Paint passes a nitrile glove test, but fails a plastic bag test?

[Hantra]

Was claying the wife's van this weekend, and I used the Ultima Elastrofoam for the first time. It seemed to work quite well, until I was showing my son how it worked. He used the plastic wrapper Elastrofoam comes in, and clearly there were still contaminants. My thin nitrile glove didn't pick them up.

No matter how many times I went over the paint with the Elastrofoam, I couldn't get it to pass the plastic baggie test. And this is after IronX.

Anyone had this experience? Do I need a more aggressive clay?

Thanks!

[briarpatch]

Just had a similar experience when claying my truck.....using Griots clay....but in those areas where it failed...went back and went over it again...then it passed

[Rsurfer]

Was claying the wife's van this weekend, and I used the Ultima Elastrofoam for the first time. It seemed to work quite well, until I was showing my son how it worked. He used the plastic wrapper Elastrofoam comes in, and clearly there were still contaminants. My thin nitrile glove didn't pick them up.

No matter how many times I went over the paint with the Elastrofoam, I couldn't get it to pass the plastic baggie test. And this is after IronX.

Anyone had this experience? Do I need a more aggressive clay?

Thanks!

What are you using for a clay lube? Too much lubrication will simply make your clay hydrofoil over the paint.

[2black1s]

Yes I've had the same, or similar, experience. Now I only use the "baggie" test as an indicator and do not look for perfection in this step.

Many factory paint jobs have such a pronounced orange peel that the paint will never feel smooth with a baggie. The "baggie test" can be so sensitive that it's hard to distinguish if you are feeling contaminants or simply feeling the texture of the paint.

Now if you have a custom, wet-sanded to perfection, paint job then it's a different story. But for most factory paint jobs the "baggie test" can be too sensitive and somewhat misleading. At least that is my experience.

[Hantra]

What are you using for a clay lube? Too much lubrication will simply make your clay hydrofoil over the paint.

At first, I was using too much lube. Then, on several subsequent passes, I went very light on lube. Again, I didn't notice much difference at all after the first pass. I'm thinking 2black1s might be on the money here. It's probably never going to get glass smooth. I have always used a glove up until this point, and I guess I'll keep using the glove method, and not the baggie one.

[Rsurfer]

At first, I was using too much lube. Then, on several subsequent passes, I went very light on lube. Again, I didn't notice much difference at all after the first pass. I'm thinking 2black1s might be on the money here. It's probably never going to get glass smooth. I have always used a glove up until this point, and I guess I'll keep using the glove method, and not the baggie one.

To prove or disprove you have contaminants in your paint is to try a more aggressive clay and then do the baggie test again. I've never had a problem with the baggie test.

[DaveT435]

It's not so much the amount of lube as the mixture ratios. I had a situation like the one your talking about. Added some water to the lube and then the clay took all the contaminants off the paint.

[shadwell]

Yes I've had the same, or similar, experience. Now I only use the "baggie" test as an indicator and do not look for perfection in this step.

Many factory paint jobs have such a pronounced orange peel that the paint will never feel smooth with a baggie. The "baggie test" can be so sensitive that it's hard to distinguish if you are feeling contaminants or simply feeling the texture of the paint.

Now if you have a custom, wet-sanded to perfection, paint job then it's a different story. But for most factory paint jobs the "baggie test" can be too sensitive and somewhat misleading. At least that is my experience.

Great point.. except that obviously we should all be wet sanding or at least denim padding all of our paint jobs until we either reach perfection or metal.. FU orange peel..

[Crispy]

The baggey test will not detect orange peel at all. Above surface only. If you can feel it, it is there. On really stuborn areas use a 3M 3000 grit Trizact Sanding Pad and it will pass.

[FUNX650]

Was claying the wife's van this weekend,
and I used the Ultima Elastrofoam for
the first time.

It seemed to work quite well, until I was
showing my son how it worked.

He used the plastic wrapper Elastrofoam comes
in, and clearly there were still contaminants.

My thin nitrile glove didn't pick them up.

And that's why it's called "The Baggie Test"...
not "The Nitrile Glove Test".


Bob