Refining Technique: Clay and Tape, Working over Several Days

[Eidolon]

Alright, so questions!  Specifically, a few niggles with the current process I have for working on my car that I feel need improvement.   I'm looking to improve my process, so I submit them to you, Oh Fellow Shine Addicts.

 

Clay and Tape-up

So before I polish, I always ensure the finish is as free of particulates as possible by claying, using Detail Spray as the lubricant.  And before polishing, I tape up some of the rubber and painted trim to ensure that I'm only hitting the surfaces I want polished.

 

Trick is that the painter's tape adhesive isn't that strong, so either the tape loosens with exposure to the copious amounts of detail spray needed for claying, or it won't stick after the fact.

 

So that's the question here, then...

How do you guys move from clay to tape and deal with the effect of detail spray on the tape?

 

Working Across Multiple Days

So I plan to polish my car next weekend.  Wash, clay, light polish - I hope to only need FMP since I haven't driven the car much this year - and then a seal and wax.

 

Trick is that I plan to do it over multiple days.  To try to reduce the amount of dust in my garage, I plan to sweep it out and then give the floor a quick mopping to get up the fine dust so that moving about in the garage doesn't kick stuff up.  But first is the wash and clay, nice and quick.  Next day will be the polish and maybe the seal.  Then I need to let the MSS set for 24 hours.  Then I can put a coat of Americana on.

 

Between days, however, should I try to drape something over the car to protect it?  I'd previously tried using old bedsheets lightly draped over it, but the coverage was rather patchwork.

 

So that's the question here, then...

How would or do you protect the car from dust when doing paint work over multiple days?

 

Thanks, all, for the tips and help!

Edited September 9, 2013 by Eidolon

[GerryC]

If you are working over multiple days, I would suggest you do the entire process to each panel one at a time, this way the only panels that are "naked" (no sealant/wax) are the ones that you haven't corrected yet.

 

Wash the whole car. Clay, polish, and seal one panel at a time. Keep a waffle weave towel on hand to mop up excess DS. When you are getting tired or are running out of time, stop after sealing the current panel. Net day, simply WW on the next panel and keep going. By the time you finish the whole car, the sealant will have fully cured and you can lay on your Americana. This is how I did my G8, and I spread it out over 4 days, 3 panels per day.

 

As for the tape, I didn't tape anything except the panel gaps. If you treat your plastic and rubber with SVRT before polishing it will help prevent polish from staining them. On the G8 the only part you'll really have to worry about is the fabric-like stuff around the sunroof, assuming you have one. The rest wiped off easily.

[Holder]

Before starting the following day wipe her down with waterless wash.

[mc2hill]

I don't tape until i finish claying.  You have more control with the clay since you are doing it by hand vs. the machine polishing, so I just go slower around the rubber trim and emblems.  I DO tape those 2 items after the claying is finished..   

[GXPaycheck]

SVRT and/or Adam's tape should work.

Edited September 9, 2013 by GXPaycheck

[Eidolon]

If you are working over multiple days, I would suggest you do the entire process to each panel one at a time, this way the only panels that are "naked" (no sealant/wax) are the ones that you haven't corrected yet.

 

Wash the whole car. Clay, polish, and seal one panel at a time. Keep a waffle weave towel on hand to mop up excess DS. When you are getting tired or are running out of time, stop after sealing the current panel. Net day, simply WW on the next panel and keep going. By the time you finish the whole car, the sealant will have fully cured and you can lay on your Americana. This is how I did my G8, and I spread it out over 4 days, 3 panels per day.

 

As for the tape, I didn't tape anything except the panel gaps. If you treat your plastic and rubber with SVRT before polishing it will help prevent polish from staining them. On the G8 the only part you'll really have to worry about is the fabric-like stuff around the sunroof, assuming you have one. The rest wiped off easily.

Not a bad idea, but this doesn't fully solve the problem because each time I complete a panel, there's a minimum time gap before I can put Americana on that panel while the MSS cures.  So the time gap for the first and last panels will overlap, but each panel individually maintains the same gap.  So each panel still has the chance to accumulate dust between stages.

 

Before starting the following day wipe her down with waterless wash.

I think this is the simplest approach, really.  I just bought some Waterless Wash and it should arrive... tomorrow.  I tried to clean the garage out quite well, including mopping the floor.  So dust accumulation will hopefully be at a minimum.  Any accumulation I can see should be easy to gently and safely remove.

 

I don't tape until i finish claying.  You have more control with the clay since you are doing it by hand vs. the machine polishing, so I just go slower around the rubber trim and emblems.  I DO tape those 2 items after the claying is finished..   

I wish I could remember the order I usually do it in.  I believe I clay then tape, because otherwise I'd be soaking the tape with DS.  I think the issue is just that the lubricity of the DS makes the tape refuse to stick.  So I'll just have to wipe it off.

 

SVRT and/or Adam's tape should work.

Yeah, I always apply SVRT post-wash, since it's supposed to protect the rubber trim from wax, as well.  So that way I doubly ensure the trim is protected when I apply MSS and then Americana.

Thanks, all, for the tips!

[DaveVY]

I don't tape until i finish claying.  You have more control with the clay since you are doing it by hand vs. the machine polishing, so I just go slower around the rubber trim and emblems.  I DO tape those 2 items after the claying is finished..

 

I agree, this is what I do