Clay bar?

Shiny · Post by **Shiny** » Thu May 03, 2012 12:05 pm

Oh, golden rule, if you drop it, bin it!

Also go for a soft clay and be very careful, clay can mar paint easily.

Shiny · Post by **Shiny** » Thu May 03, 2012 12:08 pm

Merlin wrote:One question though, can you reuse the bar or is it a one use thing?

Depends how dirty it gets.

If you get a bar, cut it into 3 or 4 chunks, don't use the whole bar. If you car is really contaminated, you may only get one use of it, but i've used the same piece 3 or 4 times before it gets beyond use. You can use old clay on your wheels, so don't always bin it.

Post by **NafemanNathan** » Thu May 03, 2012 12:10 pm

Cheers boys

I never liked the idea of using one before (Not that my paint has ever really warranted it) because it just sounds like as soon as you've started using it, it's surely going to start turning into a scourer pad

Obviously they have a life then, but how many times can you do the whole car with one bar?

EDIT: Got it

Post by **Gayno** » Thu May 03, 2012 12:15 pm

NafemanNathan wrote:how many times can you do the whole car with one bar?

If you get the right protection down afterwards, and keep it clean, there is very little call to have to do it again!

Shiny · Post by **Shiny** » Thu May 03, 2012 12:19 pm

Here's a pic off the web, this has a lot of tar in it -

This will be pretty much drokked after you have done the whole car and fit for the bin. You can reduce the amount of tar by going round the lower panels with a tar remover first, spray, leave, wipe.

Here is one of my claybars after cleaning my old Accord (probably half way through cleaning) -

I'd get another couple of uses (ie whole car clayings) out of this at least. I usually end up dropping them which is when i bin it!

Shiny · Post by **Shiny** » Thu May 03, 2012 12:20 pm

Gayno wrote:
NafemanNathan wrote:how many times can you do the whole car with one bar?
If you get the right protection down afterwards, and keep it clean, there is very little call to have to do it again!

Exactly, i would only do it once a year when doing a full detail (paint correction etc) and then only if really needed.

Bio · Post by **Bio** » Thu May 03, 2012 1:40 pm

I did mine last year in the summer. I'll be doing it again this year and have personally used the Meguiars stuff as it's readily available.
I've heard the Bilt Hamber clay is also very good.

Remeber, keep the surface wet/sprayed ALL the time. If it goes dry it will marr and is a bitch to sort out.
Luckily my clay has never quite come out as bad as the really tarred up one above, but more like the second.

Remember when done you MUST wax the paint otherwise it will be unprotected. Claying will take the wax off your car.
The difference between a clayed an un-clayed panel will feel very obvious, almost as if one is made of glass and the other made of sandpaper.
Just go careful, read loads of guides, and have fun! It's worth the effort

Post by **NafemanNathan** » Thu May 03, 2012 2:10 pm

Bio wrote:and have fun!

That's the bit I'm doubtful of and why I've never done it before

Cheers for the advice though

Post by **indigolemon** » Thu May 03, 2012 2:12 pm

Girl! I want to to take you to a ... wait ... nm ...

Post by **Merlin** » Thu May 03, 2012 2:14 pm