RIP Clay Bars

[Kitzy]

http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/r-i-p-clay-bars/

 R.I.P. Clay Bars?
by Ivan Rajic
With all the new products coming to the market last few years, it seems as though clay bars are becoming used less and less, especially with the enthusiasts and weekend warriors.  Some have asked about their use and I wanted to quickly touch on it in this article.

Some of the new products that are making decontamination easier come in chemical form whereas others simply make the mechanical removal of contamination easier.

One of the most popular and my favorite chemical product is CarPro Iron X (also available in Cherry Scent).  It is an iron remover that is very effective but also safe for the vehicle’s finish.  Aside from really cleaning up the paintwork, it’s great to use on wheels to eliminate embedded brake dust.  Iron X is extremely easy to use and it makes any further decontamination a breeze.  Other great products include CarPro Tar X and Stoner Tarminator, which make removing tar a breeze.  Even old, dried up tar that has been sitting on the paint for months will be removed completely or for the most part utilizing these products.  My go-to tar remover is Tarminator, but I have enjoyed using Tar X many times.  CarPro TRIX is also a good product for someone who doesn’t want to buy both Iron X and something like Tar X, but I find the individual products perform better and give quicker results.

The other products I mentioned are used by hand to mechanically remove contamination.  Such products include the SM Arnold Speedy Surface Prep Towel and Pad, Optimum Opti-Eraser and NanoSkin AutoScrub Fine Wash Mitt.  My favorite product however is the NanoSkin AutoScrub Fine Foam Pad used with the NanoSkin Glide lubricant.  All of these products are meant to remove contamination much faster and easier than a clay bar.  As mentioned, I prefer the pads instead of towels as I find they are much easier to hold and control whereas the towels can start folding over as you’re wiping a panel and that gets quite annoying after a while.  The pads are also usable with a polisher such as the PC 7424 XP or the Griot’s Garage 6″ polisher.  While I always use the pads by hand, the option to use with machine can make the process much easier and quicker for some individuals.

So, with all these products (some I haven’t even mentioned because they are very similar to the ones above), can we realistically say goodbye to the old, trusty clay bars?  In my opinion, no.  Reason being, many times we encounter contamination that is either too much for the newer methods to handle or simply takes too long compared to using a clay bar.  One example is when some larger contaminants (dried up tar, tree sap, etc) really get into the paint and require quite a bit of scrubbing with something like the AutoScrub pads.  This tends to take a while, but my main concern is always that it starts to really take a toll on my $50 investment!  In such cases, I will reach for my trusty Clay Magic Blue or Red clay bar and eliminate the contamination rather quickly.  This allows me to preserve my pads for the lighter contamination where it is much quicker than using a clay bar.  Other situations where a clay bar has come in handy is removing paint transfer, usually from scuffs on a vehicle’s bumpers.  Here I find that the newer prep pads and towels can’t do much work and not nearly as quick as a clay bar, so it’s surely a must having a few bars around.

In conclusion, I really can’t personally say RIP to clay bars just yet and probably not for the foreseeable future.  However, the NanoSkin AutoScrub Fine Foam Pad has for a while now served for 80% or more of any decontamination, all of which used to be done via clay bar.  In my experience and opinion, clay bars are still great and necessary tools within the detail industry, but the process has been improved upon very well with some of the newer technologies over the past few years.

Thanks as always for reading and I’d love to hear some feedback and opinions on the topic from readers and detailers alike!

/article

Weigh in...

Tapatalkin...

[Obsessive Detail]

I've tried all of the claybar alternatives and still find myself going back to the claybar.  In my opinion, nothing works like regular clay.

[Kitzy]

I haven't tried any of the alternatives.  I don't really know much about them.  I have clay and it works.  It works well and I can do a full size pickup relatively quickly.  I trust clay.  I can't say the same for the others.

Tapatalkin...

[Blown F-150]

I almost pulled the trigger on nano skin kit with my AG order, but I realized that I just don't need it. Clay has worked very well for me and I'll continue to use it for a while.

[sscully]

I have the SM Arnold towels and the Nanoskin 6" pads.

Since I 1st tried the Nanoskin towel, I have not taken clay out of the cabinet.

The towel is much faster and leaves the paint feeling the same after completion as clay.

I did a write up on the Nanoskin 6" pads on the site here, found they work the best with the Flex on low speed.

The fine grit towels, I 1st tested on the HP company car using the nanoshock ( lube & sealant in one ) as a test vehicle. 
I did not get any marring out of them, which is a shock considering I got it as a 1 yr old ( has 20 months left on the usage ) nothing had been done to it ( I seem to recall the paint felt like 180 grit sandpaper ).
- HP policy is to treat them like the lease mules they are, they don't want car washes that are more than 8.00 to 10.00 and they want the cheapest crap fuel burned in them.

Considering I did not get marring on the HP road mule ( rail dust and either rain storm or tunnel washes since day 1 ) and the speed that I paint prep'd the entire surface was nothing short of shocking.

Another nice part to the pads, doing the windshield.  I can cover the entire windshield in no time flat, and the wipers act like they are new again ( we are salt & brine solution heaven up here ).
- Some reason I always hated claying the windshield, even though it is a small area.

I use some ONR in a bucket with the plastic wash board to clean it between panels, no folding clay over on itself ( PITA at 60* with a new block ).

The paint passes the baggie test after using the Nanoskin pads without any additional marring, what is not to love ?
- I would guess it cuts the time about in half from std clay when using the 6" pad on the flex.

I will agree with Ivan, if I stumble on a really nasty item ( tar, tree sap, etc ) this is when I will pull out the clay I have, goober up a 14 or 1/2 bar of it and toss it in the trash.

Sure clay still works, but I would rather take the time saving and go on my way.
- Wiping down the hood with a towel just like drying it and you are ready to go to correction or gloss enchaining after a baggie test.

[gipraw]

I love my SM Arnold towels.  For the most part, I only use clay these days on wheels and bad overspray.

[Blown F-150]

Thanks Steve, your review is what led me towards thinking about buying the Nanoskin towels, etc. It's just that I still have sooo much clay and not that many vehicle to hit on the horizon. So I figure, use up the clay, set aside some pennies and look at getting it down the road.

After the rupes purchase, I need to spread out my detailing budget...

[gipraw]

Thanks Steve, your review is what led me towards thinking about buying the Nanoskin towels, etc. It's just that I still have sooo much clay and not that many vehicle to hit on the horizon. So I figure, use up the clay, set aside some pennies and look at getting it down the road.

After the rupes purchase, I need to spread out my detailing budget...

or find more paying customers.

[Blown F-150]

Thanks Steve, your review is what led me towards thinking about buying the Nanoskin towels, etc. It's just that I still have sooo much clay and not that many vehicle to hit on the horizon. So I figure, use up the clay, set aside some pennies and look at getting it down the road.

After the rupes purchase, I need to spread out my detailing budget...

or find more paying customers.

Yeah, that would be nice. I am lying the groundwork to do more once back in Vancouver, just need a garage. I will be charging for some of the jobs I have lined up this summer, but I'm sure with my brother's car and truck it will be in beer.

[Too Stroked]

Personally, I'm going to wait for Beechkid to weigh in on this critically important topic before I do anything. 

[Kitzy]

Personally, I'm going to wait for Beechkid to weigh in on this critically important topic before I do anything. 

Someone post this on F150O with beechkids name in the title.

Tapatalkin...

[Blown F-150]

You guys should get a kick out of this. I am going to do a video of a side by side comparison of 3500 grit sand paper and clay. I'll then post it as a link after beechkid every time he posts that ridiculous blurb...

[sscully]

It would be more useful.

You might have a cut and paste, but at least it is useful info in the cut and paste, unlike his.

Don't worry the next thing he will post is some crap about spam, and needing software to get the IP address from the RFC 822 header so he can block emails from you.
- Guess adding it to the spam folder is too hard....

Also see if he can get that FTC case #, I have been waiting 2.5 years for the number to check on Pacer - Racer.  I cannot find what he is talking about.

[gipraw]

I still struggle to understand how a patent infringement case has anything to do with whether or not the process actually works.

[sscully]

I still struggle to understand how a patent infringement case has anything to do with whether or not the process actually works.

The one dopey over at F150OL, keeps bringing up is a false advertising case by the FTC on Megs about clay not being harmful or something like that.