3 stages of clay?

[Vincenzo]

I was talking to a professional detailer the other day and he was trying to get an idea about how much I knew about detailing. He started asking me if I knew about the "3 stages of clay", and took my blank stare to mean that I hadn't. Can anyone fill me in on this? Apparently there are 3 different clay bars you use of varying strength... I am utterly confused.

[Team Adam's]

Yes... there are 3 types of clay -

 

Bodyshop clay, its literally gritty and will introduce very nasty swirling and marring to a finish. Only intended for really crazy bad situations and really has no use on most cars.

 

Medium, a little less aggressive, but will still introduce damage.

 

Fine, what we sell, what most people use on their cars. Capable of doing most average decontamination and minimizes the opportunites for damage.

[Captain Slow]

My first thought on the 3 stages of clay were:

 

1. New

2. Used

3. Dropped on garage floor.

[Vincenzo]

No, I mean like, you use one, then the next, then the next. Like you would go from SSR->SHR->FMP. You know?

[Bill-V8V]

I've heard it refereed to as the three stages of contamination but not three stages of claying. Like this :

 

Stage 1

Metal shavings land on the paints surface

Where does it come from?

There are three major causes of paint contamination:

 

Rail dust - produced from the friction of train wheels against railway 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. Vehicles that are parked or travel near a railway line are subject to rail dust contamination.

 

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 road where it collects on passing

vehicles.

 

Industrial fallout - pollution, industrial fallout is a by-product of our modern industrial age.

 

 

Stage 2

Shavings start to oxidise

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 treatment.

 

Stage 3

Rust spots forms in the paint

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.

 

Conclusion:

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.

[Vincenzo]

No, thats not quite it either. He was reffering to 3 actual different types of clay, that you would use in some kind of order. We were cut off by his 4 year old who apparently had managed to knock down a shelf of tools. I did not get a chance to talk about it with him further because he offered to teach me to drive a stick shift in a drift race car, and my giddyness clouded my mind.

[Bill-V8V]

I'm thinking something was lost in translation, could he have been talking about a three stage polish and you were too busy looking at the girly calendars that often hang in automotive shops to be paying attention

[Rich]

Good post Bill.

[07RS4]

I'm thinking something was lost in translation, could he have been talking about a three stage polish and you were too busy looking at the girly calendars that often hang in automotive shops to be paying attention

 

Bwahahahaha

[Zizak]

That's got to be it those darn calendars always get the best of me,

[gencoupe3dot8]

One care care company that ends in Guys has three bars... really more along the lines of what Dylan was talking about, not a progression:

 

1) LIGHT_BAR CLAY_BAR - for regular everyday use. For the Car enthusiast or professional detailer working on higher end vehicles, or new vehicles that need a light bar that will never scratch the surface. This scratch free ultra-flexible elastic bar is a huge customer favorite that truly works great for all paint finishes.

 

2)MEDIUMBAR CLAYBAR- for light to medium jobs with moderate oxidation that you can really feel. Great for light to medium oxidation, and paint over-spray removal. able to clean 95% of all surfaces and remove environmental fallout to prepare for buffing and waxing.

 

3)HEAVY_DUTY_BAR-CLAY_BAR use for heavy oxidation where time is the real issue. Great for business professionals that need the surface smooth prior to polish or buffing. Ideal for medium to tough jobs and larger amounts of paint over-spray especially if the over-spray has been on the car for a long time.

 

Hope this helps,

Mike

[Chris@Adams]

Good post Bill.

Thats Mr. Mayor!

[Vincenzo]

Hahaha lol. But really though, I am still really confused. Even if he is doing something wrong (but he has been doing it for 30 years) I still can't find anything on this.

[Team Adam's]

Hahaha lol. But really though, I am still really confused. Even if he is doing something wrong (but he has been doing it for 30 years) I still can't find anything on this.

 

Time is rarely a qualifier... just means hes been doing it wrong for longer LOL.

 

If I had a dollar for everytime I got an email that started with "I've been detailing for 20 years..." that immediately followed that statement with a question that 90% of the members of this forum could answer I'd be sipping a mai tai on a tropical beach somewhere right now instead of working.

[Vincenzo]

True Dylan, but from what I saw every ride that wasn't a rusted out 67 cougar being restored or a hacked apart fox body with 3 mechanics swarming around it seemed very clean, swirl free, and done right.

[Charger06]

Ian what Dylan and Mike said is pretty much right with the three stages of claying. I myself have the fine which the one I have is yellow then I have the medium grade which is red and then the third stage which is more aggresive is blue in color. Now not all brands of clay use those exact colors for the same grades but that is what the 3 stages of claying are by what I've been told by my cousin that owns his own shop