All About the Clay Bar Process

[Junkman2008]

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.

 

 

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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. If your paint is a candidate for clay, drop on over to the Adam's website and pick yourself up some Adam's Detailing Clay Bar.

 

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

 

The Junkman

Edited December 16, 2010 by Junkman2008

[bigred vette]

Yes! The absolute last thing that you should ever do is clay a dirty car, unless you own a clay marketing company!

[694doorbird]

It depends on the car - if I found it to be very heavily contaminated while claying, I'll give it wash.

 

Thanks, the car usually stays pretty clean.

[Junkman2008]

To clay a dusty or anything other than clean car introduces unnecessary dirt into your clay. That's just wasting clay.

[Bill-V8V]

To clay a dusty or anything other than clean car introduces unnecessary dirt into your clay. That's just wasting clay.

 

 

Ummmmm, they are talking about washing AFTER claying:cheers:

[shaunraney]

I'm totally zombifying this thread, but only because my question pertains to it lol.

 

I recently washed and clay barred my car, I did the baggy test and it felt like my car had a five oclock shadow, so I clayed and used a whole bottle of DS (even dropped a piece of clay). So, being new to actually claybarring a car, I re did the baggy test. I found the paint to be INCREDIBLY smooth in some spots, but in other there were one or two little spots (like large single bumps, not patches) on the car that were still there. Should I reclay those spots or is this nature of the beast?

 

I plan on doing a full on paint correction detail very soon so I will redo the baggy test as I will have driven about 1000 miles in between. But should I worry about the onesy-twosy bumps and go right to SHR, or should I get the clay barred car completely smooth and then move on to SHR.

 

Thanks!

[THE Mook]

I'm totally zombifying this thread, but only because my question pertains to it lol.

 

I recently washed and clay barred my car, I did the baggy test and it felt like my car had a five oclock shadow, so I clayed and used a whole bottle of DS (even dropped a piece of clay). So, being new to actually claybarring a car, I re did the baggy test. I found the paint to be INCREDIBLY smooth in some spots, but in other there were one or two little spots (like large single bumps, not patches) on the car that were still there. Should I reclay those spots or is this nature of the beast?

 

I plan on doing a full on paint correction detail very soon so I will redo the baggy test as I will have driven about 1000 miles in between. But should I worry about the onesy-twosy bumps and go right to SHR, or should I get the clay barred car completely smooth and then move on to SHR.

 

Thanks!

 

 

Sometimes you may need to clay a spot more than another ya know? What does the spot look like that is still a little rough? Can you actually see blemish in the paint or does it just feel rough? The more contaminate off a finish, the better results you will see.....and feel!

 

Did you throw away the clay that jumped ship?

[Chewy]

Once the clay hits terra firma, it needs to go into the trashola!

 

Like Mook said, not all parts of your car will take to the same amount of claying or polishing. That's what's great about he baggie test.

[Doug123]

If you drop the clay, toss it out, or you are now using a homemade scratch generator. The cost of another piece of clay is cheap compared to the cost and labor that will result if you scratch up your paint. It is just not worth the risk.

 

I keep (extra) backup clay for just such emergencies, as by the time I have arrange a correction weekend, I don't want to waste it because of dropped clay.

[shaunraney]

Sometimes you may need to clay a spot more than another ya know? What does the spot look like that is still a little rough? Can you actually see blemish in the paint or does it just feel rough? The more contaminate off a finish, the better results you will see.....and feel!

 

Did you throw away the clay that jumped ship?

 

Yeah, chucked it. I also chucked the second piece because no matter how much I stretched and folded it, it was still rust color after doing the whole car.

[Doug123]

Yup, good move both times. With clay, when in doubt, throw it out.

 

Amazing how much stuff comes off something that looks clean... I was really surprised the first time I clayed my paint and saw the rust. Wasn't real bad, but sure wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it. First claying is the worst, after that it is much lighter and easier, at least if you clay a couple of times (or so) a year.

 

After the finish is clayed, you can get down to business on the smooth as glass finish.

[Chewy]

Yup, good move both times. With clay, when in doubt, throw it out.

 

 

I've found that that works when dating too!

[Junkman2008]

... I found the paint to be INCREDIBLY smooth in some spots, but in other there were one or two little spots (like large single bumps, not patches) on the car that were still there. Should I reclay those spots or is this nature of the beast?

 

Everything that you do in detailing has a gauge. For clay, the gauge is the baggie test. If the gauge is showing you something, you follow the gauge. If the bag says clay, you clay. There is no second guessing the bag, or any other gauge that is used to measure whether or not something needs to be done when detailing. It is pretty much black and white and it is definitely not rocket science.

 

In reality, your question was answered in my first post. If you feel anything with the bag, you need to clay... period.

[valente]

do i use the whole bar of clay or just half.

will i still have enough for the rims.thank you

[RedexInLA]

Cut the bar in half, if you drop it you have a backup.

Once you clay your rims don't use it on your paint, save that peice only for your rims.

What I do anyways.

Too much crap on the rims, it will load up your clay quick.

[mc2hill]

do i use the whole bar of clay or just half.

will i still have enough for the rims.thank you

 

Cut the bar in half, if you drop it you have a backup.

 

The Adam's clay bar is so big I say cut it into thirds!

[Bill-V8V]

The Adam's clay bar is so big I say cut it into thirds!

 

:iagree:

[Chewy]

Agreed! I only use about a third of it. There's a LOT there. Heck, I still have some blue clay left (which I prefer).

 

Chris

[icantdrive55]

AJ - this is a great write up and resource. I had quite of bit of contamination that appeared as rusty spots. With a lot of effort I was able to remove all of it with clay and DS. Thank you for all the knowledge you share.

Mike

[Junkman2008]

Glad you found it useful Mike.

[THE Mook]

Our ClayBar is big enough that you can use it in thirds. That's what I do!

 

Mook

[scott5]

When is dirty too dirty on the clay? I did half of my hood on my tbss (never been clayed before) and to me it looked wayyy too dirty to use on the other side of the hood. At this rate I will use a couple bars on it. Am I using too much clay? I just don't want to introduce any more dirt into my paint nore do I want my bar to turn into a scratch awl.

[Junkman2008]

When is dirty too dirty on the clay? I did half of my hood on my tbss (never been clayed before) and to me it looked wayyy too dirty to use on the other side of the hood. At this rate I will use a couple bars on it. Am I using too much clay? I just don't want to introduce any more dirt into my paint nore do I want my bar to turn into a scratch awl.

 

Did you thoroughly clean your car BEFORE you started the claying process as I outlined in my paint restoration videos???

[scott5]

Did you thoroughly clean your car BEFORE you started the claying process as I outlined in my paint restoration videos???

 

yes i did the two bucket wash the day before and cleaned it again the next day when i went to clay bar it

[Junkman2008]

yes i did the two bucket wash the day before and cleaned it again the next day when i went to clay bar it

 

Then you better hope that Adam's has a clay special because you are obviously going to need plenty of it. If you cannot flip the clay and find a clean section, it is time for another bar.

[scott5]

Then you better hope that Adam's has a clay special because you are obviously going to need plenty of it. If you cannot flip the clay and find a clean section, it is time for another bar.

 

Thats what i was thinking. It will be worth it in the end. Thanks