Bar will remove overspray. However, if they are large, it will take a long time! It is a very, very mild abrasive! It would also depend what the overspray is on, for instance, it would be easier to remove from chrome or glass.

 

[Paul G]

One more dumb question

Do you use the claybar wet or dry?

 

[RubyDropTop]

The Only Dumb Question...Is The One That Is Not Asked

A clay bar is always used wet, never dry. Technically, you want to make certain that the surface that you are using it on is well lubricated. Mother's actually makes a very respectable clay bar. It usually comes in a kit with a quick detail spray (for use as a lubricant). The instructions on the box are straight forward and easy to follow.

You never want the clay to pull or drag on the surface - you always want it to glide on the surface. You will feel it "shaving" the paint surface as you go. Once you no longer feel a slight resistance due to this shaving, then you are done with that area.

Given time and practice, you'll get the hang of it.

 

[AnytownUSA]

I have been detailing cars for about 8 years now, mostly while putting myself through college. I owned my own shop for three years, and still have some customers who call and insist I come get their vehicles. I thought I would mention my opinion on clay bars. I believe the clay bar is the best-kept secret in detailing. It will remove wax, overspray, tar, mild oxidation, etc - basically anything on top of your paint. I have even removed dried cement front a black Pathfinder with a clay bar and a full day's worth of work (it was a used car tradein so it was not fresh either). Clay will not remove acid rain spots or bird dropping that have etched the paint. It only takes off debris on TOP of the paint. I have never used any Z' bros. products so I cannot say whether it will remove their polymer wax/sealants. A clay bar must be kept wet and kneaded to ensure a fresh surface is on the paint. I usually run a very small, constant stream of water over the area I am working. Some clay bar brands do not like water and require a lubricant like a spray detailer, read the box. Never use it on hot paint or in the sun! Also, I keep reading about folks washing their cars with Dawn or other "degreaser" type soaps. These degreasers remove solvents and nutrients from your paint - they dry it out and promote oxidation like gasoline on your hands. Granted, if you wax everytime you wash with these, you can greatly reduce the potential damage they can do but they still have some impact. I have yet to figure out why everyone wants an easy way to take wax off of their car. It should require almost as much work to remove a good wax job as it does to apply it. Anything related to cleaning a car I would happy be to help with but, please do not use dish soap on your car. Would you wash your child with gasoline?

 

[Ken]

Would you wash your child with gasoline?

:L Very good Mike, but I'll bet some people do just that. :eyerole

Thanks for the helpful insight, I didn't realize there were different types of clay and what was used (or acceptable) as a lubricant. :cool

_ken

 

[rwd]

Some time ago, someone posted a trick about folding and refolding the clay to insure there always was a clean surface to work with. Anybody remember what it was?

 

[Ken]

Running a quick search only turned up two posts with "folding clay" mentioned in the thread, this one and that one -->> waxing car.

A search with "clay" as the query turned up two pages of threads: http://corvetteactioncenter.com/for...id=44908&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending

_ken

 

[rwd]

Thanks, Ken. I did try that first unsuccessfully, and it's been quite some time since it was mentioned (then only once). I'm not even sure it was on CAC. I'll keep looking, and thanks again for the help.

 

[RubyDropTop]

Not Sure If This Is What You Are Looking For...

but I'll let you in on my clay trick....never use the bar as a whole. Always break off a piece and form the shape of a silver dollar pancake. Use both sides as needed, and then discard and break off another piece. With this method there is never any kneeding of the clay, and you are not therefore pushing contaminants back into the clay that you are using. You are always beginning with a fresh piece of clay. Another benefit is that if you accidentally drop a whole clay bar, you have a problem - if you drop just a small piece of it then you can just form another one.

Just a thought, but it works for me. :gap

 

[Ken]

:duh Sometimes we tend to forget the obvious -- you should always use just a piece of the bar, not the whole thing, for the reasons described above.

_ken