This statement,,, is absolutely INCORRECT!!!

You do NOT need to throw away your clay away after each and every application!

Unless you guys have bundles of cash around and you feel that throwing another $15.00 to the curb each time you clean your car, black or not, then knowing how to properly use the clay and apply it is imperative.

Watch this clip at 3:30

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfEfLGL59GI

Assuming first that you have correctly washed your vehicle, this example at 3:30 will show how slight contaminants and imperfections will be collected by the clay. If when applying you hear any large sediment or, God help you, a fragment of stone scraping, stop and pick it out with your finger nails! Then, continue with your motions. This is one large reason why using ONLY front to back motions is recommended over circular motions. If in the event you do pick up something, and before stopping, you had made front to back line instead of a circular line, you will save having to fight removal of a circular line as opposed to a straight line. This same method should be used for hand glazing and waxing.

If you threw away clay after each segment or panel of cleaning, you would have to have boxes and boxes of clay to complete a single car. This would be utter nonsense and wasteful.

To clean clay; simply pat dry free of any accumulated moisture, view and check the exposed and "contaminated" side of the clay for anything that doesn't resemble mere film, pick out with your fingernails anything you would not want in the clay,,, and fold the clay infinitely into itself. Roll it like you would as a kid playing with 'Silly Putty', and make a "snake". Roll that into a cinnamon roll then fold together again!

Like 'Silly Putty', it will appear similarly like this, sans the article.

But anything that you have acquired in the cleaning process will be dissipated when you roll it back into itself for reuse.

Finish with "rolling" into a ball into the center of the palm of your hands, repeat the process by flattening out to re-apply. The clay will absorb all filth/film/contaminants into the clay formula and will then appear white again. Examine thoroughly when rolling and then when again flat for anything that might remotely resemble anything your would not want to pull over your paint!

Instead of using final wipe type sprays to apply clay to surface, I save cash a step further by taking an old spray bottle, filling it 95% with water 3-5% of your favourite liquid car wash soap to it to give proper lubrication for the application. You will have to play with the percentages on that. You will know when you have it right. You are simply looking for a non-foaming, slight resistant soapy texture that will allow your clay to not sick. If you are sticking, simply spray a fine mist of your liquid over the paint ahead of your clay bar to keep it sliding over the surface.

Gentlemen, this is all you need, not the expensive "pre-packaged" kits and their non-nonsensical sprays. Sure having a final spray and wipe is good, but you can go from this pre-mixed soap/clay to glaze to wax before using the expensive stuff and STILL end up with show-stopping looks.

This is the only product you need, aside from the spray bottle and slight amounts of liquid car soap. The 8 ounce container comes with two bars that can be (each) split into two. If you do not drop the bar onto the garage floor, it should last for years! Yes, years.

Meguiarsdirect.com Meguiars C-2000



I apologize for the length of this explanation, but really, the myth of complexity really needed to be dispelled. I have done this for years on collectable cars, from Bentley's to Bugatti's, Ferrari's, Porsche's and the like. Paint is paint and the "right" efforts you put into them with proper knowledge is every bit of the reward you get back in return. I hope this helps out in some way.

 

Okay, well, search on Meguiarsdirect.com for 'Meguiars C-2000'.

 

Thanks for sharing, very helpful info.

 

You are welcome, Sir!

One other thing to note that will indicate the clay's age; After a number of cleaning processes, when it starts to take on a "greyish" colour and loses its suppleness, then,,, it will be time to go to a new bar.

Depending on the amount of times a person uses the clay bar will determine how long it will last before needing replacement. In other words - if a person constantly uses their vehicle as a DD over one that is garaged and never sees the rain will determine the clay bar's lifespan.

 

[The purpose of the clay bar is to pick up any small particles you can't see, only feel. Once you are done using it, throw it away. ]


Detailer's clay was formulated to remove paint surface contaminants like paint overspray, when it’s used to remove brake / rail dust it abrades the top section of the sintered (heat fused) iron particle ( it doesn’t ‘pull’ the particles from the surface, if this were so it would not need to be abrasive) leaving what is below the paint surface to remain.

· Select the appropriate abrasiveness of detailer’s clay (i.e. Ultra-Mild, Fine, Medium to Heavy)
· Divide the detailer's clay into several equal pieces and knead into a ball to ensure pliability Take one of the pieces and flatten it out into a circle, approximately enough that it will fit onto two or three fingers

How often can detailer’s clay be reused?
Inspect the clay surface often and fold (knead) clay to present a clean surface to the paint to avoid scratching; when the clay surface becomes really soiled (it becomes more difficult to find a clean surface by kneading, relegate to wheel or glass surfaces and then mufflers/exhaust, and then it’s time for fresh clay.

Do not over use a clay bar; your clay is done when the lubricant starts breaking down the clay and it begins to break up.
Take a 100 gm bar and divide it into 6-8 pieces (this allows you to drop a piece and not have to throw away the whole bar) A mid size car usually takes around 20-30 grams, once the clay becomes too soiled for paintwork, relegate to glass surfaces, and from there to wheel surfaces and finally discard. (See also Cleaning a Detailer’s Clay)


An extract from “Detailer’s Automotive Clay “one in a series of in-depth technical articles that make up the Art and Science of Detailing

 

Good writeup. I'd correct a few things:

1. The quality of the clay will determine how long it lasts. Not all clays are formulated the same; hence the price difference. Color of clay doesn't mean it's the same clay either. If you use a poor quality clay, you will most likely have to throw it away after each use. If you get the high quality clay, the ones from Japan, you can get 5-6 uses out of a 50 gram piece. This assumes your paint is in reltively good shape. If paint is never clayed and a few years old, your 50 gram piece can be toast after one claying.

2. The clay lube is very important. The surfactants in car soap WILL break down the plasticizers in the clay making the clay fall apart or simply begin to get soft and break down. Detail sprays and spray waxes contain silicones and waxes that get in the way of the clay's ability to be abrasive. So, using the proper lube is very important. It took 6 months of trial and error to formulate the lube for Lumiere.

3. If you drop the clay, forget about it. I don't see any reason to save a few bucks and try to salvage every little microscopic granule of dirt and rocks the clay picked up from falling on the ground. If you miss that one piece of dirt grain it translates into hundreds of dollars to polish out the whole car, or many many hours to polish out if you do it yourself. Not worth the risk IMHO.

4. Buying a high quality clay assures you proper performance, excellent results, efficiency, and VALUE. Our Lumiere Clay kit comes with 3 50-gram discs and each disc can clay an average car 5-6 times. So, if you clay twice a year, that's 9 years of clay at $1.95 per application. Our lube will do 2 application at $6.75 /application. So, for $8.70 each time, it doesn't make much sense to compromise the paint on a Porsche, Ferrari, Bentley, etc.

That's just my 2 cents.

 

I always learn from you, Moe. Thank you!

Thanks to you for the add, TOGWT!

A day without learning is a day without living.

 

If only Moe could put all he knows in a simple downloadable app for our brains...if only.

 

I'm glad I could help. There's a lot of good, and bad, info out there. Think of us as a filter

 

That would be awesome...

 

Hey! I did make a few good points until you came along and killed my thread!!

 

I'm so cheap that I use a clean plastic shower curtain to put on the ground just in case I drop the clay. I work my way around the car and move the curtain along with me. If the clay does end up on the driveway or garage floor, it goes into the trash can.