Claying Questions

[nads1_uk]

Hi all
  Never done this on any of my cars before and I've got a couple of questions;

How long does it take?
Is it difficult?
Do I need to polish and wax straight after of can I leave it 24 hours or so (going to try on a night when my daughters gone to sleep)
Any recommendations preferably from halfords cause I can get some tonight and get cracking.

Cheers

Andy

[heavyd]

It all depends on how badly contaminated your car is. anything from 30mins.
Its really easy to do. make sure you break the claybar up into pieces, as if you drop it, it has to go in the bin.
youre best off doing the polish after the claying session. just incase you pick up anymore contaminants in the 24hour between the clay/polish.
if the car is going to garaged in that time it isnt a problem.
halfords do a meguiars claybar set. Autoglym super resin polish and hd wax is also a popular combination from halfords
If you can wait a few days, the bilt hamber clay from ebay is one of the best to buy, and you can also use water with that clay as a lube, so works out a lot cheaper

[andrewparker]

I'd thoroughly recommend the Megs kit from Halfords.

To reduce marring use plenty of quick detailer and you really don't need to apply much pressure at all. Don't worry too much if you do inflict some marring, it's normal and polishing will bring it out.

Prepare to be amazed. It's a great step to have in your detailing routine.

[nads1_uk]

Probably a daft question but will any QD work with the kit?  Also how long will the kit last - what I mean is how many cars will it do and also what size pice should I use and how often should I replace it for a new piece?

Andy

[heavyd]

I just chop the bars into 2 or 3 pieces, just keep folding it over as you go on. any QD will do the job. keep the surface wet. you can feel as it dries out as the clay starts to 'grab' the paint.
For claying you can even dilute the QD a bit more if you wish, i do, as long as the clay isnt grabbing the paint you are ok

[mrbeck]

I clay-barred my car for the first time earlier this week.  Went for the Bilt Hamber Autoclay Soft (as advised by stealthwolf).  Arrived the day after I ordered it.  I cut the bar into quarters, and 1/4 was enough to do the whole car.  Took me about 45 minutes and the 1/4 I used was only fit for the bin at the end, but well worth it.  Paintwork feels so much smoother now!

[stealthwolf]

How long does it take?

As long as it takes. No need to rush or you're more likely to inflict damage. Go slow and use lots of lube.

Is it difficult?

No. It's one of the first things I started doing after I read about it on DW and I was a complete noob back then.

Do I need to polish and wax straight after of can I leave it 24 hours or so (going to try on a night when my daughters gone to sleep)

The problem is that you're removing contamination. If you leave the car, you're more likely to get re-contamination, undoing your hard work. I would honestly set aside a weekend if you're new to detailing. As above, if it's garaged in those 24 hours, less likely to be a problem but I would still wash before polishing.

Any recommendations preferably from halfords cause I can get some tonight and get cracking.

In all honesty, I loved the smooth surface clay kit from halfrauds. It was easy to use and the lube was great but didn't last long - I used 3/4 bottle every time I clayed.

Probably a daft question but will any QD work with the kit?

Different QD have different properties and so have different amounts of lubricity. I used to use Megs Last Touch but just didn't get on with it and now use Dodo juice born slippy. I use this even with Bilt Hamber clays which use water as lube.

  Also how long will the kit last

As others have said. You get two bars. Chop them in to half so you have four pieces. If the car is older and never been clayed, you may well require more than one piece. Remember to warm the clay in your hands so it's as soft as blu-tack. Do a section and then inspect the surface. Fold in half when it looks dirty. Keep going. If after several folds, there are no new clean surfaces of clay to use, chuck it and use another piece. If you drop it, chuck it and use another piece.

[nads1_uk]

If im going to get bilt hamber which is the best to get the standard or the soft. What's the difference between them?

Andy

[stealthwolf]

Aggressiveness. More aggressive will remove more crap like overspray but more likely to cause marring to paintwork. Softer is less aggressive and kinder to paintwork.

[nads1_uk]

Which of the bilt hamber clays would you recommend for a complete novice the soft or the regular. Don't know if this makes a difference but the car's black.

[stealthwolf]

Soft is fine for 90% of users.