HELP: Couldn't Remove Rough Stuff from my Paint

[madkatz]

*Karuro: Turtle Wax Ice clay kit in my experience doesn't do much as compared to the real clay bars, it does help to remove some and relatively few of those particles that are still stuck after washing the car but over all even after using the Liquid Kit there's still some particles that are left behind. However what i bought in Ace hardware was the one with a MF cloth, 16oz liquid clay and the blue applicator sponge, not the one in your link, i haven't seen the one in your link that has a real claybar for sale here locally. i would love to buy and test that though, lemme know if you see any shops here in the phil selling that kit with a real claybar.

P.S. don't even try to buy the sachet's, weird though that Ace hardware sells the sachets way cheaper as compared to the kit, initially i bought the sachet to try it on my car, but after using it with an SM Arnold Applicator pad it didn't do much, then the next time i got back i saw the kit and being an impulsive buyer i bought it thinking maybe i should use the foam pad that comes with the kit to be able to work the product, and guess what? 1295 Pesos down the drain, it still doesn't work. All it does is make the surface well lubricated but if you really feel it, there are still particles left, but its really easy to use although not as effective as Megs and Mothers, My advise would be just get Megs or Mothers since its also priced nearly the same. Hope this helps

*gwapster: yup claying is definitely worth the time, it prevents more build up of particles. can you imagine a car that just got washed, but not clayed and then went thru the hands of an inexperienced detailer that placed too much pressure on the polisher or was buffed by hand with strong pressure? Some of those particles might be transfered to the polisher or the MF cloth, and once rubbed around the car without noticing, VIOLA!! swirl marks!!! if its on the foam pad? swirl marks galore!! so yeah taking time to make sure the surface is brand spanking clean is definitely worth your time, i believe claying will definitely help in preventing swirls, as well as proper washing and wax application and removal that is

* Chikselog: yup a good claykit is definitely worth it, so try to save up for one, at first i was a skeptic thinking what in the world can a clay do to my car? and what id**t thought of using a clay to clean a car? After listening to Sir Paul of Bigberts i told myself what the heck its just 1295, and got one from mothers, and upon first usage on the hood i was shocked to see that the clay was really dirty and i wasn't even finish on half of the hood, and the results of using a clay is a smooth clean particle free surface that will definitely improve the final outcome of your detailing regimen. Just a tip though, try to apply a glaze if you are fond of using them after you clay, i noticed that claying can also strip the brillance and shine of some paints especially older ones, 3m sells 3m IHG sachets (you can use other glazes that you already have tried and tested) for only 40 bucks (cheaper than the bottle if compared per ml) and the shine you get from applying it after you clay will definitely improve your paint condition.

[Chikselog]

* Chikselog: yup a good claykit is definitely worth it, so try to save up for one, at first i was a skeptic thinking what in the world can a clay do to my car? and what id**t thought of using a clay to clean a car? After listening to Sir Paul of Bigberts i told myself what the heck its just 1295, and got one from mothers, and upon first usage on the hood i was shocked to see that the clay was really dirty and i wasn't even finish on half of the hood, and the results of using a clay is a smooth clean particle free surface that will definitely improve the final outcome of your detailing regimen. Just a tip though, try to apply a glaze if you are fond of using them after you clay, i noticed that claying can also strip the brillance and shine of some paints especially older ones, 3m sells 3m IHG sachets (you can use other glazes that you already have tried and tested) for only 40 bucks (cheaper than the bottle if compared per ml) and the shine you get from applying it after you clay will definitely improve your paint condition.

i guess wash->clay->wash->mother's step 1,2,3 works? or should I add the 3M IHG?

[venom]

I own an 18 month old white fortuner. Obvious yung road tar or asphalt na nakadikit sa ride ko specially after driving through rain`and floods. Part of cleaning/detailing regimen for my ride is using WD40 to remove road tar or asphalt from my vehicle...something I picked up from brother in law who lives in the states. WD 40 is made up of fish oil so i guess there's little or no harm on the top coat. So far the results on my ride and in two other cars (2001 Honda Accord and a 2004 CRV) in the house have been outstanding. Here's how I do it.

1. Hose down the car to remove loose dirt and dust and towel dry.
2. Spray a liitle WD 40 on a terry cloth and gently rub rough areas. Notice how the cloth turns into brown after a few strokes. continue until surrface is smooth or dark specs are totally removed.
3. After doing all rough areas shampoo the car completely.
4. Your car is now ready for waxing.


Been doing doing these for a few years now.

[madkatz]

* chickselog: moms step 1, 2 and 3 will work great results already, no need for 3m IHG. Step 2 also has glaze properties very much like 3m IHG. And moms step 2 is definitely easier to work with than compared to 3m IHG, but its also more expensive

[karuro]

thanks madkatz, well said..

isa pang question ko sa mga expert dito, sana hindi pa ot..
-> nakakanipis din ba ng topcoat ang claying? or yung impurities and contaminants lang talaga ang naaalis?

TIA

[Chikselog]

* chickselog: moms step 1, 2 and 3 will work great results already, no need for 3m IHG. Step 2 also has glaze properties very much like 3m IHG. And moms step 2 is definitely easier to work with than compared to 3m IHG, but its also more expensive

i see..thank you sir ang kulang ko nalang ay clay kit and step 1..pansin ko rin kasi na di gaano tumatagal ang shine and water-beading properties ng mom's step 3 ko, i guess i need to prep the paint well na..

BTW does the claying + step1,2,3 GREATLY reduce swirl marks? Those pesky swirl marks are getting in my nerves

thanks madkatz, well said..

isa pang question ko sa mga expert dito, sana hindi pa ot..
-> nakakanipis din ba ng topcoat ang claying? or yung impurities and contaminants lang talaga ang naaalis?

TIA

AFAIK po completely safe po ang claying sa clearcoat ng car and yes, ang naaalis lang talaga ay yung mga contaminants and impurities like asphalt, mud, etc.

[jmpet626]

*Chikselog

claying + step1,2,3 only hides swirls.. Kelagan mo gumamit ng polish.

[mda]

Does claying remove clearcoat scratches?

Or dapat i rubbing compound na? :/

Edit: Sorry dunno how OT this may sound.

[karuro]

i see..thank you sir ang kulang ko nalang ay clay kit and step 1..pansin ko rin kasi na di gaano tumatagal ang shine and water-beading properties ng mom's step 3 ko, i guess i need to prep the paint well na..

BTW does the claying + step1,2,3 GREATLY reduce swirl marks? Those pesky swirl marks are getting in my nerves


AFAIK po completely safe po ang claying sa clearcoat ng car and yes, ang naaalis lang talaga ay yung mga contaminants and impurities like asphalt, mud, etc.

thanks Chikselog.. ok lang pala kahit medyo madalas mag-clay..

[Chikselog]

thanks Chikselog.. ok lang pala kahit medyo madalas mag-clay..

hehehe ask nyo na lang rin po si sir Starex_Gold.. sa kanya po ako natuto

[Starex_Gold]

hehehe ask nyo na lang rin po si sir Starex_Gold.. sa kanya po ako natuto

bakit ako nadamay dito?

[Chikselog]

bakit ako nadamay dito?

hehehe..sa inyo ko lang po natutunan halos lahat ng tungkol sa detailing eh

[madkatz]

*karuro: claying when done properly is relatively harmless. the only time claying can be dangerous and can but not limited to reducing paint, actually more on inducing swirls is when your clay surface is full of dirt and debris and you forgot to check and knead it and you still go on claying. thats why its so important to know that in claying you should often turn and knead your clay so that you don't rub those particles with your paint inducing more swirls in the process. In my opinion any kind of friction can reduce paint even if its just on a microscopic level that's why its very important to properly lubricate the surface while claying. Using QD and water+car shampoo more would greatly lubricate the surface greatly reducing the chances of inducing swirls. what i do is clay half a panel and knead it to a clean and spot free bar and then clay the next half or the next panel.

* chickselog: my BF and i share this account so its ma'am for the mean time hahaha. it is true that proper paint preparation is important in producing outstanding shine and durability. claying and polishes can remove contaminants, and paint cleaners can prepare the paint for layering of step 2 and 3 or step 3 directly and bond step 3 better. however chances are you will end up with a better deeper wet shine rather than a durable finish. you see the weather we have here is quite harsh actually, step 3 based on my experience doesn't last longer than 3 weeks for my daily drive and doesn't last longer than a month and a half for my garage queen car. if its a durable finish you are after why don't you try and explore the line of synthetic waxes? i would recommend the reflections line of mothers (advance wax + topcoat). reflections based on experience could probably outlast 3 step system for about 2 more weeks in terms of durability. the only reason why i use step 3 is because it has a deeper wet carnauba shine that looks really nice on my fireball red and blue sapphire car. one more suggestion would be trying more durable waxes, my favorite durable wax would be collinite 915, if you know someone coming home from the US or have the extra cash try it, it lasts as long as a sealant but has the same wetness of step 3. its really durable since it lasted me a little over 3 months, downside though is that its a bit harder to apply and has a bad chemical smell but overall its a really tough and wet wax, sadly im down to one last application which im saving for my black innova. another thing would be to also invest on spray waxes and use them every after you wash your car, just mist some on and wipe off, this though in some small way also helps in prolonging your waxes durablity.

Ps. i would agree with jmpet626 that step 1 2 and 3 just hides swirls and it does not remove them. it does a great job of hiding and masking them though. if you really want to remove swirls permanently again i agree that you should use polishes. always start with the least abrassive when it comes to polishes and work your way up, and worse comes to worse rubbing compound.

*mda: claying cannot remove scratches from clear coat, it can and at times remove those fine dark and dirty particles inside the scratches though which makes it a lot cleaner to look at. like i said above, when it comes to polishing, always use the least aggressive polish first and then try a stronger polish, if the scratch is still there you could try a scratch remover, Megs scratch X for around 800 if you have the cash, and 3m scratch remover around 290 pesos if you're on a budget. and if its still there, or if you just want one shot product to do the job and opted for a rubbing compound, you could get 3m sachets at stores for about 40 pesos, get 2 and you can do an entire car.

Hope this helps guys

[Chikselog]

*karuro: claying when done properly is relatively harmless. the only time claying can be dangerous and can but not limited to reducing paint, actually more on inducing swirls is when your clay surface is full of dirt and debris and you forgot to check and knead it and you still go on claying. thats why its so important to know that in claying you should often turn and knead your clay so that you don't rub those particles with your paint inducing more swirls in the process. In my opinion any kind of friction can reduce paint even if its just on a microscopic level that's why its very important to properly lubricate the surface while claying. Using QD and water+car shampoo more would greatly lubricate the surface greatly reducing the chances of inducing swirls. what i do is clay half a panel and knead it to a clean and spot free bar and then clay the next half or the next panel.

* chickselog: my BF and i share this account so its ma'am for the mean time hahaha. it is true that proper paint preparation is important in producing outstanding shine and durability. claying and polishes can remove contaminants, and paint cleaners can prepare the paint for layering of step 2 and 3 or step 3 directly and bond step 3 better. however chances are you will end up with a better deeper wet shine rather than a durable finish. you see the weather we have here is quite harsh actually, step 3 based on my experience doesn't last longer than 3 weeks for my daily drive and doesn't last longer than a month and a half for my garage queen car. if its a durable finish you are after why don't you try and explore the line of synthetic waxes? i would recommend the reflections line of mothers (advance wax + topcoat). reflections based on experience could probably outlast 3 step system for about 2 more weeks in terms of durability. the only reason why i use step 3 is because it has a deeper wet carnauba shine that looks really nice on my fireball red and blue sapphire car. one more suggestion would be trying more durable waxes, my favorite durable wax would be collinite 915, if you know someone coming home from the US or have the extra cash try it, it lasts as long as a sealant but has the same wetness of step 3. its really durable since it lasted me a little over 3 months, downside though is that its a bit harder to apply and has a bad chemical smell but overall its a really tough and wet wax, sadly im down to one last application which im saving for my black innova. another thing would be to also invest on spray waxes and use them every after you wash your car, just mist some on and wipe off, this though in some small way also helps in prolonging your waxes durablity.

Ps. i would agree with jmpet626 that step 1 2 and 3 just hides swirls and it does not remove them. it does a great job of hiding and masking them though. if you really want to remove swirls permanently again i agree that you should use polishes. always start with the least abrassive when it comes to polishes and work your way up, and worse comes to worse rubbing compound.

*mda: claying cannot remove scratches from clear coat, it can and at times remove those fine dark and dirty particles inside the scratches though which makes it a lot cleaner to look at. like i said above, when it comes to polishing, always use the least aggressive polish first and then try a stronger polish, if the scratch is still there you could try a scratch remover, Megs scratch X for around 800 if you have the cash, and 3m scratch remover around 290 pesos if you're on a budget. and if its still there, or if you just want one shot product to do the job and opted for a rubbing compound, you could get 3m sachets at stores for about 40 pesos, get 2 and you can do an entire car.

Hope this helps guys

thank you for this ma'am
now that i've bought the mom's claykit (finally ) will I cut one piece into half? and what is the recommended "shape" of the clay before I do the claying? yung knead po ba para lang din gumagawa ng pandesal?

[Chikselog]

double post sorry..anyway thanks to madkatz! even your reply to mda and karuro helped me.. i was about to ask about that

[LexTer]

ang gaas, nakaka ubos ng clearcoat yan.

SG. as long na huhugasan kaagad, hindi ito makaka apekto sa clearcoat.

[madkatz]

*chickselog: you don't have to cut the claybar, its actually more of personal preference, i prefer my claybars a bit sizeable since i kinda have clumsy hands and working with a small piece might make it slip off my little hand. As for me the amount of clay i find that one of the mothers clay kit pack is just about the right size. As for the shape its also more on personal preference, but for me i usually mold it into a bar so i can dig my fingers on the side to have it contoured on my hand to help avoid slipping. as for claying those crevices i mold it into a circle, and then a triangle for the grills and decalls part.

As for your question with kneading, its not really just mashing and kneading like it is in bread, with clay its more like getting the dirty layer and folding it inside, and getting a fresh layer and spreading the clean part outside. what i usually do it just fold a fresh layer on top of the dirtly layer and repeat the process everytime i feel the clay starts to get grits.

O yeah try not to drop the claybar or have it contaminated, and in the occasion that you do, especially if you drop it on the floor, stop don't use it, experts say that you should never use it again, but for me i just get tweezer and pick out those stones and particles that got stuck and go back to claying, so far since im a bit meticulous in picking on the one time it happened, the same clay that fell still worked wonders and still doesn't give me swirls and scratches.

i hope this helps, good luck on claying, someday you will be a good detailer.