THIS DIY ARTICLE WILL COVER BASIC CLAYBAR TECHNIQUES AND RESULTS. The processes described can be applied to pretty much any vehicle. TOOLS REQUIRED: - Claybar (2-pack for pickup trucks and large vehicles). - 12 fl.oz bottle of detailer spray (any brand) - (2) microfiber towels (3 for larger vehicles and trucks) - 25 gal. drum of Elbow Grease (any brand) (photo coming soon) There are TONS of videos out there describing how to clay bar a vehicle. Here are a couple of good ones: - From Meguiar's: http://youtube.com/watch?v=yfEfLGL59GI - From Pinnacle: http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZcZRj509Ir8 Of course those folks use their respective company's products, but you can mix and match. The claybar is kinda sticky, but once you get it 'forming' it gets less-sticky and easier to shape. The "4 inch round" size is pretty optimal, esp. for larger vehicles. The part that sucks is actually doing it. I did about 1 sq.ft. at a time. You DO NOT need a lot of pressure on the claybar for it to do it's job. Too much pressure could cause bits that are caught in the clay to be forced back onto your paint/clearcoat causing scratches that weren't there before. Let the bar 'glide' across the paint until it's smooth. Keep enough pressure on it so that you don't drop the claybar on the ground (pitch it if you do). BLACK is the color that really shows off what claybar can do. Since my truck had never been claybar'ed, it was a perfect example to use. (My apologies for the size of the pictures. I wanted to show, in as much detail as possible, how advantageous this process is.) The truck was taken to a simple touchless car wash, then I taped off a stripe down the center of the hood to show before and after. Here we have the entire truck claybar'ed, save for the stripe: Here you can see some of the tape residue along the edges, but the difference is also apparent: Even after the residue was wiped down, you can still see the 'stripe': Here's a quick video of Keith's hand going back and forth over the stripe. You can HEAR the difference! Amazing, eh? Well, I'd had enough of the stripe, so it got claybar'ed too: After you finish with the claybar, you'll need to wax (and polish) the vehicle. Wax should be applied and removed with the vehicle out of the sun and in a dry place. Here we go: MUCH better. :grin: After a thorough wax job (with Keith's new UDM!) the results are astonishing: Even the tonneau and wing came out smooth and clear: (the new badge...heh heh) The Two-Thumbs Up Of Approval Seal: :laugh: TIME: Approx. 4 hours (which includes about 1 hr. *just* for the tonneau). COST: Approx. $25 (claybars, detailer spray, adult beverages) Enjoy your slick and shiny new vehicle! ©2008 Kevan J. Geier All Rights Reserved
I usually clay the vehicle I have atleast once a year. One when I first get delivery and the clay bar is full of rail dust! Then the Zaino starts!
Great job Kev! I have toyed with the idea of doing this but not sure exactly how, I didn't want to make matters worse. Thanks for your help, (again). :thanks:
It's very hard to make things worse with clay because it actually doesn't do anything at all to the paint. It only lifts out (snags) teeny tiny particles that are sticking out of the paint. It is possible to make things worse if you don't keep the clay clean after it picks up some amount of stuff. I didn't so much agree with the pinnacle video where the guy folds the clay and then completely kneads it up and rolls it into a ball and then flatens it back out again. That's going to sort of mix the dirt through the clay and/or you will get sort of veins of dirt in the clay. I usually work with a rectangle shape. When it's dirty I fold it in half, dirt on the inside, and just squeeze it back out to the size I had before. Another tip is to wear rubber gloves. The ones with the little bumps on them seem to work best. Your hand is much less likely to slip off. You're using detail spray or car wash soap and distilled water for lubricant. The clay glides on top of that. Your hand and the top of the clay is going to get lubricated too. Eventually you're probably going to hit a dryer spot or the clay will sort of "grab" and your hand slips off and the clay hits the ground and you have to throw it out. Buying an extra set of clay bars doesn't hurt either. They don't cost a fortune and it would be a bummer to be half way done and you drop your last bar. Also, they both used detailing spray which is expensive and you're using it liberally. Another way is to use car wash soap. Mix it with distilled water (more concentrated than you do when washing) in a spay bottle. Works great. You just have to rinse and dry the car after you're all done (ok, use a wash mit) so there's a little bit more work and time involved.
This is a great thread... I have my stuff all ready to go i just need a day where i have enough time to do the car properly... i have heard only good stuff about claybaring so im excited to give it a shot...this will surely point me in the right direction if i have any questions! WOO!!
Only thing I took exception to in Ken's post was that he (shudder) took his truck to a car wash. Yea, it was touchless but... Here's my thoughts on that: Let's say that you do go to a touchless car wash where they have a really good filtration system AND they maintain the filtration system meticulously. First off they're not going to spray your car with a surfacant (car wash soap) and let it soak for a while to allow all the dried dirt to lift so it comes off when the car is GENTLY rinsed. They're going to run you under a spray and then hit it with the high pressure jets about 2 seconds later. I got to believe some of that dirt gets blasted into the paint that way. I'm not sure if they use distilled water either so even if they blow dry it for a bit you're probably going to have some water spots unless you hand dry it after. If you let them touch it up with a towel then it's not touchless any more. You don't see them taking a fresh towel out of a plastic bag each time do you? If you're stepping up to a clay bar quality finish I think you should avoid car washes completely.
Thanks for the additional info! As most who may know me, I like to collect as much info before I make a move. :bigwink:
