[orionredwing]

I'm new to claying (done maybe 4x now) and have trouble knowing when to throw a clay piece away? I am swirling my car, but am unsure if it's due to technique or dirty clay.

The sticky recommends using a full 200g (divided into 8 25g pieces), and I think recommends throwing them away afterwards. That sounds excessive for my paint condition? Can anyone comment?

My Car is 1 yr old, garaged in California, washed once per month (b4 I picked up the detailing bug), regular office commute (not driven in dirt, construction, etc).

My Technique:
1) 4, 25g pieces for entire car (Clear Kote clay & lube)
2) ~3 full mist sprays in ~18"x18" area
3) held firmly, light pressure (5-10lbs) while claying

Am I applying too much pressure? Am I supposed to use no pressure (like just cup it to prevent it from falling to the ground?). 5-10lbs sounds like a lot, but I went to a bathroom scale, and it felt like 'light pressure' to me.

(Background: I wanted to find out what 20lbs felt like before I polished with my new Flex. I was so surprised to discover 20lbs wasn't very much...almost like a firm hand. 20 sounded like a big number, so I had a misconception).

Or am I using a dirty clay piece? I can't tell because I wash my car so thoroughly there is no dirt to pick up...just contaminants. I hear the satisfying sound as it picks up contaminants, which fades to nothing as the surface is cleared.

Thanks,
orionredwing

P.S. I pick up minimal swirls from my 3 mitt, 2 bucket w/ grit guard wash process. All these swirls were definitely during claying (I examined the paint b4 and after).

[BK]

Use lighter pressure and more lube. Spray more lube whenever you feel the clay sticking a bit, then you'll get a feel for when you need more lube and you can spray more before it sticks. You end up using a ton of lube when you clay. As for pressure, it's like sliding a puck on an air hockey table. It still picks everything up. Besides spraying the panel, spray the clay itself with a light spray of lube before using it the first time, or after each time you remold it.

I prefer to use slightly bigger pieces -- like 1/4 to 1/3 of a claybar -- at a time. Using a larger piece of clay makes it easier for me to massage the clay and fold it to a clean side. You need to do that often. Toss it when no matter how much you fold it, there's little pieces of stuff in it.

It sounds like you clay a lot. Remember that claying will remove your LSP, so you need to put something on it after you clay.

[TofuTurkey]

Originally Posted by orionredwing

P.S. I pick up minimal swirls from my 3 mitt, 2 bucket w/ grit guard wash process. All these swirls were definitely during claying (I examined the paint b4 and after).

Could it be that the clay got rid of the wax / sealant, which had filled in the swirls before?

[oneshare325]

Originally Posted by TofuTurkey

Could it be that the clay got rid of the wax / sealant, which had filled in the swirls before?

What was your wax sealant? Some have fillers, but most do not...

[FunRevn]

Sorry but what is LSP? Thanks

[oneshare325]

Originally Posted by FunRevn

Sorry but what is LSP? Thanks

last step product....

Final product put on the paint...

[orionredwing]

Honestly, prior to my first clay, the car went undetailed (wash only) for over 4 years. I think I applied Meguiar's #7 show car glaze (oil based) and #26 wax maybe a year before this clay job (hehe).

So I'm pretty sure there was no LSP left to remove from the claying.

I will try even more lighter pressure, and more lube as you guys suggested, but I'd still ike to know when to throw a piece of clay away, as I can't tell when it gets dirty enough that I can't knead a clean surface.

Thanks for the help,
orionredwing