Clay disentegrates during use

[waltj2k]

Hello.

I reacently picked up a 98 Explorer XLT that was an outside truck. Paint wasnt cared for at all. Truck was gritty to the touch so I knew that a claying would be in order before any other paint correction.

I used a piece of Mothers Gold clay....I started on the right front quarter panel and worked clockwise around the truck. Everything was fine until I reached the back right of the truck. I noticed that it was getting more difficult to remove from my hands after folding and rekneading it. I figured a way around the problem by spraying my hands. Once folded though it would simply remain in layers no matter how much I pinched and worked the clay in my hands. I finally get to the left quarter panel and the clay starts to break apart in tiny pieces. The Hood had the worst oxidation on the the entire truck. It seems that the oxidation was too much for the clay. By the time I was half was finished with the hood I would have to gather all the pieces left on the truck and knead them into another ball...Big pain and added more time. When I finished the bar was just leaving pieces all over the hood.

Now...the bar was older bought last year. My lube was NXT and water....I still wouldnt think this would make a bar break down like this.

Is this unusual?

Walt

[Bullitt AK]

depends how the clay was stored, did you use wash soap as lube? i had a new megs clay bar that did that when i used wash soap...left specs of clay that you had to pick off

[Da Fats]

I used megs aggressive clay thsi week for the first time with ONR clay lube and it SUCKED... it stuck to the paint leaving streaks behind that hada to be reclayed to get off... It's a red bar and it left big red streaks... not sure if onr is not friendly lube for it or what but I was not happy... 25 bucks wasted on that product!

[Mindflux]

I've seen clay disintegrate from using something too harsh as the clay lube. The NXT soap with water may be the reason for this.

[waltj2k]

depends how the clay was stored, did you use wash soap as lube? i had a new megs clay bar that did that when i used wash soap...left specs of clay that you had to pick off

Storage was the usual suggested. Place in plastic with a couple of squirts of QD. Stored in garage...Not temp controlled. Lube was a mix of 1/2 oz of NXT wash and 16 oz of water. And Bullit this is exactly what was happening.

[Fly bye]

I have used "KEL" clay, (Kupala Clay) Pre-lawsuit, that is wonderful to work with. I have used car wash soap, and I have used Dawn. This clay has never deteriorated, has never crumbled, never stuck to my hands/fingers. I have even left it in the soapy bucket with Dawn for a whole day, and absolutely no deterioration.

If I had known Clay Magic was going to win the rights to detailing clay, I'd have bought 10 lbs of Kupalas clay. You can still get it, but you'd have to import it yourself, as foreign distributors will not ship to the States due to the bogus patent by gay magic :rolleyes:

[waltj2k]

Quick google of Kupala Clay turns us back to AG forum. Looks like this was discussed a few days ago.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/27840-do-some-clay-lubes-eat-another-brand-clay.html

We probably need to adjust the blanket suggestion that you can use a wash/water mix.

[3Guy]

I've used Meg's clay with Meg's QD many times and never had the "break up" problem you described.

I've experienced the streaking you described using various clays, but I've attributed that to the use of too little lubricant - the problem was eliminated with more lubricant.

Was the clay perhaps too contaminated? You described a pretty big job, did you change the clay out during the job?

[Metajames]

FYI guys the OP is using Mothers clay and not Meguiars, I'm sensing there is some confusion in this thread over that?

This happens to me with mothers clay when using mothers showtime qd, odd since they package it together. Using a bigger piece of clay from the onset helps or just throwing it out and getting a fresh chunk when it starts to really sticky and crumbly. I tend to be skimpy on the amount of clay I work with in the hand at a time so I notice more when a particular clay is not holding up to the qd.

I now use Megs blue clay with ONR at 1:64 for lube and it works great for me.

[waltj2k]

Was the clay perhaps too contaminated? You described a pretty big job, did you change the clay out during the job?

It's possible. The truck as I mentioned was very dirty. Litterally rough to the touch on the side panels and the hood was completely hazed over. The piece I used had done another vehicle and was essentially half a bar. It was dirty but still yellow in color.

[forrest@mothers]

We recommend only using instant detailer as a lubricant, not soap and water.

You've seen the reason why.

As for Metajames, I've seen your situation occur when too much lubricant is used. Have you tried a small piece of clay and less lube?

[JSFM35x]

I find the clay gets sticky or falls apart when it is past its useful life. I save old clay for use on rims and glass. It get too sticky to use I toss it.

I use 1/2 oz car wash (have used Mothers, P21S body shampoo and PB Super Slick n Suds with any problems) to 32 oz H2O and your good to go. I have used DI water or tap with out issue. I have a black car do someone told me DI water would not spot.

I have used many brands of clay, Mothers, PoorBoys, Elastrofoam block (did not like it is a clay substitute-mared black OK on Silver but went back to clay), Simoniz. Most clay is made by the same company. I read somewhere that there is a sole patent holder for automitive clay and for years it was not enforced. Now it is enforced and that is why the price has increased.

[Silverstone]

That's my thread up there from when I used sonus lube with megs clay and it fell apart in the first ten minutes! Previously I had used megs clay and megs QD about 4-5 times with no troubles at all.

[Da Fats]

FYI guys the OP is using Mothers clay and not Meguiars, I'm sensing there is some confusion in this thread over that?

I now use Megs blue clay with ONR at 1:64 for lube and it works great for me.

This is the combo I used but it was a the red aggressive clay and it streaked no matter how much lube I had on the car and clay bar! It was very frustrating... forced me to turn back to XMT clay which I am not overly happy with either.

[Da Fats]

I read somewhere that there is a sole patent holder for automitive clay and for years it was not enforced. Now it is enforced and that is why the price has increased.

Thats funny... I read that the patient holder wrote the patient for a product he wasn't actually producing at the time... then then took legal action later to force all others out of the game here in the US. Wonder what the real story is though