how many of you are no longer using clay?

[jrs1418]

Like Master detailer said, if its your car then do what you like. If you're charging someone, i'd be a little hesitant. Yes clay can mar, but when a contaminate is picked up with clay it gets embedded in and if it scratches it will be minor. With the nano skin or whatever, the particle has nowhere to go but get dragged around until you notice and watch it. I think clay is safer, and if done right a mild clay wont scratch or mar and wont need polishing afterwards. I'd only nano skin if i was gonna polish 100%.

[VISITOR]

Originally Posted by jrs1418

Like Master detailer said, if its your car then do what you like. If you're charging someone, i'd be a little hesitant. Yes clay can mar, but when a contaminate is picked up with clay it gets embedded in and if it scratches it will be minor. With the nano skin or whatever, the particle has nowhere to go but get dragged around until you notice and watch it. I think clay is safer, and if done right a mild clay wont scratch or mar and wont need polishing afterwards. I'd only nano skin if i was gonna polish 100%.

that's why you would wipe the pad clean with a mf towel after each section, kinda like when it would be time to re-knead the clay...

[Blackthorn One]

Originally Posted by Jennytay

I think I'll just stick with clay. I like the concept better and I'm not lazy when I detail. Just time I'm getting to spend with my car so the time it takes to clay doesn't bother me. If I can do things by hand with great results then that's what I want to do.

I also prefer the clay concept. I believe it would mar less. However, there is a version of the special contaminant removal cloths that are used by hand. Claying iseasily done by hand. If the cloths truly are faster and easier, why is a DA even needed with the special cloth?

[jrs1418]

Originally Posted by BigAl3

that's why you would wipe the pad clean with a mf towel after each section, kinda like when it would be time to re-knead the clay...

I understand, but once again.. when clay picks something up it gets embedded into the clay. With the towel the contaminate has nowhere to go except rolled on the paint. You can wipe your towel off every section and this would still apply. Of course with clay the same particle can scratch, but the profile hitting the paint would be minimized and so would the scratch.

[Blackthorn One]

Originally Posted by jrs1418

I understand, but once again.. when clay picks something up it gets embedded into the clay. With the towel the contaminate has nowhere to go except rolled on the paint. You can wipe your towel off every section and this would still apply. Of course with clay the same particle can scratch, but the profile hitting the paint would be minimized and so would the scratch.

The contaminant can be pulled into the weave of the cloth, away from the paint to a large degree, as well. Once the nap fills up enough with particles, then they will start to scratch significantly. The cloth is not COMPLETELY flat. However, I still think that the clay with lube method is safer. I have not used the cloth, but I know that cloth has fibers, which can collect dirt.

[SR99]

Just because of the way clay works, the abrasive edges at the flattened surface of the clay are pressed into the clay and do not abrade the paint surface. An above-surface contaminant presses into the clay and exposes abrasive from the edges of the divot it creates by pressing into the clay. This is all explained in the patent.

The fact that the clay is deformable makes it different (i.e. selective abrasion of contaminants not the paint surface if used correctly), even if the end result of contaminant removal is the same for both.

In contrast, these pads/towels seem to operate more like a sandpaper sheet, with fixed non-deformable abrasive and substrate which abrades everything--the paint and the contaminant. That's why, in the video, the guy says it also removes paint oxidation. Sometimes you may want that, sometimes not.

The second video above also points out the contaminant particles floating freely on the surface after they are abraded. If the contaminant is itself abrasive, that could be a bummer.

So it really depends what you want to do. I don't see them as 100% interchangeable for everyone, especially if speed is not a priority. If using the DA version I'd probably still want a clay bar around for spots the DA pad cannot reach.

[Klasse Act]

Last weekend we had our detail fest and I got to try the Speedy Prep towel on Ivan's sister's Honda Civic and let me tell you guys this, it made a believer out of me, period! Its soooo much faster and easier and I for one don't need to wear gloves anymore when de-contaminating the paint surface anymore, no more sticky clay

Once my clay is used up, I'll be getting a Speedy Prep towel for sure!

Sent from my SPH-M930 using AG Online

[Setec Astronomy]

Originally Posted by oldmodman

When my stockpile of clay runs out I will probably try one of the other products. But that will be ten years from now.

Ditto. That's why I never tried the Elastrofoam block/Magna Sponge.

A lot of you here that are knocking the towel don't really seem to understand the product, you've got some pretty way-out descriptions of it that are just wrong (sorry). As far as the economy, if the towel costs $60, that's 3 or 4 blocks of clay, I'm pretty sure the towel is going to last that long or longer, so I'd say the cost is a wash or better, as long as you can afford the up-front money for the towel.

This is going to be a lot more interesting discussion in a year when the clay patents have run out, I'm guessing clay prices are going to drop to half of what they are now, and that will probably drag down the towel pricing too.

PS I'd also expect there to be some clay shortages shortly before the patent expiration, I don't think anyone wants to be stuck with a lot of clay inventory that will all of a sudden be worth half what it was the day before. It's a little murky when the patent expiry is because there are multiple patents, the first of which I believe expires in December of this year.

[Flash Gordon]

No more clay?!?!?!?
What am I suppose to do with these 14 tubs of Meg's I got on clearence from Advance

[Klasse Act]

Originally Posted by Flash Gordon

No more clay?!?!?!?
What am I suppose to do with these 14 tubs of Meg's I got on clearence from Advance

Ebay

Depending on how many detail jobs I get next spring/summer, I may end up with the Speedy Prep towel sooner, its that efficient