Claybar question

hello, i would like to seal & wax my deep black pearl paint but since the paint feels rough i wanted to claybar it so i washed my car and tested a spot and it leaves marring.. i was told the blue light clay bar from chemical guys didn't leave marring?

anyone else used this blue claybar from chemical guys on their paint ?


heres a picture of the marring:

How exactly are you using the clay? you NEED to have a lubricant when you rub the clay against the paint. you can use a detail spray or purified water in a spray bottle. also it removes any contaminants from the clear coat so some scratches may appear before you wash or polish it again

quick detailer and generic (meguiers from autopart store) claybar have always worked well for me. A lot of it is how you do it not much much what you use. Also, if you drop the claybar you will cry like you never have before.

I used the medium clay on my brand new Carbon Steel Grey GTI. Didn't realize they had a light version til after I used the medium It didn't leave any marring at all. I used the lubricant that came with the claybar.

I made the claybar into a little ball, then i spreaded it out to make a flat disc, and im using clay luber from chemical guys, maybe my prep was just bad even though i washed and dryed the car, also the claybar is brand new and is the blue one from chemical guys

Mongrol said:

I made the claybar into a little ball, then i spreaded it out to make a flat disc, and im using clay luber from chemical guys, maybe my prep was just bad even though i washed and dryed the car, also the claybar is brand new and is the blue one from chemical guys

Click to expand...

Not sure how much of the lubricant you used, but don't be afraid to be liberal with it. I spray a good amount on the area so that there's no friction while claying.

What I do is -

break off a hunk and pancake it so if you drop it, you only cry a little, and you get a better feel for the surface using a thinish piece

wash car and leave wet

use lots of lube - whatever detail spray you favor

most important for me - light touch. I kind of look like I'm trying to spread something with the clay, don't scrub, just lightly go back and forth in the direction of car travel for horizontal surface, and up and down on vertical surface, although I usually just clay the hood and roof.

I use the fine 6" clay pad from Nano, and only use an actual clay bar for tight spots, and another separate one for rims. As a lubricant I use Optimun No Rinse diluted to 1/2oz per 1/4 gallon of soft water. I have never experienced marring so as long as the surface was prepped for clay bar. I prefer a clay pad for two reasons, one, if I drop it I can rinse it off. Two, the amount of surface area I can cover. Sure, it was $40 up front on detailedimage.com, but it is well worth it if you have multiple cars to care for or do others on the side like me.

CrackTheSky said:

quick detailer and generic (meguiers from autopart store) claybar have always worked well for me. A lot of it is how you do it not much much what you use. Also, if you drop the claybar you will cry like you never have before.

Click to expand...

Using a quick detailer is ill advised, as most quick detailers have synthetic or carnuba waxes or sealants in them. This is fine if you plan to just follow up with the same product. But if your intention is to prep the surface for polishing, sealants, or a coating, you are better off using Optimun No Rinse or another similar product that has no waxes or sealants it it. These additives will stay behind and possibly affect the bonding of other products you apply after the clay bar, and maybe even hurt the hydrophobic properties of follow-up products. Try to use something that has no waxes or sealants in it for a clay lube. Also, a waterless wash concentrate is much more cost effective as a clap lube as a 64oz bottle of Optimun No Rinse is like $15 on detailedimage.com and will last you years as a claylube and a quick detailer if you so choose. Just a tip.

Also, a clay pad will eliminate the fear of dropping a clay bar forever. If you drop a clay pad, you rinse it off. Done.