Clay Bar Process TipsI thought I would add some clay bar process tips that I have learned or developed in my world of professional auto detailing.
Tips from the ExpertIn no certain order...You will know when it is time to replace when the bar starts to fall apart- most packaging will tell you to replace as soon as the bar gets "too" dirty. Most people will tend to replace much earlier than actually necessary, thinking that too much pollution in the bar will damaging to their paint. I use until the bar starts to fall apart. Replace the bar if it falls on the ground-Fine if you have money to burn, but you can simply slice off the contaminated section with a razor blade; or cheese slicer if your mom or wife aren't looking. It sounds like it is scratching my paint- that is because it is scratching your paint! But don't go and panic yet. The reality is that the surface of your paint is made up of millions of ultra fine scratches, and the kind of "scratching" this does, will not make or break your world. Since you will be following up with a coat of wax, (you will be doing this, right?) you will be either removing any of those scratches in the process of waxing, or you will be polishing anyways, or you will be "filling" them in with wax. Regardless, it is a necessary evil and I doubt that having texture to your paint will be acceptable; not in my world anyways.clay bar process tipsYour paint should not be clayed too often- firstly, I am not sure what too often is. Secondly, unless you are in the car detailing business, you will no doubt be using a mild form of detailing clay. Thirdly, I only use as needed which typically is every couple to few months. So despite what some will tell you, I have never had any clear coat trashed or ruined because of too much use. The clay bar makes for a good color sanding backing plate- because of the molding ability of a clay bar, I use it as a backing plate for holding my sanding paper when I am color sanding. I mold it to the body panel I am working on, then I simply put my sanding paper in between the molded no clay and the paint; perfect fit. Make sure you use the clay bar lubricant- Once again, this could be argued as to the "best" method of using the clay bar, but I have found that laying a dampened chamois over the bar while I am using, keeps the paint surface sufficiently lubricated. You can also spritz some lubricant to the chamois itself. Just keep the chamois folded in a big enough section to overlap the clay bar sufficiently to keep paint wet while using; a 12-18" square will do perfectly.clay bar process tipsMold for really tight areas- because the bar is pliable, force the clay into tight creases in body work to form a perfect mold for working. Remember, if you don't get the clay bar into these tight areas, then the fall out will remain. It is always disappointing to finish waxing a car, only to find some remaining texture hiding out along the creases and grooves of the body panels. When it comes to angled corners or areas where normal back and forth motion does not permit, poke your finger through the clay to stretch around your finger without breaking through; this will allow you to work very tight areas with just your finger tips. I use this trick around the areas of the license plate and back tailgate areas of SUV's, etc. I hope these clay bar process tips help you in your own efforts of car detailing.
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