JEEEZZZ! CHECK YOUR PAINT!

[mikey8]

Originally Posted by greenrail

I work for a railroad. The dirt they get en route isn't all that much different than what they get in daily use.

Good grief, why is it always the railroad's fault. Sheesh!

PAINT DESTROYERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, I believe it is the Rail Dust they are talking about, That whole metal to metal thing.

[Darth_Emma]

Let me get the Junkman in here to comment. He is a great guy! I need to put out my "Super Junkman" beacon!

Junkman got me totally hooked on Adam's products and for that I will be forever grateful!

[Junkman2008]

When Terry cals, I am not slow! I trip over my clay bar jar and away I go!



Okay, I'm corny too!

Here's the deal with clay. All clay in America is made by the same company, Clay Magic. They have the patent on production as of now. The main difference between the clay you see in stores and online is the cost and how much you actually get. There are also varying grits of clay but the "consumer grade" clay is all you should EVER use. The rest of that stuff is for professionals only.

Now for some details about clay.

What is the clay bar process, you ask?

Clay Bar is used to remove paint contamination, overspray and industrial fallout.

What is paint contamination?

Paint contamination consists of tiny metal shavings from rail dust, brake dust and industrial fallout. This contamination affects all paint finishes and can cause serious damage when left untreated. Paint contamination can be felt as a "rough or gritty" texture on the paint's surface and can lead to tiny rust spots. This contamination can not be removed by washing, waxing and/or polishing. Check out the three stages of paint contamination.

Stage 1:

Metal shavings land on the paint's surface.




Stage 2:

Shavings start to oxidize.




Stage 3:

Rust spots forms in the paint.





Where does it come from?

There are three major causes of paint contamination:

1. Rail dust - produced from the friction of train wheels against railroad tracks. Over 70% of new vehicles are shipped by rail. Rail dust can contaminate a new car's finish before it even reaches the dealership. Anytime a vehicle is parked or travels near a railroad it is subject to rail dust contamination.

2. Brake dust - particles produced from the friction of brake pads rubbing against the rotor. This metal on metal friction disperses tiny particles of bare metal into the air and on the highway where it collects on passing vehicles.

3. Industrial fallout - another word for pollution, industrial fallout is a byproduct of our modern industrial age.


Testing for paint contamination:

After washing and drying your vehicle, put your hand inside a plastic sandwich bag and lightly run your fingertips over the paint's surface. It should be as smooth as glass. If your car's surface has a rough, gritty or pebble-like texture, it indicates the presence of paint contamination. This should be removed with a clay bar before applying a polish or wax.


Removing Paint Contamination:

There is no wax, natural or synthetic, or any chemical treatment that can prevent or protect against this contamination. Compounding with an abrasive polish may remove paint contamination but it can only be performed a few times before removing too much of the top, clear coat finish. This is why the process of claying is required. Claying removes these impurities without removing your clear coat. It is the safest, most effective way to do so.

Claying is a simple process, although you may have to exert a little energy. The secret to proper claying is to keep the area that you are working on wet at all times. Not doing so makes the claying process difficult and it also causes marring of the paint. The amount of pressure that you apply is directly proportional to how bad the paint is contaminated. A 10 year old car that has lived in a driveway all of its life is going to require a little more scrubbing than your new car that you have just driven off the car lot.

The object of claying is to get the paint as smooth as glass. Work in small sections (1 foot square areas). Once you get a section smooth as glass, you move on to the next section. Work in small areas so that you don't miss anything. Here's a short video of me claying an area of a bumper in which a deep scratch resides.


How to Clay - The Video




The claying process itself does absolutely nothing to remove swirls or scratches. It simply removes the impurities from the paint as stated before. Claying is a very important process when necessary, and contributes effectively to obtaining that deep, glossy shine.


When should I clay?

Only when your finish fails the baggie test described above. Some folks clay their finish too often. It is not a set in stone step with paint maintenance, it is only required if your paint needs it. A car that stays garaged, covered and not driven often is not going to get clayed as often as a car that sits in a driveway night and day, in a dusty or dirty environment. I have personally clayed my car once, a year and a half ago. It of course is the first car in the scenario above.

Now that you realize when and why to clay your finish, all you have to do is inspect your paint.

Performing the claying process in the shade or indoors helps keep your lubricant from drying to quickly. Try and do so if possible.

The Junkman

[Darth_Emma]

Hehehe... thanks, AJ!

[rawj7]

Yes thank you. My new HERO.

[IROCanSS]

I second... thrid... whatever # we are on. I clayed my car right when I got. It was a mess. Now it is like liquid silver!

Careful with the bar thought, if you never used one, read up first. Its crazy easy but you can mess up.

My few tricks...

Cool paint, shady area, keep the surface VERY wet and use a medium (I use dawn if I am going the full treatment. Few drops in a spray bottle with water... otherwise, I use Zaino quick detailer), massage the bar frequently, don't let clay particles dry on the car and most important... DO NOT LET THE BAR HIT THE GROUND!

[80Zedder]

Originally Posted by SSOOCH

Some of these Camaro's just get more crap on the paint than others. Mine was shipped via rail to Utah. From day one it was as smooth as glass. I clay bared and waxed it last week for the first time. Nothing on the clay bar. No dark spots, specs of dirt. Nothing. Still as smooth as glass. I took delivery on June 29th, 2009.

My paint is great. Maybe it's that $20 I slipped that Dude in the paint booth at the factory....

Bob told me about that night, except it wasent $20 you slipped him!!

[NoDak Scotty]

If the clay bar removes the metal shavings, doesn't it scratch the paint as you continue to use the bar with all the collected shavings in it?

[Junkman2008]

Originally Posted by NoDak Scotty

If the clay bar removes the metal shavings, doesn't it scratch the paint as you continue to use the bar with all the collected shavings in it?

That's why you constantly flip the clay onto itself. Also, we're talking about shavings that are extremely small. I mean really, really small.

[Russell James]

Originally Posted by NoDak Scotty

If the clay bar removes the metal shavings, doesn't it scratch the paint as you continue to use the bar with all the collected shavings in it?

I had that happen to me on an 01 Camaro SS I bought brand new back in 01. Get the car home and the hood had tons of iron particles from rail dust. Did the clay on it, used tons of lube, flipped it over often. I got about half the hood done and I notice the clay feels like it had sharp little grit pieces all over it. I grab a shop light and hold it over the paint - holy hell I had been dragging scratches all over the place. Tried buffing out the scratches, nope too deep. Ended up paying a body shop to wet sand and buff out the hood.

Part of that problem was SLP did the hoods on those SS's back then, and their paint was about as hard as a stick of butter. If you looked at it wrong, you left marks. And dragging rail dust embedded in a clay bar over it, I might as well been using 80 grit paper.

My advice would be, start in a very small area, and check your work with a shop light to make sure your not adding more scraches. And if the clay feels like it has grit in it - it does.

[Junkman2008]

In all my years, I have never heard that happening before.

[Darth_Emma]

Keep folding and stretching the clay. If you can't find a clean spot on the clay, you need a new piece of clay.

[Junkman2008]

Originally Posted by Darth_Emma

Keep folding and stretching the clay. If you can't find a clean spot on the clay, you need a new piece of clay.