A really good article on claying your paint......

http://www.bettercarcare.com/articles.php?articleId=14

Enjoy
I1:yes:

Interesting link. Are they part of Autopia or just sponsored by them?

I have used a clay bar from Meguiar's on the trunk of my Accord. The rear bumper was repainted :censored: . Then the body shop my dealer sent it to let overspray get on the decklid & back glass.

They are affiliated but don't believe they are part of.....
Those detailers are all over the place...... Autopia, Better car care, Classic motoring, Meguiars all those forums......
But they have some good info.... If you look at the paint link by Mike, he works for Meguiars but appears to be well respected within that detailing community......
I just take what info I can and try and apply to my needs.....
I am impressed with the Nxt protectant. but have not tried any of the other products in the line.....
Meguiars has some fine products, but so does 3M, Dura-gloss, Mothers......

I1:)

Before we got into the detailing this weekend, we had to clay a tiny spot on the rear bumper. It had a itty bitty red spot.....one of those parking lot mysteries! It worked wonderfully!! Took all of 5 seconds! Now it's perfect again!!:D

Read this article about cleaning paint surface.... and testing to see if it needs to be cleaned...
http://www.properautocare.com/creatsmootpa.html

I clay complete vehicle before polish and seal.. that way all contaminants are off surface before going any further....

I1:)

Both of ours were sealed up brand new. The Pilot is exposed to much more pollution fallout than the Accord. We haven't seen any signs of contaminents yet. So far they've been nice & smooth. There was just a little red spot from something hitting the bumper. I park in the boonies, I don't mind the extra walking. I also grab any stray carts & run the up to the cart corral. I check the car all the way around as I leave. OK, I admit, I'm a bit silly with all this....it's been my habit for years.

We check the surfaces with each washing. So far, the polymer coating has done a great job of protecting against the elements. It's a worry for us....livng where we do....Antioch was originally a mining town & is now an industrial place. Where he works has tons of traffic, near even more industrial plants, & closer to even bigger bay area places. We live in a slightly different valley, on the delta. It was farmland out here......many have disappeared since we moved here. Houses & strip malls have popped up all over the place!:(

Originally posted by princess
Both of ours were sealed up brand new. The Pilot is exposed to much more pollution fallout than the Accord. We haven't seen any signs of contaminents yet. So far they've been nice & smooth. There was just a little red spot from something hitting the bumper. I park in the boonies, I don't mind the extra walking. I also grab any stray carts & run the up to the cart corral. I check the car all the way around as I leave. OK, I admit, I'm a bit silly with all this....it's been my habit for years.

Hey I do this too. I always park in the back away from any cart collection sites and check around the car before I leave. Kinda lets the car warm up.

It saves on a lot of dings!

Hey, BB, what are you doing home already??

I was at school, finished all my work for the rest of the week in 3rd period. 3rd Period is in the computer lab so I got to go on the computers hehe.

Got it! Kewl.......:cool:

Catchy Autopia logo...

Somehow your eyes are just drawn to it.

Hey all,
I've been detailing for a couple years now part time while I was in school. I found that claying is easier after polishing and you spendy clay bars go much further since they pick up less grime and gunk.

Also you mentioned detailing message boards.
I frequent one called detail city (www.detailcity.com). I like it over there because it is tightly moderated and unruly posts are removed and users booty. Everybody over there is pretty darn friendly, helpful, and nice.

Later!

PBMW,
? Wouldn't claying after polishing be defeating the purpose?

I understand why it would be easier because compounding and polishing would remove contaminants from clear.

I thought the purpose of claying is to remove contaminants before polishing to prevent picking up on pad and creating more scratches.....:scratch:

I use this procedure with good luck....

1. Wash
2. Dry
3. Clay(including all glass)
4. Compound(Menzerna Intensive Polish)(Yellow pad on PC)
5. Polish(Menzerna Final Polish)(White pad on PC)
6. Sealant (Klasse AIO)Hand apply w/Microfiber applicator
7. Glaze(Klasse SG)Hand apply w/Microfiber applicator
8. Wax or topper(Meg #16 )Hand apply w/Microfiber applicator

I have been happy with Klasse on Naples Gold(Accord) Sand Mica(MPV)

On darker colors I'm going to try the Wolfgang ....

I1:)

P.S. Thanks for link to DC

Great question!
Normally people follow the procedure you describe. However when you think about how each portion works, it also makes sense to clay after polishing. Clay is intended to remove imbedded particles and contaminants, which polishing doesn't remove, else we wouldn't clay! If you polish first then assess your surface, you may not need to clay (claying is often overdone) and clay is very expensive compared to polish. Also if you clean your surface properly (I'm not suggesting you don't), you shouldn't ever have things on your surface which could impart scratching and if you did it wouldn't matter whether you picked it up with the buffer or dragged it across your paint with clay.
As for you polishing regimen, it sounds good! How often do you do it? The other item to mention is the necessity of the yellow pad (I assume lake country cutting pad?) and compound. Proper polishing and detailing is context specific. Thus the same regiment does not apply to every vehicle. What you should do is start with a good wash then clean the paint with either a paint cleaner or your Klasse AIO (it's a cleaner and polish) with the white pad (I assume it's a LC polishing pad?). Then assess your finish. Is it rough? Then clay. Is it glossy and defect free? If not, go back and polish with the polishing pad. If it still is not defect free then slowly get more aggressive first pad then polish. Then when you like the result, apply Klasse AIO again. Now you have a layer of AIO. Next apply another coat of Klasse AIO (most guys do 3 coats, they are additive) by hand then top with Klasse SG or Carnuba wax (depends if you want clear glossy somewhat plastic look or warm wet look). Carnauba also slightly deepens color which is good for dark paints (ie not white, silver, or light metal flake like gold/beige or light blues). Over time you will quickly get a sense after AIO when to go straight to your compound and when to use your polish and when to simply work AIO in again with your buffer. Some folks just use AIO until the swirls are all gone.
Why do it this way? First you are probably over compounding your finish which just accelerates removal of your limited clear coat. Once your clear burns through, you have to repaint it because it looks like crap. Second, and most importantly, you are wasting your valuable time! After a good compounding, you should only have to AIO it! If you need to compound and polish every time you may be inflicting scratches/swirls. That said-
To keep your finish swirl free:
Wash with two buckets. Rinse the car down (NO HIGH PRESSURE SPRAYS, PRESSURE WASHERS, or CAR WASHES!) with a gentle rinse. Then fill one CLEAN bucket with rinse water and one CLEAN bucket with wash water. Using a soft sponge or mitt (sea sponges or black lambs wool are detailer's choice) dip in wash water and GENTLY wash a small area. Start on roof and work down. Dip mitt/sponge in rinse water to remove dirt then dip in wash water again and do another section. Do the roof, then rinse the roof. Do the windows and A-pillars, rinse them. and on down. Wheels are last and DO NOT use your precious mitt or sponge to wash grimy wheels! Use a brush or nasty old wash mitt. Some are so OCD they use separate buckets for wheels. Lastly, dry with a microfiber drying towel. I hate chamois, if you drop them or get dirt in them, they're like sandpaper (small imbedded pebbles and sand) and most cannot be washed effectively.
Also if your car is a garage queen or doesn't get too dirty, use a quick detailer and microfiber towel. QD's contain surfactants and lubricants to eliminate scratching/swirling while removing light dirt and don't strip your wax/sealant. Properly cared for your AIO/SG should last you 5-6 months before needing reapplication.
Hope this helps!

Good write up......

Only thing I see that jumped out.... Klasse AIO is a cleaner as you said... I believe one coat is all thats required if previous steps give you clean slick surface... Multi coat is a waste all it does is remove previous coat.... Now multi coat on SG is a different story.... no cleaning happening there.. I have had great luck with 3 coats of SG then topping with #16.. Then when Beading and shine dissipates then back to steps 6-8.. AIO removes all SG and #16...

As far as pads yes LC.... Yellow only used 1 time on each vehicle...
as with Intensive Polish... The final polish was only necessary on horizontal panels and Bumpers...
The Accord had 60k before 1st real polish.... It had 27k when I purchased and had seen several scratchy washes and the a dealer detail haha...

I use microfiber mitts to wash panels...and 2 bucket method as you described
I always wash wheels first to prevent any brake dust splash when rinsing on freshly washed car...

I use 3rd bucket and sponge for wheels and tires.....

I use California Water Blade then Big Blue Towel from CMA..
I have two so I can wash both vehicles same day without having to wash towels... Also have a 3rd towel to dry lower rockers just in case it hits the ground..

The vehicles are garage kept but my car gets a lot of miles(35-40k per year)so it needs more TLC than van...... which gets about 30-40 miles a week if that much....

On cleaning my micro fibers about 1 tablespoon of tide. If I pickup tar or other nasty stuff on towel it gets a little spray of a citrus base degreaser.. Double rinse cycle with white vinegar in second rinse... and then air dry.... And they look and feel like new...

I also do Quick and Easy Wash instead of final detail if vehicles are not too bad or weather will not allow..

I use Final detail if I have water spots from mirror and trim run off or if car gets rained on and not driven...

I also wax door jambs and hinges.... and dress all rubber seals every couple months...

Some people think I am A**L but when you look at cars all day long and see the condition they are in I don't think going the extra mile hurts....

I1:) :)

Wow, sounds like you do a great job! My only comment to AIO is that it's an All-in-one product and thus contains a blend of cleaner and sealant. When you apply the AIO with a polish action, either rubbing by hand or using a PC you get mostly cleaning action. However if you lay the second layer on by hand and not rub it in hard, you will get sealant application. AIO layers well and most folks just layer it and top with SG. The reason for layering sealants is the same as making multiple passes with spray paint on some object. As you apply sealant, it does not cover 100% on one pass. Each layer adds up and more paint gets covered getting you closer to complete coverage. Multiple layers deepens the gloss optically, increases coverage to approach 100% and improves the sealants durability.

P.S. it's not anal to be meticulous. It's those details that makes it detailing!:D

CSFLY99....

Here is a kit you can find at most Autozone/Advance/Wal-Mart etc around 9-13 bucks depending on area and store.(Clay Magic)..

I am quite sure that claying your car would not hurt..
On the water spot issue you may remove w/clay but if its etched into the clear you would have to compound to remove...

The clay should remove anything that is in and above surface pores..

As you can see I cut my bars into thirds.. then kneed piece use with light pressure and check often for dirt in bar. When you see dirt fold piece over / dirty side together and kneed again..

Hope this helps...
Any ?'s just ask:)

I1:)

http://www.carcareonline.com/viewarticle.aspx?art=0

We can provide links on the web proving any point we wish to make. Educate yourself & decide what you will believe.

I don't subscribe to the idea of claying a car. They were originally designed way back to remove overspray (paint). I don't see how that has changed.

I have clayed parts of my 02 Sedan after a goofball body shop left a lot of overspray on my decklid. It does make it smooth, but at what price? I don't see how it's not taking the clear coat off - it's clay! I guess I'm just old-fashioned.

I have clayed both of my Civic's in the past. It made waxing easier since it got most of the crud off of the cars first.

I haven't clayed the accord yet.

On Klasse, I see a bit of an argument abot how much AIO to use and how much sealant glaze... I've used 2 coats of aio and 2 of sealant glaze... Seems to vary about what's best depending on where you look.

But is it possible that by putting 2 coats of SG I'm making it really hard to get the 2nd coat copletely buffed? It took me FOREVER to finally get the smeary/not completely buffed look gone. I do it all by hand, so it took alot of elbow grease!

Maybe I should switch and put more coats of AIO, and only one of SG?? I haven't had any problems with buffing the AIO after the second coat.... :confused:

(I'm also a bit obsessed with meticulous cleaning of my car!! :blush: I was almost mebarassed to drive it this morning since I didn't get a chance to wash it last night after driving in the rain yesterday!)

In my reasoning, I would wait 2-3 days between coats to get the best possible effect. Then again I've never used Klasse. How long do you wait between coats? No matter the product, the first layer has to be fully cured before applying the second layer.

I've tried both... Waited a couple of days in between and once doing one right after the other. It claims that you don't have to wait in between, but I was thinking, maybe I'm not letting it dry completely before trying to buff it... I'll probably be re-doing it this weekend for no "good" reason... Maybe I'll try it a few different ways on different areas and see how it all compares.... :confused:

AIO is a cleaner base and SG is just a glaze... Most chose to 2 coat AIO to cover any spots missed.. Then follow up with SG .. I usually wait a couple hours before applying 1st coat SG then 24-48hrs for next coats.. Then 24-48 before #16 carnuba...

I1:)

Thanks! :) I'll try putting more hours between SG coats this weekend. (I really wonder how nuts the neighbors think I am?!?!) Wash and AIO tomorrow night after work (because my Friday nights are spent with the thing I love the most.... my car! :D ). Then Saturday morning, pull out the SG and do round one... how much time do you think I should leave between applying it and buffing it for the SG?? I know the AIO is on and right back off, but the SG just says wait until dry... It's kind of hard to tell when it's dry... Any tell tale signs? (I think the drying time is my "problem" area!) Then Sunday I'll hit it with another coat. The weekend only really leaves me enough time for 2 coats I guess if I leave atleast 24 hours between apps. :)

Of course, the smeary look was never very obvious on the ruby red Civic, but it is horrible on the black Accord!! So I really need to get this 110% correct this time around! :blah:

SG same W/o W/o very very very thin coat........ when you get to thick it is a pain to remove.. Use different towels.. Towels with AIO residue will cut any SG you have put on...High Humidity makes it difficult also... Oh.. use Klasse on you wheels also it will last a lot longer than wax due to temperatures that wheel's can get to...
You could wait and apply more coats the following weekend, just wash and SG w/final detail follow up..
I've read of people getting up to 6-7 coats of SG before no extra effect.. It's a labor of love to spend 3 weekends coating but myself I have only SGx2 then top with #16 to give that little extra pop!!

I1 :)

Do you have the Klasse interior stuff as well? I love that stuff! It seems to work well to help repel dust! it also says you can use it on the tires, which I've done as well (on my old civic). It leaves them looking new and clean, but not the fake shiny typical of tire sprays.

I have 2 microfiber sponges (supposedly good for application of the stuff.) Now I' up to 7 microfiber cloths. (Although, surprise surprise, the ones from Walmart aren't near as nice as the ones I bought online! I have to stop by one of the local auto stores and see if they have any higher quality ones. Walmart is the only gig in town that I've been able to find them at thus far!)

do you do one panel at a time with the SG? I have been applying it to the whole car, then taking it off...:confused:

No never have used Klasse interior products, have used Mothers, Duragloss,Lexol and now trying out Megs Nxt.. Also #38 & 40.. still have a little Lexol and Duragloss #221 for leather....

The auto parts stores don't have a large selection of Microfiber here or should I say no better than Wal-Mart..
The Wally micros get wheel,wheel opening, door jamb and under hood duty.. I am trying out some different towels from Vapor Clean... The verdict is still out on them(only washed twice)..

Panel by panel on all processes other than polishing with the PC..

I1:)

Got 2 coats of AIO on last night. Off to put on the first of SG now... I have to run and get some more microfiber first! :D I used all 7 of them and one of the 2 sponges last night.

My car already looks shinier since ti got rid of the build up of sg that I apparently never got completely off. :blush:

Thanks for the info Inspector....I am going out to try and see if I can find them today. I am completely new to claying and the in depth care stuff, but I'll let you know how it turns out. I'm sure once I get started I'll have a few questions. The recent threads on this topic have sure helped though. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

-Chris

Anyone know how to figure out how humid it is in my garage?? It's not too airtightand right now the humidity outside is around 87% and the dew point is way up there in the low 70's.... Don't want to chance a bad coat of SG if the humidity in the garage is too high! I can always wait until next weekend or maybe a weeknight this week.:confused:

It's more than likely higher than outside if you have had rain lately. I applied a coat yesterday on my rear bumper with no excess build up.. And the Humidity is in the upper 80's here.. but like I have said before thin coats are the key!! I apply w/microfiber pad that has been misted with Meguiars Quick Detailer.

I1:)

UGH! I hate this weather!:rolleyes: I just got done cutting the grass and it's so sticky and yucky outside! I think I might hold off until later this week for the 2nd coat of SG. I'm wiped out now! Time for a frozen Mike's Hard Cranberry Lemonade! :drink:

Washed it again tonight, but didn't have enough time to try to get the second coat of SG on.... (Had to come on here and see what's going oon instead!;) )

Maybe tomorrow I'll get that coat on! If not, then definitely this weekend. it's supposed to be terrific weather for anything! Sunny, 70's, low humidity! :D

anysia, did you get your SG on???

I ran across this thread on the detailing forum.. Explains technique rather well....

http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30989&highlight=bill+north

I1:)

thanks for the link!! :)

so far i only have the one coat on. the weather hasn't been too cooperative! i was actually going to try to get another on tonight since it's finally not disgustingly humid out and my car needs washed after yesterday's rain too! i just happened to make a quick pit stop on the boards before heading down to the garage! :D

got the 2nd coat on! :thmsup: I'll wait until tomorrow when *hopefully* it will be sunny out and i can see if it went on better than the last time! :dunno: it look sgreat in the garage though!:D too bad the two 60 watt light bulbs aren;t really that great of a light source. :(