What motion do you use when you clay?

Mantilgh

Mantilgh

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What motion do you use when you clay?

Straight lines or circles?

After watching Fahad from Robust Auto Detailing video on "How to Clay Your Car" I watched another video listed right under it about the EagleOne Surface Prep Mitt.

In both videos the clay product was used in a circular motion, buffing style. I have never thought about using it this way and made me wonder what other people do, or if there was any difference.
 
When claying by hand:
I go only in one direction (<---)...and back (--->);
never ever in circles! :eek:

Note:
That may just be me though.


Bob
 
Mantilgh said:
What motion do you use when you clay?

Straight lines or circles?

After watching Fahad from Robust Auto Detailing video on "How to Clay Your Car" I watched another video listed right under it about the EagleOne Surface Prep Mitt.

In both videos the clay product was used in a circular motion, buffing style. I have never thought about using it this way and made me wonder what other people do, or if there was any difference.
Click to expand...

Back and forth or side to side, Period!!!!! Good luck and take care.

Peace,

Darrin
 
I'll make it unanimous up to this point...straight lines also. If i'm going to marr the paint i don't want swirlies! Although i am going to buff after claying anyway i still don't want to inflict any damage or at least if i do the sun has to catch it just right.
 
I would think it would want to grab, or "stick", more when constantly changing direction.

But, they do make them for DAs now.
 
Mantilgh said:
I would think it would want to grab, or "stick", more when constantly changing direction.

But, they do make them for DAs now.
Click to expand...

Ya know? That's a good point. Plus like i said, i'll be machining after i clay anyway so what's the harm from circles. I am more interested to hear if there's a logical science reason why you should clay in any direction.
 
Especially if you're not polishing afterwards (which you always should anyway) straight lines. It minimizes the visibility of marring.

I'm used to straight lines so I do straight lines. It may reduce marring, but it still induces some marring no matter what. I always use clay substitutes now - which marr more - and again, I jse straight lines because it's what I'm used to.

Honestly though, if you're machine polishing just get the surface decontaminated and polish on. I inspect anything before it touches my paint each time whether it be a mitt every time out of the bucket, a pad every time I clean the pad and before it touches the paint, AND a clay bar or clay substitute. So the risk of you doing serious damage goes down to almost nothing.
 
For the polishing process(es),
that will always occur, after I clay:

I prefer to induce straightline clay-marring.

Yes:
-the clay-marring that inevitably comes from
auto-clay's very own self-contained abrasives;
-as well as from the various paint contaminates
that auto-clay is purposely designed to either:
"pick up, pick out, or shear off".

Again:
This may just be me.


Bob
 
Puckman said:
I am more interested to hear if there's a logical science reason why you should clay in any direction.
Click to expand...

That's what I was wondering. Maybe there's more of chance to pick up contaminates going over them from different directions. :dunno:
 
FUNX650 said:
When claying by hand:
I go only in one direction (<---)...and back (--->);
never ever in circles! :eek:

Note:
That may just be me though.


Bob
Click to expand...

:iagree: IMO going around in circles MIGHT induce some type of scratching the paint. Again, I do Bob's technique!
 
I do straight lines too, but only because it feels more natural to me. I really doubt that it matters either way.

For some reason, I always polish in circles if I ever polish by hand.
 
I always go in a straight line while dragging my thumb on the surface. The thumb drag gives constant immediate feedback. Something I have always done

Don
 
davey g-force said:
I do straight lines too, but only because it feels more natural to me. I really doubt that it matters either way.

For some reason, I always polish in circles if I ever polish by hand.
Click to expand...

That's what seems natural to me. I think I would have to fight my learnt straight line claying ways.

I also want to apply wax "polish style" when doing it by hand, although I have read that the straight line method is supposed to reduce the chance of swirls. I just seems odd doing it that way. Just like any other new trick for an aging dog I guess.

I also think that you could cover more area faster with the straight method, but I imagine circular would be more thorough
though.
 
Also what about orange peel?

If claying is done only in a straight line in one direction on an orange peeled surface then I assume that full contact is not being made with all of the paint's surface. This would also depend on the severity of the peel.

Working in a circular motion would possibly allow more contact with the surface area of the "bowl" of the peel.
 
Mantilgh said:
I would think it would want to grab, or "stick", more when constantly changing direction.

But, they do make them for DAs now.
Click to expand...

I found out the other day that the constant motion of doing circles did not leave any clay residue spots behind.

When I switched directions using straight lines it would leave an imprint of the clay mitt.

It was a hot day and the paint was soft.
 
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