I've changed something from here on out...

I would say that's one of the factors right there (the traits of the paint in your application). ......well, that and the severity/characteristics of the contamiants you're trying to remove.

I would have never attempted to clay my last car without following up with correction. The paint was just too easily marred. On the other hand, I recently clayed my current vehicle with no visible scuffing. ....granted, the contamination was light and so was my touch. As a result, I also took much longer than usual (also checking my work often). I didn't feel there was a need to polish the car at this point but my LSP had all but died off.
 
Mark I have to agree with you! No clay on dark vehicals unless they are paying for at least a AIO!

I explain the benefits of claying and most will go ahead.If I get a dark colored car and the customer says they want wash,clay,wax I tell them its not going to happen unless we do this and explain why. Most will listen and give you the go ahead.
 
im with mark on this one both the dark cars ive recently clayed needed correction. Sometimes even claying the surface you make bring out swirls that were embedded with contaminants therefore making the car actually look worst than what it did from the get go. so def only claying if there getting AT LEAST A AIO like D151 or something
 
In for a penny, in for a pound. If I'm touching the paint, I usually am going to do multiple steps anyway.
 
richy said:
In for a penny, in for a pound. If I'm touching the paint, I usually am going to do multiple steps anyway.
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Agreed -- I've gotten very, very selective about when and to whom I'll sell a "quick and dirty" single step detail to. I usually won't even address the option unless specifically asked, the rest of the time I start out with at least a two-step (single polishing stage, then wax/sealant).

That said, I do think that if a high quality AIO is used for single-step details it should knock out clay marring on MOST paints.
 
Ive never had marring from mothers or zaino red clay but I have almost always from red clay magic (very agressive)and a couple times from blackfire clay.

When its happened klasse AIO with a little extra work has removed it for me.
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
Agreed -- I've gotten very, very selective about when and to whom I'll sell a "quick and dirty" single step detail to. I usually won't even address the option unless specifically asked, the rest of the time I start out with at least a two-step (single polishing stage, then wax/sealant).

That said, I do think that if a high quality AIO is used for single-step details it should knock out clay marring on MOST paints.
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Doesn't a two step detail usually refer to two steps of correction? I don't think you can really say that waxing/sealing is a "step". So when you say single step does that mean you are just washing and waxing. IMO thats a little confusing since when most people talk "steps" they are refering to corrective steps. If I called everything I did to the paint a step I could sell my detail as a 10 step correction. Just my .02
 
dad07 said:
Mark I have to agree with you! No clay on dark vehicles unless they are paying for at least a AIO!

I explain the benefits of claying and most will go ahead.If I get a dark colored car and the customer says they want wash,clay,wax I tell them its not going to happen unless we do this and explain why. Most will listen and give you the go ahead.
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That's actually a pretty good business practice. Educate the customer, let them decide.

Match your services to your customer... with the help of your customer... with a little bit of education you not only show your customer you know your business but you can up-sell them to a better level of work that they might not know they want until you take the time to educate them.

Plus, in the future, anyone that meet that tries to talk "detail" with them, they'll have the background knowledge you've imparted to be better able to judge if the new guy knows what he's talking about.


:xyxthumbs:
 
Just to point out, it's real easy to take things for granted, not saying anyone in this thread is taking clay for granted or any other technology we now have access too...

Detailing Clay has only been here in the U.S.A. since sometime in the early 1990's, I have some of the first "retail" clays introduced to the market by Meguiar's and I think one of them goes back to 1994 and the other 1995, both unused and in their original packaging. I actually don't know of anyone else that has clay this old unused.

Point being, before clay was introduced, if you had some kind of above surface bonded contaminant on your car's paint in order to remove it your options were rubbing compounds or polishing compounds and I'm not talking about the high quality compounds and polishes on the market today, back then these products were basically rocks in a can.

Sure they would remove the contaminants off the paint but to do this one good thing, they would do two bad things, that is they would remove perfectly good paint and two, they would instill scratches into the paint.

Just thought I would point that out...

But as Mark and Tim both stated, their guideline or rule for claying is the customer has to agree to at least one polishing step afterwards. This is actually a very professional approach as you guarantee they'll be happy, (even if they don't understand why), and you build and protect your professional reputation.


:xyxthumbs:
 
07 z-oh-6 said:
I used to clay every car, regardless of color. I've noticed that when claying dark colored cars, and not polishing, there's noticeable marring. It's nothing major, I think marring from claying is normal. Most customers can't tell, but I can, and it bugs me. On light colored cars, yea, it's there, but if I can't see it, that's good enough for me. So, I will no longer clay dark colored cars unless I'm polishing after. Anyone feel the same way?
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Yes, that is my policy for my black S2K. I too have noticed marring from claying, so I now only clay when I intend to polish the car (which is about once a year now). On the other hand, I do not see any clay-marring on our silver blue CR-V.

Perhaps I need to try an ultra-fine claybar. I know that Sonus makes one. I'm sure there must be others, too.
 
Flannigan said:
Doesn't a two step detail usually refer to two steps of correction? I don't think you can really say that waxing/sealing is a "step". So when you say single step does that mean you are just washing and waxing. IMO thats a little confusing since when most people talk "steps" they are refering to corrective steps. If I called everything I did to the paint a step I could sell my detail as a 10 step correction. Just my .02
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I suppose you could look at it that way; I refer to the waxing/sealing as a "step" mainly because when I first started learning about this stuff many years ago, I was using the Meguiar's Deep Crystal System which was comprised of "Step 1: Cleaner, Step 2: Polish, Step 3: Wax."

Now days, I call a "1 Step" detail an application of a cleaner/wax (aka an "AIO" product), a "2 Step" detail a single polishing stage followed by a sealant or wax, a "3 Step" detail as two polishing stages followed by sealant or wax, etc.

It's more of a semantics issue than anything. :buffing:
 
Ive NEVER waxed by DA like with Wolfgang or Pin Souv whats the process? I mean waxing by hand goes so quick and then I dont have to drag a cord around.
 
-Longhorn- said:
Ive NEVER waxed by DA like with Wolfgang or Pin Souv whats the process? I mean waxing by hand goes so quick and then I dont have to drag a cord around.
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You know i was thinking about it today, i did a wash/clay wax today...waxed by hand...but when i thought about it...if i just "trimmed" out the whole car by hand...dont along plastic edges...door handles...smaller areas...which would take what...maybe 5 minutes? I could then hook up the DA and just spread wax all over the rest of the big surfaces in no time flat...would probably be a time saver in the long run...kind of like painted...trim first....the spray or roll etc. I might try it and see how much faster i go...cause i usually only wax with a DA after polishing...and thats cause i already have the damn thing out lol
 
Clay must glide on the paint. If it sticks it will mar. Use plenty of lube and let the clay glide, dont press hard.
 
Larry A said:
Clay must glide on the paint. If it sticks it will mar. Use plenty of lube and let the clay glide, dont press hard.
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Plenty of lube yes, but also be careful not to use too much lube. Don't want the clay to hydroplane over the contaminants it is supposed to be removing.
 
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