Mike Phillips
11-18-2014, 08:26 AM
Claying and Paint Marring - A non-issue in my book (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/86797-claying-paint-marring-non-issue-my-book.html)
I get e-mails all the time from people with questions about detailing their cars. While I prefer people to join our forum, become part of our community and then post their questions to the forum I know not everyone in the world is going to do this so I always do my best to share the nutshell version of an answer I would invest the time and resources to type out if I were typing on the forum.
That's because you can do so much on the forum and so little in an e-mail and typing time is limited.
That said, I received an e-mail from a gentleman that is going to detail his track car that is also a garage queen including claying and then machine compounding, polishing and waxing.
His concern and question has to do with the potential that the aggressive clay he purchased may mar the paint.
So here's my answer....
Marring caused by claying if you're going to machine compound is a non-issue and that's because the marring will be light or shallow and the compounding step will or at least should remove any marring.
My personal practice and what I teach in my classes, share on the forum and in all my how-to books goes like this,
If you're going to clay your car's paint with detailing clay or in any other way mechanically decontaminate the paint, then you should already plan on doing at least ONE type of machine polishing process and the reason why is to remove any potential marring.
The machine polishing process can be compounding and polishing, or just polishing or even machine applying a one-step cleaner/wax or as some call these products, an AIO.
The machine application of "something" assuming you're using quality products, quality FOAM pads and some type of dual action polisher, will remove the marring and leave behind a show room quality finish.
So for me... any accidental marring from claying or any other mechanical decontamination process, (like using a Nanoskin product), is a non-issue.
The benefit outweighs the drawback. That is creating a completely clean and smooth surface to restore and maximize gloss while creating a perfect foundation upon which to build on by subsequent procedures including sealing the paint is more important and more valuable than NOT claying the paint because of a concern over a defect that is normal, (marring), that will be removed through the complete process.
Hope that helps....
:)
I get e-mails all the time from people with questions about detailing their cars. While I prefer people to join our forum, become part of our community and then post their questions to the forum I know not everyone in the world is going to do this so I always do my best to share the nutshell version of an answer I would invest the time and resources to type out if I were typing on the forum.
That's because you can do so much on the forum and so little in an e-mail and typing time is limited.
That said, I received an e-mail from a gentleman that is going to detail his track car that is also a garage queen including claying and then machine compounding, polishing and waxing.
His concern and question has to do with the potential that the aggressive clay he purchased may mar the paint.
So here's my answer....
Marring caused by claying if you're going to machine compound is a non-issue and that's because the marring will be light or shallow and the compounding step will or at least should remove any marring.
My personal practice and what I teach in my classes, share on the forum and in all my how-to books goes like this,
If you're going to clay your car's paint with detailing clay or in any other way mechanically decontaminate the paint, then you should already plan on doing at least ONE type of machine polishing process and the reason why is to remove any potential marring.
The machine polishing process can be compounding and polishing, or just polishing or even machine applying a one-step cleaner/wax or as some call these products, an AIO.
The machine application of "something" assuming you're using quality products, quality FOAM pads and some type of dual action polisher, will remove the marring and leave behind a show room quality finish.
So for me... any accidental marring from claying or any other mechanical decontamination process, (like using a Nanoskin product), is a non-issue.
The benefit outweighs the drawback. That is creating a completely clean and smooth surface to restore and maximize gloss while creating a perfect foundation upon which to build on by subsequent procedures including sealing the paint is more important and more valuable than NOT claying the paint because of a concern over a defect that is normal, (marring), that will be removed through the complete process.
Hope that helps....
:)