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A Basic Guide To Detailing

35K views 40 replies 9 participants last post by  Andy Shepherd 
#1 ·
Hi Guys,

As the better weather is approaching. Just thought I would add a basic detailing thread. Getting on to 20 yrs experience. So any questions, please feel free to ask.

I have said it many times. Regardless of what you do. Compound,polish,sealant or wax. Hand, DA or rotary. You need to clay the paint first. Preparation is 90% of detailing.

Think of it this way.

Clay. Always, always clay. This removes roughness from the paint traffic film, etc. And is the base to any kind of detailing.
1) Compound removes scratches & dull paint.
2) Polish adds depth & gloss and reduces fine scratches. Sometimes fills fine scratches
3) Sealant. Seals the paint to protect all the work you have done
4) Wax. A wax can be used either on top of a sealant, or in place of a sealant. You dont need to use both. A sealant will out last a wax due to its technology.

Rappy :cool:
 
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#3 ·
pubcrawler said:
See Bilt-Hamber came out top in the Auto Express test :thumbs:

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessorie ... t-clay-bar
Who? :lol: :whistle:

There is a lot of new tech. But I think I will stick with a company that started in 1901. Not 2007. But that's just me :oops:

Find something good that works & stick with it. That's what I have done for over 20 yrs. And my father did the same & his father.

Rappy :cool:
 
#7 ·
How to use a Clay Bar

It is important that the surface of the paint is clean and cool to the touch before you start claying.

Start by cutting the clay into thirds. I do this so I don't use the whole clay for one use, plus if you drop it I'm not wasting a whole bar.

Mold the clay by squeezing it in your hand, once it becomes pliable roll it into a ball and flatten into a disc shape about ¼" thick.

Spray a generous amount of clay lubricant on a 3x3 area.

Glide the clay back and forth over the wet area of the paint using little to no pressure. If the clay sticks, add more lubricant. As the clay goes over the paint you will feel and hear the clay picking up the contaminates.

Keep going over the area until the clay glides easily and you no longer feel or hear contaminates on the paint.

When the clay becomes dirty, fold it upon its self and knead it until a clean surface appears. Also check the clay periodically to make sure that you didn't pick up any large contaminates that might scratch the paint.

Remove the clay lubricant with a microfibre towel and move to the next section.

Rappy :cool:
 
#8 ·
Excellent, thanks! Might give it a go on my "Sunday car" (which is quite old and is probably lacquered cellulose paint)? (It's 25 years old). I don't think it will be water-based at that age, but not sure. There is definitely a clearcoat on it though. Would clay do that any harm? also, what's the lubricant? Is it just water, or something more sophisticated?
 
#9 ·
Avocet said:
Excellent, thanks! Might give it a go on my "Sunday car" (which is quite old and is probably lacquered cellulose paint)? (It's 25 years old). I don't think it will be water-based at that age, but not sure. There is definitely a clearcoat on it though. Would clay do that any harm? also, what's the lubricant? Is it just water, or something more sophisticated?
No, not at all. Clay is simply to prep the paint.

Megs Smooth Surface Clay kit. 3 for 2 in Halfords. 2 bars of clay, quick detailer/clay lube & a micro fibre towel.

http://reviews.halfords.com/4028/914259/reviews.htm

Rappy :cool:
 
#11 ·
Avocet said:
How does one actually use a clay bar? I've heard the term but am intrigued. (Not that I'm likely to ever do so - I think I'd need a wire brush to get the muck off Mrs Avocet's Exy)!
Must admit I'm with you, wire brush and one of those green scratchy things the Mrs's uses on the pans work well for me :lol:

Rappys instructions were quite interesting I thought, but this claying stuff is not for me :oops:
 
#12 · (Edited by Moderator)
I use one of these :cool:

Clay-Mitt-IMG1479.jpg


So much easier and quicker to use than a Clay Bar, see the link for some hands on reviews.

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/s ... p?t=330602

BTW, Bilt Hamber make some of the best Detailing products on the market today.

I use Bilt Hamber Autofoam ( Snow Foam ) and in my opinion it is one the best pre washes out there, I also use Bilt Hamber Korrosol Fallout Remover, which is great for removing bonded contaminants from your paintwork before you Clay.

Andy... :thumbs:
 

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#15 ·
To answer you first reply,

All Clay ( Be it Bar, Cloth or Mitt ) will cause a certain degree of micro marring, but as you know, this is easily removed by polishing, whether that be by hand, DA or Rotary.

Re Bilt Hamber,

Based on my experience, plus the reviews of the many Professional Detailers that swear by their products.

I have the following,

BH Autofoam is one of the best Pre Washes available, I use it every time I clean the Xy.

BH Korrosol Fallout Remover ( for those who don't know, a Fallout remover is a must do stage before you even take Clay anywhere near your paint, it will dissolve all the large bonded contaminants embedded in your paintwork, without it you risk dragging those contaminants all over your paint and scratching the hell out of it as you Clay )

BH Finis Wax, very durable and looks great on a Zinc coloured X-Trail :thumbs:

BH Regular Clay Bar, not used it yet, so will see how it goes.

Have you used any of their products?, give them a go, you might be pleasantly surprised :thumbs:

Andy... :smile:
 
#16 · (Edited by Moderator)
rapport25 said:
Really, based on what? Interested to hear why?

Thanks,

Rappy :cool:
Based on this :lol:

X-Trail-1.jpg


Some of my Bilt Hamber products used on the Xy's spruce up last week, and you have to agree, it does look rather good :cool:

Sorry matey, couldn't resist :whistle:

Andy... :thumbs:
 

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#17 ·
Andy, car looks great :bow:

I like Autobrite snow foam & purple rain. There really is no right or wrong answer.

I have heard great reviews about BH snow foam. It has great cleaning abilities. The only issue is, it will strip wax, as its not ph neutral.

Rappy :cool:
 
#18 ·
Andy Shepherd said:
Fallout Remover ( for those who don't know, a Fallout remover is a must do stage before you even take Clay anywhere near your paint, it will dissolve all the large bonded contaminants embedded in your paintwork, without it you risk dragging those contaminants all over your paint and scratching the hell out of it as you Clay )

Have you used any of their products?, give them a go, you might be pleasantly surprised :thumbs:

Andy... :smile:
Yes I agree. I use Purple Rain. And no :whistle: :oops: :oops: , I have not tried any BH products.

Rappy :cool:
 
#19 ·
There is a BIG difference in polish and wax. A polish cleans the surface by getting a very little layer of your lacquer. There is also a difference in how they have painted (spray) the car: with a extra clear layer (As in metallic) or just a single layer. Single layers can be polished, never polish a clear lack layer!!
If you polish, after that you can use wax. Which brand you use is on you.

Me for instance, use for over 40 years A-1 products. Which is a very good product. In my early days I used Commandant (finest) to polish a car (Not metallic), after that I cleaned it with a light fluid polish and after that I used A-1 wax. It came in fluid and in a can (creamy) Cost you a day, but the result was 150%!

Just a tip: water based lacquers are by far not as strong as the old lacquers... (nitro celluloses) Today they use only water based.

http://wackchem.com/a1-speed-wax-plus-3
 
#20 ·
rapport25 said:
I like Autobrite snow foam & purple rain. There really is no right or wrong answer.

I have heard great reviews about BH snow foam. It has great cleaning abilities. The only issue is, it will strip wax, as its not ph neutral.

Rappy :cool:
Totally agree with you re the Right or Wrong answer, we all have products that we favour and Autobrite make some of the best, think I'll be giving Purple Rain a try in the near future, just been watching it perform on Youtube and it looks very effective.

Agree re BH Autofoam stripping wax, I try and use it at a lower PIR than BH recommend and it seems to do the trick and doesn't diminish the wax so much, trouble is it cleans so good it's hard to give it up.

Andy... :smile:
 
#22 ·
Andy Shepherd said:
rapport25 said:
I like Autobrite snow foam & purple rain. There really is no right or wrong answer.

I have heard great reviews about BH snow foam. It has great cleaning abilities. The only issue is, it will strip wax, as its not ph neutral.

Rappy :cool:
Totally agree with you re the Right or Wrong answer, we all have products that we favour and Autobrite make some of the best, think I'll be giving Purple Rain a try in the near future, just been watching it perform on Youtube and it looks very effective.

Agree re BH Autofoam stripping wax, I try and use it at a lower PIR than BH recommend and it seems to do the trick and doesn't diminish the wax so much, trouble is it cleans so good it's hard to give it up.

Andy... :smile:
I really don't rate there magifoam. Ok it dwells for ages. But stains the drive and leaves the door shunts the same. There supasnow foam works best for me & its ph neutral.

Purple Rain 2.0 is great, but it stinks.

Rappy :cool:
 
#23 ·
Another product I rate is Auto Finesse Citrus Power 1L - Bug and Grime Remover

Make light work of bugs on the front of your car with Citrus Power bug and grime remover, and take care of road grime from the grubbier areas too without removing or effecting car wax or paint sealant layers. Here at Auto Finesse we aim to create the ultimate car care products, Citrus Power is one of the first pre wash solutions that is LSP safe, its gentle but effective formula removes bugs and grime with ease and without scrubbing or deteriorating your car wax or sealant layers, safe for use on paintwork, glass, plastics and more. Its also ideal as a gentle cleaner to care for sealed or polished wheels.

Auto Finesse Citrus Power is a wax and sealant safe pre-wash and exterior all purpose cleaner, perfect for those times when regular shampoo and snow foams just aren't enough. Unlike most exterior APC's and traffic film removers, Citrus Power is gentle enough for regular use on your wax or sealant, but tough enough to tackle even the worst winter grime. Whether we're washing off the bug splatter from a long road trip, prepping the trims of a daily driver for dressing of Revive or Dressle, or cleaning grease and oil from the engine bay of a priceless supercar, Auto Finesse Citrus Power is the product we always reach for.

Auto Finesse Citrus Power is not just a safe citrus pre-wash for dissolving tough debris that washing alone cannot remove. It's also one of the best exterior all purpose cleaners we've ever used! Citrus Power's gentle nature makes it the only APC we would use for sensitive applications, like degreasing motorcycle engines, or cleaning the lacquered door jambs and enameled badges of classic cars. Whether you need a wax-friendly pre-wash, or a powerful exterior all purpose cleaner, Auto Finesse Citrus Power is the detailing product that you can always rely on to get the job done!

Rappy :cool:
 
#24 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hi Rappy - first good day when I've not got the wife and kids, and I've been off work so I got straight to it.

Washed with car shampoo and then clay'd the car (blue clay and Quick Detailer) and then I used a 'mirror glaze':

DSC_0008.JPG


Just in case that product didn't seal in my work, I then applied some dark wax:

DSC_0009.JPG


Altogether, about 4 hours (including a couple of breaks! :lol: )

Thanks for your previous advice - any more tips, please?

Do you think I need the mirror glaze AND dark wax? Also, is it safe to clay once a month for the summer (can't say I'd be likely to clay when it gets colder outside :roll: )

I was also disappointed that the dark wax didn't 'mask' some of my stone chips, so I thinking of adding in some Black T-Cut into the routine - what do you think?

Cheers

Bloggsy
 

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#25 ·
Hi Bloggsy,

Looking good :thumbs: What Mirror Glaze are you using?. Wax, sealant it's all personal choice.

A temp fix for scratches or chips is a wax crayon :whistle:

If you decide to fill the chips, don't use the brush they supply. Get a cocktail stick & slowly fill the chip. The tip is less is more. It could take around 3-5 applications to fill.

Clay, only once/ twice a year. No need to clay that often. The tip is to keep a wax/ sealant layer. 3 monthly, 6 monthly, yearly. Again personal choice.

I do use a spray wax & quik detailer after most washes.

Rappy :cool:
 
#26 ·
rapport25 said:
Hi Bloggsy,

Looking good :thumbs: What Mirror Glaze are you using?. Wax, sealant it's all personal choice.

A temp fix for scratches or chips is a wax crayon :whistle:

If you decide to fill the chips, don't use the brush they supply. Get a cocktail stick & slowly fill the chip. The tip is less is more. It could take around 3-5 applications to fill.

Rappy :cool:
I'd have never thought to use a wax crayon :lol: (We are talking about the one's my youngest uses to draw, aren't we?).

Many thanks for the tip re a cocktail stick (any product you'd recommend as the filler?). As for the glaze, it's Meguiars 7 Show Car Glaze - seems to give it a shone allright, but am I just repeating myself by waxing it afterwards?

Thanks again, mate :bow:

Cheers

Bloggsy
 
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