clay bar use.
Author
Discussion

hman

Original Poster:

7,497 posts

211 months

Friday 23rd January 2009
quotequote all
I've just got a meguair clay and have used it as per the destructions with their spray.

Its made the bonnet verrry smooth which is great, however, its a bit swirly now....

Do you go round and round with a clay bar or up and down along the panel?

I've been going round and round and have added a layer of meguair wax but in the failing light of this evening it looked swirly. Still its a silver car so i hope its not too bad...

360 detailing

1,036 posts

217 months

Friday 23rd January 2009
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Small areas in lines works for me sir.

If you have induced swirls then its possibly as you haven't been altering the bar often enough.

If you think what its doing, i.e. removing contaminents from the paintwork then trapping them in the bar, then you will see why the bar requires constant turning / folding / kneeding / replacing. From your post you say you have used the spray as directed, no need to say you need to keep the panel lubraicated all the time. I Always give the clay a spray too before using it.

Another possible consideration is washing the car down thoroughtly prior to claying. That is the most common reason for causing damage with a clay - your cleaning the car with it rather than cleaning the paint.

If they are light then they will polish out by machine.

Al





Edited by 360 detailing on Friday 23 January 20:33

gleammachine

56 posts

216 months

Saturday 24th January 2009
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As Al has put above, you need to go in straight line movements with the panel well lubricated, turning the clay and re-folding quite often, use light pressure until the area is smooth and contaminent free. I always re-rinse the paintwork once claying is complete.

hman

Original Poster:

7,497 posts

211 months

Saturday 24th January 2009
quotequote all
If I was to re-polish the panel with super resin polish and then re- wax with meguirs would this help the current swirls?

gleammachine

56 posts

216 months

Saturday 24th January 2009
quotequote all
It will certainly help, SRP has fillers and cleansers so will mask the swirls but not remove them.

PJ S

10,842 posts

244 months

Saturday 24th January 2009
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hman said:
If I was to re-polish the panel with super resin polish and then re- wax with meguirs would this help the current swirls?
AG SRP will barely tickle the paint on the Audis with hand usage, so it'll mainly fill in the defects.
Time to invest in a machine polisher or a local pro-detailer to correct the paint, and leave you to maintain it thereafter.

hman

Original Poster:

7,497 posts

211 months

Sunday 1st February 2009
quotequote all
update:

I checked the swirls in the cold (literally) light of day and they had gone.

They returned when the late evening condensation appeared, so I put them down to my crap hand waxing technique.

Long story short, I re-waxed the bonnet taking a bit more time and effort and buffed to a nice shine, swirls have not reappeared upon the next frosty/condensation ridden evening.

Now the scratches on my roof where a work colleague slid an archive box across it are another matter and I may well need a machine polish to remove them.....

LordGrover

33,912 posts

229 months

Sunday 1st February 2009
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Blimey. Claying in these temperatures. I find the clay turns solid at this time of year - next to impossible to keep it pliable. Are you lot working indoors?

Mark V8

1,535 posts

226 months

Sunday 1st February 2009
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LordGrover said:
Blimey. Claying in these temperatures. I find the clay turns solid at this time of year - next to impossible to keep it pliable. Are you lot working indoors?
You need to mould it into a sausage shape and stand it in a mug of hot water.....

belleair302

6,983 posts

224 months

Monday 2nd February 2009
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Keep a bucket of warm water close by and dunk the clay in the water when it gets cold. Once warm re mold into the desired shape.

hman

Original Poster:

7,497 posts

211 months

Monday 2nd February 2009
quotequote all
I just kept kneading it and warming it with my hands! worked ok, but i could see the bucket of warm water would be less effort.

PJ S

10,842 posts

244 months

Monday 2nd February 2009
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Split the piece you have in two, or break off another bit, and alternate between them.
Keep one in a mug of warm water, and switch back and forth when the piece being used becomes hard(er) to manipulate.