Clay bars

I think they are all the same...my Pro rep says his purple are more aggressive....opinions on the different brands?

Clay Bar

Printable Version of Topic
Click here to view this topic in its original format
Message Board / Forum > Auto Detailing > Clay Bar

SoFresh&SoClean Mar 22 2004, 08:55 AM
I've heard a lot abot claying and people seem to say it works. Which clay do you guys prefer? Does clay enhance the shine? Or just take off the dubris?

tint bandit Mar 22 2004, 06:47 PM
Clay with a quick detailer cleans the top of the paint and by making the paint clean and slick you get more of a reflection .Reflection and shine basically is this"your paint needs some TLC,right now under microscope its like hills and valleys of build up and when the light hits it,it then has to bounce over these,there forth not a good reflection.Now buff or claybar or polish and you bring a level surface back for the light to reflect off of and there is basically where your shine and reflection to a degree comes from This is on todays clearcoats When you claybar you absolutley must have a dirt free surface and plenty of lubricant.You can use soap and water as a lube if needed

SoFresh&SoClean Mar 22 2004, 07:48 PM
What kind of claybar do you use? Is there a certain type that most people stick with? Thank you for your help.

thetintshop Mar 22 2004, 08:16 PM
i use zaino's clay bar. but i think pretty much all clay bars are about the same.

tint bandit Mar 23 2004, 04:35 AM
You have mild medium and aggressive,keep a mild one for everday general use and a aggresive one for when you have a lot of overspray to get off a car.Go to www.detailplus.com they have a great deal if you buy 5 then there only 9.95 and thats cheap and they work great

SoFresh&SoClean Mar 24 2004, 10:12 AM
What about mother's gold clay bar??

thetintshop Mar 24 2004, 10:00 PM
this is just MY opinion---anything mother's makes is pure crap. mother's is the whore of the wax market.

tint bandit Mar 25 2004, 03:57 AM
TTs is right as far as the retail line ,they have a professional detailers line, very good concentration Store bought line is crap

SoFresh&SoClean Mar 25 2004, 11:01 AM
Ok thanks for the opinion. I guess i'll go with zaino or detail plus.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTICE

Detail Clay Bars and Lubricants

Detail Clay Bars and Lubricants

ALL ABOUT AUTO DETAILING CLAY BARS

Detailing clay bars are sweeping the car care industry! Formerly reserved for professional detailers and car dealers, clay bars have made their way into the garages of hobbyists and do-it-yourselfers thanks to its ease of use and fantastic results. Detailing Clay is a car care revolution!

Clay Bars were invented in Japan in the late 1980s to remove overspray and minor flaws from freshly painted vehicles at body shops. The preferred (and only) method of dealing with surface imperfections in the states was compounding, which does remove tiny layers of clear coat every time you do it.

When clay bars finally made it to the U.S., it didnt make waves right away, not even a ripple. Thats because only dealers and body shops were privy to the new technology. It took years for clay bars to trickle down to the car-loving masses but once it did, enthusiasts were hooked. Silky, shiny, clean paint without polishing? You bet! Thats the magic of detailing clay bars.

WHAT IS CLAY?

Clay bars can be natural or synthetic, but most manufacturers produce synthetic clay bars on account of its superior longevity. Basically, clay is a malleable plastic resin. It comes in 2-8 oz. bars and it can be shaped as desired.

WHAT DOES A CLAY BAR DO?

Clay bars have the ability to grab the tiniest of debris and hold onto it as it glides across the paint. Used with the proper lubricant, clay bars are not abrasive and will not affect the paint surface with the exception of cleaning it. Anything that protrudes above the top coat surface will be grabbed by the clay bar and pulled out. The clay lubricant will prevent this debris from scratching the vehicle. Once clayed, the paint will feel remarkably smooth and have the shine that comes with perfectly clean
paint.

Clay pulls out things you cant see, like industrial fallout, rail dust, and brake dust. Though they are not visible, they feel bumpy or gritty and they may cause patches of paint to appear dull, even after waxing. Even worse, as these contaminants oxidize, they create rust spots within the paint. Once this happens, the oxidation is considerably harder to remove and will most likely take a good bit of paint with it.

Likewise, chrome and coated metal and glass are subject to the same environmental pollutants as the paint. Use clay to clean these surfaces, too. It will not scratch metal or glass!

Clay bars also easily removes tar, sap, overspray, and gum. Its much safer than corrosive spot cleaners and it leaves the surface incredibly smooth.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE CLAY LUBRICANT?

Clay lubricant is essential to the performance and safety of clay. It provides the necessary slick surface for clay to glide on. Beware of soapy water as a clay lube because some detergents will cause the clay to deteriorate. Stick with a genuine clay lubricant to get the best performance and longevity from your detailing clay.

On this page, you will find in depth information on the function and application of clay, as well as a long list of clay products that have our stamp of approval. Remember, there is no safer, more effective way to deep clean paint, glass, and metal than detailing clay!

How to Use Detailing Clay

Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay

$19.99 Pinnacle Poly Clay (storage box included)

$14.99


Pinnacle Poly Clay Bundle

$24.99 Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay Buy it by the Pound!

$59.99 Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay Special

$29.99


Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay PLUS Special

Our Price: $44.99
Sale price: $39.99 Pinnacle Clay Lubricant

$9.99 Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay Kit

$69.99


Pinnacle Complete Detailing Wax & Cleaning Kit

$149.99 Wolfgang Elastic Poly Clay Bar

$17.99 Wolfgang Clay Lubricant

$9.99


Wolfgang Polishin Pal Clay Kit

$49.99 Clay Disc for the Polishin Pal

$9.99 Wolfgang Polishin Pal FREE BONUS

$24.99


Wolfgang Elastic Poly Clay Kit

$29.99 Paintwork Clay Pad Applicator

$19.99 Wolfgang Deep Gloss Total Concours Kit

$99.99


DP Four-In-One Rinseless Wash & Shine

Our Price: $15.99
Sale price: $13.99 DP Universal Detailing Clay

Our Price: $24.99
Sale price: $22.99 DP Universal Clay Lubricant

Our Price: $12.99
Sale price: $10.99


DP Universal Detailing Clay & Lube Combo

$34.99 DP Max Wax Kit

Our Price: $69.99
Sale price: $59.99 Diamondite Spray Clay w/ Sponge

$12.99


Diamondite Spray Clay 18 oz. w/Sponge

$14.99 Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine

Our Price: $15.99
Sale price: $13.99 Meguiars Professional Detailing Clay

$24.99


Meguiars Smooth Surface Clay Kit

$24.99 Mothers California Gold Clay Bar Paint Saving System

$17.99 3M Perfect-It III Cleaner Clay

$34.99

When they first came out 15 years ago I was told the clay was jewelers' rouge mixed with clay. Anybody else heard that?

Does any one think one brand is any different than another?

dam, your going for the $150 all in one post!

I have found Auto Magic's better than (sorry Bud) Detail plus's. It lasted longer and pulled out much more in the way of contamiates. There are different grades. Clay Magic comes in 2 grades, Fine (blue)and course (red). Bud sent me two grades also, white & yellow. Again I did not think that the "off brand" even came close to Clay Majic.

I have used Mark V bodyshop clay (Blue in color) and have had great results. When I was running a full service detail shop we would clay all vehicles that were to have paint work done before we did any buffing at all and the cars looked fantastic. It is also very easy to use anyone could do it. It is a must have for a car care person to have on the shelf. Jeremy

Win the $150??? I think family is excluded from the contest. Besides, I've blown every out of the water anyway...44 topics and 182 posts.

Thank's for the input. I would love to hear more from others. We do not do the handwax service without claying first. So, I'm verying interested in which clay/lubricant people think is best.

I know people may disagree but I have used window cleaner as a lubricant for years while claying a vehicles. It has worked well for me and is very inexpensive to use if you buy it in concentrate and mix it yourself. Jeremy

Jimmy... I'm just jerking your chain!

LOL

I like body shine 49 as the lubricant. I use window cleaner when out of body shine but it melts the clay and makes it sticky. Which is another point, not to use too much lubricant.

Magic clay has the patent on all clay. So what ever you use. Magic clay still is getting something for it.

I actually prefer Meguiar's. They have several different types of clays. Professional (Mirror Glaze) Mild and Agressive. Their consumer package, the Smooth Surface Clay Kit is perfect for people who spend a lot of time on their car. It comes with 2 50 gram clay bars, a bottle of Meguiar's Quik Detailer for lube, a large supreme shine microfiber towel for wiping, and even a sample bottle of cleaner wax. It's a good deal for only like $17 or $18. I clayed my entire Pontiac (large car) and the first clay bar is still good for use and the Quik Detailer is still about half full.

carobssesed,

That's a good price. I pay $23 a bar for clay magic. But it last me 4-5 months in normal use. About 10-15 cars can be done with one bar if you don't drop it in the sand!

One small peice can do an entire car (less than 1/4 of the bar). I need to push claying more. I'm holding a training day Sunday to talk to my employees about selling more and doing a better job on inside work.

Yeah I'm pretty much a Meguiar's man. I was tempted to buy the Clay Magic since they patented the detail clay, but most of the the products we use at work are about 80% Meguiar's. The rest being 3M, Blue Coral, and P&S.

I use clay from 3m, so far I have excellent results!

I believe it's actually supplied by Auto Magic to most of these companies, not just something they receive a royalty from. I know several companies that for a fact get it from them and repackage it.

Ron

I've used a bunch of clay bars. At my f.s. detail shop we clay every car before it's waxed. I use plain ol' tap water as a lubricant and it works great. If you need more lubricity you can add a tiny bit of window cleaner or a spray on wax like what we all use in the car wash. The stuff we use (wax) is so concentrated, I'd add it to a quart using an eye dropper!

There are different grades of clay; fine, medium and heavy cut.

The clay in thr Griot's Garage catalog looks interesting; they compare it in grams to other brands and say they give you more clay per bar. Never tried it. I use an off brand my dist. sells and it works for me just fine.