What's "Clay Bar"

[jims-terrano]

Hi guys, I've heard "Clay Bar" mentioned elsewhere. I'm guessing it's some kind of polish or pre polish treatment. Is it as it's name suggests a bar of something that you rub on the paintwork or is it a liquid just like polish.

MattsTerrano has just bought his first car, a nice met black 08 plate polo 1.4 tdi match. It's a great little car but the paintwork is rather tired, I've just given a corner of the bonnet a couple of coats of polish and it has made a difference but no doubt he'll want to give it the works won't he.

PS I need a bigger drive!

[macabethiel]

It's a bar made of a very fine clay that acts like a very fine abrasive and is used in detailing work prior to waxing.
The idea is to get rid of fine swirl marks etc in the paintwork before you start to polish the finish.

Never used one myself I stick to the good old fashioned hard way like Turtle Wax or Simonize Original etc.

I have found that hand cutting with T cut gets old none metallic paint especially reds back to almost new.

[micken]

It's a compound with a texture a bit like blu-tack and comes in different grades like course, medium, fine. You knead it into a burger-like shape and move it over the bodywork with plenty of lubrication, soapy wash, ooh er missus!

The idea is that as it glides over the surface of the paintwork it pulls out stuff that's stuck to or even embedded in the top/laquer coat. It does work.

Visit the following website for more immersion into ocd car cleaning:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/

[terranosaurusdoug]

Yeh there are different grades of it, it is a little abrasive but it's main function is to pick up all the microscopic dirt that gets in the scratches that doesn't come off with washing or even polish. It will work especially well on a black car, taking the dirt out of the scratches whilst being slightly abrasive makes them invisible.
First step clean the car, then feel how smooth the paint feels with your hand, second step rub with claybar whilst keeping wet with soapy water or even better the stuff that is designed for the job, third step feel the paint again and wonder how you ever thought it was smooth before

[macabethiel]

Originally Posted by terranosaurusdoug

Yeh there are different grades of it, it is a little abrasive but it's main function is to pick up all the microscopic dirt that gets in the scratches that doesn't come off with washing or even polish. It will work especially well on a black car, taking the dirt out of the scratches whilst being slightly abrasive makes them invisible.
First step clean the car, then feel how smooth the paint feels with your hand, second step rub with claybar whilst keeping wet with soapy water or even better the stuff that is designed for the job, third step feel the paint again and wonder how you ever thought it was smooth before

It is probably cheating but on my old Metallic Black Chrysler 300CRD Estate I used black Turtle Wax Color Wax it seemed to work really well and the chip stick that came with it you could fill a stone chip and hide it. Stained your hands nice and black too!

[Banshee]

Surprised Pete hasn't been in and said;

"Paint is Gay"

[terranosaurusdoug]

Originally Posted by Banshee

Surprised Pete hasn't been in and said;

"Paint is Gay"

I think he's sailing, trying to prove the world is flat