Clay Bar

Ol' Red has some rough feeling paint- looks OK, but has a rough feel, like overspray. I picked up a clay bar (fine compound) and tried it. That has to be the easiest thing I've done. Spray the surface with the bottle of liquid that comes with it, wipe the bar over the surface, wipe it off with a clean soft towel, and DONE. It's so slick a fly will bust his azz if he lands on it.

Bottom line-- I'm impressed.

I was a little skepticle at first. One of my other rides is black and you could feel the junk in the finish when wiping your hand on it. I was pleasantly suprised after I did the clay bar thing.

I have a clay bar but it didn't come with any bottle of spray on stuff, haven't tried it yet but do you think it should work with regular soapy water??? I think the spray is just to keep the surface wet and remove dirt particles????

The spray keeps the clay from sticking , and yes soapy water is fine . Clay will not remove paint imperfections but will remove surface contamination ie: dirt, paint overspray ,etc


GEE

I need it actually, for bird shit residu, I got most off with polish but it's long and tedious work. The clay bar site mentions something about their spray having lube in it, sounds like a sales pitch to me

V-Twin said:

I need it actually, for bird shit residu, I got most off with polish but it's long and tedious work. The clay bar site mentions something about their spray having lube in it, sounds like a sales pitch to me

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I just looked at the spray bottle. No mention of contents. Just wash hands with soap and water. Here is some info from a different brand:

The high lubricity formula is a blend of oils and wetting agents that are literally wetter than water. Pinnacle Clay Lubricant will not alter the paint surface in any way.

According to I-CAR all you need is Soap & Water.

[ame=http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p137/SMYDA/?action=view&current=b02demo.flv][/ame]

Will a clay bar do jack diddly for tired paint?? or is it hopeless??? the back horizontal surface is all sun damaged and baked out it's urethane and tough as hell, but the surface finish is shot....any clues anyone???

:stirpot:

mrvette said:

Will a clay bar do jack diddly for tired paint?? or is it hopeless??? the back horizontal surface is all sun damaged and baked out it's urethane and tough as hell, but the surface finish is shot....any clues anyone???

:stirpot:

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The clay bar didn't do diddly for the old paint/stains on my vete b4 I had it painted.

mrvette said:

Will a clay bar do jack diddly for tired paint?? or is it hopeless??? the back horizontal surface is all sun damaged and baked out it's urethane and tough as hell, but the surface finish is shot....any clues anyone???

Click to expand...

I'm sure you know the old saying, "Use the correct tool for the job".
A clay bar is used to remove foreign particles from the surface.......not remove the surface.
If your paint is oxidized....buffing will do the trick..."IF" the paint isn't too far gone.

If it "IS" as bad as you say......sounds like your over due for a paint job.

Gene, if it's base/clear you might be able to wetsand and buff. The clear will be thin afterwards so expect it to last maybe a summer or two.... sounds like you need new paint.

I used the Turtle Wax Ice liquid clay bar - great stuff and seems to last longer than a traditional clay bar. If you have a lot of "contamination" on your paint the clay bar is dirty and appears to be at the end of its life after using it only once.
Well, if you don't have a lot of dirt or contamination on your paint then you don't need a clay bar to start with, polish/wax will do the job....

I've used the soap and water solution as well as the quick detailer that comes with most bars. The soap/water works, but for some reason claying with QD seems to makes it go faster and easier.
Another trick I learned is to check for spots you've missed by putting 2 fingers inside a cellophane wrapper (from a pack of cigarettes is perfect) and lightly brushing the surface. The cellophane magnifies the feel of the contamination that just your fingers wouldn't feel.

Hey Tim... Good job on the claybar... I've been using it for years. Really makes the paint surface slick!

Another tip is to cut the clay into 3 or 4 pieces. That way if you drop one, you still have some left. If you drop a piece on your driveway or garage floor... throw it away or you'll scratch your paint.

I'd also recommend a coat of wax or sealant after clay.