Mild, Medium or Heavy Duty clay?

[Daryl]

About a month go I attempted to use a DA polisher and scuffed/smudged the hell out of my cars hood and roof. Funny, cuz they looked fine in the shade! Anyway, I guess my mistake was not treating/prepping the applicator pad prior. So now I’m stuck with the task of claying to remove the damage.

I’m not sure what level of clay bar to use: mild, medium or heavy duty?? And I want to do it by hand. No more electric polishers for me. I didn’t get to the trunk a month ago (fortunately), but it needs claying also. The sides of the car are fine. A cleaner wax then wax and/or a ceramic coating will do fine.

I’m looking at the Meguiars, Chemical Guys and Mothers’ kits. They seem the most user friendly for someone who’s never done this before.

Tips, pointers, recommendations, etc are welcome and appreciated. Thanks everyone!

Cheers.

 

[ttocs]

I always used the meguiars myself and had good luck with it. Just do it after you wash/rinse the car with a little soap and you save yourself the trouble of drying it an additional time. Not sure that will get smudges out as you might need to get a glaze/polish depending on how it looks.

 

[Daryl]

Mild, medium or heavy duty…. Whatcha think?

 

[badass98svt]

Claybars aren't used to remove scratches.
They are used to remove the small imperfections on top of the paint, before you do any polishing etc.

 

[ttocs]

as he said they are great for getting bugs, tar or other little crap that gets on top of it. It has been years since I did clay and I don't remember any choice in the clay.

 

[Daryl]

Huh. Glad I asked. I was all hell-bent to go get busy clay barring!

Do I should just try a polish? Seems a bit light duty, but ok! Any recommendations there!

Thanks… for helping me avoid yet another mistake!

 

[badass98svt]

www.google.com

 

[Daryl]

www.google.com

Took me to Google, but no product, etc. Would you mind trying again? Thanks, badass!

 

[cobrajeff96]

Instead of a DA try an orbital first using a very light cutting compound. If what you did didn't penetrate all the way through the clear then you should be fine with that approach.

 

[Daryl]

Ok, I think I have a compound (Turtle wax) in the tool/work shed. I don’t have an orbital, but I’ll try it by hand on a small spot. Thanks!!

 

[Daryl]

Here’s what I found in the shed:

Probably go with the 2 Chemical Guys

 

[ttocs]

those are not wiped on and wiped off like a wax even if you do it like mr miagi showed danielson on karate kid. They need to be worked in and it is either a heck of a lot of elbow grease by hand or you need some kind of DA and a little experience to get the feel of when you working it in and when your getting it too hot. Since you already had some issues I might suggest trying it first maybe either on a part of the car you can't see or on a different car you don't care about as much.

 

[Daryl]

So I just washed, dried, CG compound then polish, by hand. Crap load of dirt, paint(?) came off;

 

[Daryl]

Left - right, top to bottom:

Compound on, compound off showing what came off

Polish on, polish off showing same

 

[Daryl]

those are not wiped on and wiped off like a wax even if you do it like mr miagi showed danielson on karate kid. They need to be worked in and it is either a heck of a lot of elbow grease by hand or you need some kind of DA and a little experience to get the feel of when you working it in and when your getting it too hot. Since you already had some issues I might suggest trying it first maybe either on a part of the car you can't see or on a different car you don't care about as much.

I’m going to try it myself by hand. Will definitely need more applicator pads! I’m just doing the upward facing surfaces(hood, roof, trunk lid). Sides are fine.

If this doesn’t pan out, will source a professional because my “lack of knowledge and technique” got me where I’m at now! I guess I just don’t have “the touch” with the power tools.

 

[ttocs]

you did clay it prior now right? You do not want to start scrubbing it by hand or with a machine till it has been clayed and you should have removed all that stuff with it. Like I said this is not wax on/wax off you need to push down and take a little bit and work it out into the paint and then a light buffing to take it off.

Everyone should try it by hand at least one time to learn why detailers charge what they do.

 

[Daryl]

No, I haven’t clayed it yet. Yesterday I just hit by hand with the 2 CG products.

 

[ju015dd]

Instead of a DA try an orbital first using a very light cutting compound. If what you did didn't penetrate all the way through the clear then you should be fine with that approach.

Please dont jump to a orbital. Takes a good bit of practice for that. Safest to stick with the random orbital. Always start with the least aggressive pad and compound and work your way up slowly from there under good light.

 

[ju015dd]

Poorboys has a great line up of pads and compounds. I have always stuck with a trusty porta cable da polisher. Has always been good to me.

 

[cobrajeff96]

A random orbital is a type of dual action polisher and that's where you might get into trouble. Start with some kind of simple rotary first. Dual actions are more aggressive and not for the beginner.