To Clay Or Not To Clay??

[glen22]

Can anyone tell me if it is necesary to clay a vehichle when you are going to be polishing it with an aggressive pad and polish anyway? I know it does not take much time but I dont know if it is necesary under such circumstances..any advice?

[Poorboy]

there are two groups of thoughts

1) those who say always clay

2) those who use it as needed

In your case I go with option #2 ...after you have polished and before you are ready to put on you LSP (wax or sealant) feel and check the car for any non-smooth spots. Should you find something the polishing did not remove , then spot clay those areas..
just my two cents

[glen22]

That makes cents to me.... After my final polish my paint is squeeeeky clean which led me to my question as I feel the need to clay in this situation is not needed but lets wait for the clay group to awaken...

[DCT]

Originally Posted by glen22

Can anyone tell me if it is necesary to clay a vehichle when you are going to be polishing it with an aggressive pad and polish anyway? I know it does not take much time but I dont know if it is necesary under such circumstances..any advice?

You can clay if you like. However, if you are using an aggressive pad and polish, it is obvious that the paint is probably in rough condition. Therefore, I would proceed as follows...

Start with a good chemical paint cleaner/cleanser. Even a product like Meguiar's Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner would work fine. Pinnacle Paint Cleanser, P21S Paint cleanser, or even Poorboys PP would we good alternatives.

Anyhow, clean the paint by had with several MF or cotton applicators. Cleaning the paint first has multiple benifits...

It will remove the embedded contaminates, oxidation and maybe even a few swirls. Removing all this "crap" prior to polishing by machine & pad means that all that stuff won't get mixed in the pad and polish. Trust me... polishing a clean, contaminate free surface is easier and gives better results than polishing one that is not.

It will give you a better idea of the condition of the paint. Sometimes a paint cleaner will allow you to use a less aggressive polish/pad to level the paint finish.

HTH

[audiboy]

I'm part of the group that says it doesn't hurt to clay everytime. It's a very quick process and, when done correctly, will only help prep the the paint for a great finish. Anytime I break out the PC and polishes, I take out the clay as well.

[Pockets]

Originally Posted by audiboy

I'm part of the group that says it doesn't hurt to clay everytime. It's a very quick process and, when done correctly, will only help prep the the paint for a great finish. Anytime I break out the PC and polishes, I take out the clay as well.

How long dose it take you to clay i find it isn't as fast as you guys say it is how many times do you go over the same spot.

[Poorboy]

Originally Posted by audiboy

I'm part of the group that says it doesn't hurt to clay everytime. It's a very quick process and, when done correctly, will only help prep the the paint for a great finish. Anytime I break out the PC and polishes, I take out the clay as well.

only problem on a very rough surface is that it would take a very long time and probably rip apart the clay

[POPPAJ]

I'm fairly new to this but IMHO I would clay first most all times. It's an easy process and I don't like the idea of what the claying process removes twirling around in my pc pad during polishing. Once you clay you will stay.

[Beemerboy]

I'm one of the clay crowd...as AB said its a quick process done right and sets the car up for a better finish....even if you are going to polish...what dose it hurt to clay and start off with a clean surface

[glen22]

I'm thinking it is best to clay now even though I usually dont. It makes sence not to have all that crap in your pad making a mess on your paint. I must say I have clayed but I have never used a chemical cleaner before.

[Stephan]

I clay before every polish, its amazing what that stuff removes.

[DCT]

One final note from me...

Clay will not clean the paint like a good chemical paint cleaner. Sure, claying will clean the stuff on the surface, but nothing below the surface.

To create a pristine paint finish that will allow "ANY" LSP to look great...

The paint must be as clean as possible - This is where the paint cleaner... and yes, claying come in to play.

The paint must be as free from imperfections as possible (like swirls, scratches, water posts, etc.). This is where mild to aggressive polishing comes in... and the previous paint cleaning.

The paint must be as smooth as possible - This is very final polishing comes in.

For many, many, many years, (hint about my age ) I manged to do some exceptional detailing without the help of clay. That's not to say that clay isn't a good tool.. it is! However, it doesn't replace a proper paint cleaning. Claying should be another tool to "aid" in the paint cleaning process.

Done with rant.

[Poorboy]

Originally Posted by DCT

One final note from me...

Clay will not clean the paint like a good chemical paint cleaner. Sure, claying will clean the stuff on the surface, but nothing below the surface.

To create a pristine paint finish that will allow "ANY" LSP to look great...

The paint must be as clean as possible - This is where the paint cleaner... and yes, claying come in to play.

The paint must be as free from imperfections as possible (like swirls, scratches, water posts, etc.). This is where mild to aggressive polishing comes in... and the previous paint cleaning.

The paint must be as smooth as possible - This is very final polishing comes in.

For many, many, many years, (hint about my age ) I manged to do some exceptional detailing without the help of clay. That's not to say that clay isn't a good tool.. it is! However, it doesn't replace a proper paint cleaning. Claying should be another tool to "aid" in the paint cleaning process.

Done with rant.

I don't think I could have said it better

[Beemerboy]

I use PP as a paint cleaner is this correct or should I be looking for something different?

[Poorboy]

Originally Posted by Beemerboy

I use PP as a paint cleaner is this correct or should I be looking for something different?

that's what he means, a chemical paint cleaner like PP before an abrasive cleaner to clean the paint and then you can re-evaluate what should be the next step

[Beemerboy]

That's what I was thinking I used to use Megs deep crystal paint cleaner, had way to a chemical smell for me

[blk45]

So I should add the PP after claying and before the SSRs?

[DCT]

Originally Posted by blk45

So I should add the PP after claying and before the SSRs?

I would... you only need to do it once or twice a year when you do a thorough paint detail.

[DCT]

Originally Posted by Beemerboy

That's what I was thinking I used to use Megs deep crystal paint cleaner, had way to a chemical smell for me

Yes Dave, the Megs Deep Crystal Paint cleaner did have a very nasty chemical smell. However, those "nasty" chemicals really help clean deep into the paint.

The good news... Meguiar's has improved the performance of the product, and has pretty much removed the bad odor.

My previous favorite was Meguiar's Medallion paint cleaner. Meguiar's probably improved DC paint cleaner because they did away with Medallion. I tried the new DC cleaner, and like it. It's also inexpensive.

Steve's PP is a good alternative to either of these products, and there are a few others that I mentioned before.

A lot of folks think paint cleaning is another bor