Clay bar scratches

[UT-Engineer]

I clayed my car over the weekend and noticed a few more scratches that were not already there. They appear to be in the clear coat similiar to the swirl scratches i already have. I plan on using a PC or similar tool to remove the swirl marks, however, will it also remove scratches caused by the clay that are in lines (i.e not swirls)?

[Camaro_Corvette]

The clay caused scratches?

[UT-Engineer]

Originally Posted by Camaro_Corvette

The clay caused scratches?

Yea i tried to knead the clay after each section to bring out a new clean surface in the clay but it appears i didnt do that well enough. The scratches i found so far are only in one section, the hood, but they are not swirls, theyre lines about 2" long. so far ive seen 3 of them like this. Will the swirl remover take these out?

[Camaro_Corvette]

Ah, i see. I have never clayed a car, so I was just curious.

[UT-Engineer]

Originally Posted by Camaro_Corvette

Ah, i see. I have never clayed a car, so I was just curious.

yeah was my first time doing it and probably didnt have the right technique. I may have applied too much pressure as well when claying . After watching a few online videos seems like no pressure to very little is the best technique to eliminate scratching.

[Nessal]

Yes, a very common mistake is applying pressure when claying. When I clay, I apply almost no pressure and I make sure the surface stays WET. I just glide it back and forth with the only pressure being the weight of my hand.

[v8]

Good to know

[Russell James]

The trouble with clay is it grabs bits and then drags it across the paint. If there happens to be a spec of rail dust there, scratch city.

To get the scratches out, just going to have to start with the least abrasive compound (swirl remover) and if that doesn't get it move up to a fine. I'd suspect it will be at least a fine compound to get rid of the scratches, probably deeper than a typical swirl. And throw the clay in the trash.

I've seen clay used perfectly, no pressure, lots of lube... and cause horrible scratches.... never using the stuff again.

[jmart53]

waiting for Dylan from Adam's to chime in on this one... I have a clay bar kit and everything but still haven't done it to my baby... will wait for more info

[Rcfiddy1]

You need to clean your car first. Then when you clay it you need to have a lubricant like detail spray. Dont apply pressure just small circles. If the scratches are not deep you can polish them out. The biggest mistake is applying too much pressure and not enough lube.

[scythezo6]

Wash your car well! If you get your drying towel dirty after a wash, wash it again.
If your clay is dirty it will scratch.
If you knead the clay to expose a fresh surface and then apply too much presure, the fresh surface can be pushed away allowing dirty clay to come down and contact the paint.
Keep the surface of the paint lubed with soapy water or detail spray.
Use moderate pressure claying in one direction (straight lines that cross-hatch) at a time over a small area.
I use enough pressure to work the paint but not enough to crack an egg (I'm trying to guess a reference point - dont try to crack an egg on your car lol).
Also peel clay to be used from the whole bar so you're only using a small bit at once and not dirtying up your whole stock. This is debatable but I would personally throw a piece of clay away every 1-2 panels then peel off a fresh piece and continue on - especially for the hood, trunk and tops of quarter panels and fenders where scratches/swirls are readily seen. That can be a waste but I'm paranoid.

[Iwantone2]

Originally Posted by scythezo6

Wash your car well! If you get your drying towel dirty after a wash, wash it again.
If your clay is dirty it will scratch.
If you knead the clay to expose a fresh surface and then apply too much presure, the fresh surface can be pushed away allowing dirty clay to come down and contact the paint.
Keep the surface of the paint lubed with soapy water or detail spray.
Use moderate pressure claying in one direction (straight lines that cross-hatch) at a time over a small area.
I use enough pressure to work the paint but not enough to crack an egg (I'm trying to guess a reference point - dont try to crack an egg on your car lol).
Also peel clay to be used from the whole bar so you're only using a small bit at once and not dirtying up your whole stock. This is debatable but I would personally throw a piece of clay away every 1-2 panels then peel off a fresh piece and continue on - especially for the hood, trunk and tops of quarter panels and fenders where scratches/swirls are readily seen. That can be a waste but I'm paranoid.

This sums up the procedure you should use when claying a car. You MUST wash your car before claying (I'm sure you already knew that OP) and make sure that your clay bar has been kept in a sealed container of some sort.

[Adam's Polishes]

Some micro marring isn't all that uncommon from claying, but scratches would be unusual. Theres a few potential reasons you'd see scratches:

• A larger particle was picked up by the bar and went unnoticed.
• You weren't sufficiently lubing the surface as you were working.
• The car had previously been treated with a glaze or something to hide the imperfections which was removed by the clay thus showing the defects.

To answer your question, swirls are scratches... very find scratches. They appear in a circular pattern more b/c of the way light hits them and your perspective. Also to some degree from the pattern in which most people wipe a car.

The "new" damage you have, as long as they're fine scratches, should come out just as easily as the swirls. If they're more substantial then it will take slightly more to get them out (more passes with the machine or more aggressive polishing) but they should come out without issue.

[WiSSDiver]

In reading the thread, I didn't see if anyone asked if the OP if he droped the clay he was using and if so, did he keep using the dropped piece? If he did, it would explain the additional damage.

my .02 cents.