Detailing Lineup - New Guy

[crxman2010]

Acura Graphite Luster (Dark Gray)

Looking for any recommendations putting together and have a couple questions regarding the products I am looking at. I have always been good about regular washing and waxing of my vehicles and just used whatever was a good priced and have had mixed results. Now I would like to go with a stable line up of good products... I have done a bunch of reading on here and basically figured out what I think I want other than a couple questions I couldn't really find answers too.

Mequiars Gold Class Car Shampoo
Pinnacle Poly Clay (light work)
Clay Magic Blue Clay (spring cleaning)
ONR Diluted for Clay Lube
Klasse AIO
Werkstatt Arcrylic Jett Trigger
P21S Concours Carnauba Wax

And one of the follow for a QD between waxing:
Detailer's Pro Series Final Gloss™ Quick Detailer
Griot's Garage Speed Shine Detailer
Finish Kare 425 Extra Slick Final Body Shine

--> Pinnacle Poly Clay - Would this clay work to "clean" the sealant/wax without taking the finishes off? Looking for something to use when I want to add another layer of P21s (weeks or mont later) and not strip the finish and start over. Is this clay really that fine?

--> For the QD, I was wondering if the above listed QDs would be recommended/not recommended for use between layering of PS21s (carnauba) whether it is one application of QD in a 24 hour period between coats of P21s or if it is 4-6 applications of QD over a couple weeks between coats of P21s.

Mike

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Mike,

Welcome to Autogeek Online!

[Mike Phillips]

I have done a bunch of reading on here and basically figured out what I think I want other than a couple questions I couldn't really find answers too.


--> Pinnacle Poly Clay - Would this clay work to "clean" the sealant/wax without taking the finishes off? Looking for something to use when I want to add another layer of P21s (weeks or mont later) and not strip the finish and start over. Is this clay really that fine?

Great question. If you clay the paint and do so using only light pressure you'll have the best chance of leaving the most wax or sealant on the surface but at some level you're going to be removing at a minimum portions of it.

Plus, waxes and paint sealants naturally wear off as they sacrifice themselves so the paint doesn't have to. See this article,

Sacrificial Barrier Coating = The purpose of a wax or synthetic paint sealant



Here's something I wrote on this from this article, see post #5

How to Mix IPA for Inspecting Correction Results

Claying to remove Wax or Paint Sealant
On the topic of using detailing clay to remove previously applied wax or paint sealant instead of chemically stripping the paint with IPA, MS or a product specifically formulated for chemically stripping wax or paint sealant off paint, here are my comments for what they're worth...

Detailing Clay is a type of polymer clay, think of a high-tech Play-Doh. What give detailing clay it's ability to remove Above Surface Bonded Contaminants is that detailing clay contains abrasives in the mix and the quantity and aggressiveness level of the abrasives can be varied to create either an Ultra Fine clay or an Aggressive clay.

The way clay works is the abrasives act to abrade off any particulates sitting on the top surface of the paint, kind of like sandpaper would only a LOT more gentle and safe to the finish, when the clay is rubbed over paint with a lubricant.

The question of whether detailing clay will in-fact remove previously applied coats of wax or paint sealant off the paint is a great question but there is no simple definitive answer because there are too many variables involved, such as,

• Type of clay - Level of Aggressiveness or Non-aggressiveness
• How many passes made over each square inch of paint
• Downward pressure used by the person using the clay
• Amount of lubricant used
• Skill level of person doing the claying
• Type of protection ingredients bonded to the surface

Those are just off the top of my head but probably include most meaningful factors...

The Big Picture
Instead of focusing on all the factors that determine if claying removes wax or paint sealant or not lets look at the big picture.


Rubbing clay over paint doesn't "add" more wax or paint sealant to the surface.

Question: What's the opposite of adding?

Answer: Subtracting or removing.

So at a minimum, if you clay your car's finish, then in the big picture there's probably less wax or paint sealant on the surface than before you started. Make sense?

Is all the wax or paint sealant removed? Probably not as paint is not totally flat, under a microscope the surface of paint has hills and valleys, pockets, pores and pinholes, and what we call interstices, which means microscopic cracks and fissures.

Since the clay is only going to touch the upper surface of the paint and it's going to be gliding it over it, it's not likely that claying removes 100% of everything bonded to the paint, but it's completely logical that some portion of the wax coating or paint sealant is being removed.

Claying shouldn't be counted on as a best practice for removing wax or paint sealant when there are better ways that are more effective.

The point about claying and wax removal is that anytime you clay your car's paint, BECAUSE the potential exists to remove any previously applied wax or paint sealant, then it's a good "Best Practice" to at a minimum, re-apply a coating of wax or paint sealant to the clayed area to replace an replenish a coating of protection.


Thanks to my friend John aka Perfections for suggesting I includes the topic of claying as it relates to removing previously applied wax or paint sealant as this topic mingles its way into the topic of the bigger topic of using a solvent to chemically strip paint.

--> For the QD, I was wondering if the above listed QDs would be recommended/not recommended for use between layering of PS21s (carnauba) whether it is one application of QD in a 24 hour period between coats of P21s or if it is 4-6 applications of QD over a couple weeks between coats of P21s.

Mike

You're talking about using a QD to remove any light dust before applying the waxes correct? The point being to work clean?

[crxman2010]

Thank you for the additional information on the claying waxing. Out of the clays available, would the Pinnacle Poly be a good product as relates to "least aggressive"?

Regarding the QD, I am looking to use it as more of an after wash shine on washes when I won't be waxing. I want to avoid (if possible) a QD that might streak or not look right when applied over my wax or a QD that might cause problems applying my wax over the top of it.

What I am looking to do is top AIO with 2-3 layers of acrylic sealer and follow up with a layer or two of P21s. My cars don't always see much road time especially during the summer when I am taking my bike every where, I can go a couple weeks and not hit a 50 miles with my car. And the car is always garaged.

QD Question - Wash/wax my car on Sunday and wash the car again on Friday and follow up with QD, weather changes for the better Saturday and I decide I need more wax on the car so I wash it with gold glass and put another layer of P21s on. I don't want my QD to negatively affect the look or durability of the wax assuming gold class isn't going to remove the QD that was applied.

Clay Question - I get time 2-4+ weeks later to add another coat of wax. I would like to be able to clean the surface to some degree but by no means do I want to have to start over at the AIO.