*NEW* Cobra Clay Mitt IN ACTION @ September 2015 Boot Camp Class

[Nick McKees37]

When possible, we try to debut new products at our Detailing Boot Camp (held in January, May and September). It's one of the many perks of attending the class!

Last weekend's class was no exception, as we timed the debut of our new Cobra Clay Mitt to coincide with the class.



What's a Cobra Clay Mitt?
This microfiber mitt is coated on one side with a high-tech rubber coating that quickly and effortlessly removes paint over spray, tree sap, tar, stubborn bug splatter, rail dust, industrial fall out and any other type of contaminant that plagues a daily driver from every day use. It’s important to remove the aforementioned contaminants because they will cause long term damage if not removed in a timely manner. Unlike a clay bar which must be re-kneaded after each section, or completely discarded if dropped onto the ground, the Cobra Clay Mitt can be used over and over again and if you accidentally drop it, simply rinse it off! Your vehicle’s paint will be as smooth as glass after using the Cobra Clay Mitt!

There’s two ways to use the Cobra Clay Mitt. The first way is to incorporate it into your wash routine, after you’ve already washed the vehicle to remove loose dirt and debris. While you still have a bucket of soapy water, dunk the Cobra Clay Mitt into the bucket and gently re-wash the vehicle one panel at a time, starting at the top and working your way down. Be sure to reload the mitt with soap and water to ensure ample lubrication. Rinse vehicle and dry as you normally would. Proceed to polishing or waxing.

The second way to use the Cobra Clay Mitt is with a dedicated clay lubricant. Working one panel at a time, spray a liberal amount of lubricant onto the panel and gently move the mitt back and forth, performing 2-3 passes over each area. Dry the panel and move onto the next section. Proceed to polishing or waxing.

Save time - "clay" as you wash!
Claying to remove above-surface bonded contaminants is one aspect of detailing that nobody really "enjoys." First you wash the car, dry it, and then get it wet again with lubricant, and then dry it again? No thanks! The Cobra Clay Mitt saves you time because you can incorporate it into your wash routine as mentioned above. For the quirky enthusiasts out there that prefer to "clay" the vehicle after washing it, you can certainly do that with the Cobra Clay Mitt as well.

Here's FrankS foaming a Corvette Z06. Frank is using a Half Gallon Foam Gun loaded up with Pinnacle XMT Gel Shampoo & Conditioner. It's important that you have plenty of lubrication on the surface to ensure you don't scratch or mar the paint. The Cobra Clay Mitt is used AFTER you've already removed loose dirt and debris by washing the vehicle like you normally would.




Here's Tiago from Brazil gently gliding the Cobra Clay Mitt over the fender of this Corvette Z06. There is no need to apply any pressure as you "clay" the paint. 2-3 passes is all that's needed, and your paint will be as smooth as glass.




To create a show-car finish, proceed with compounding and polishing using BLACKFIRE SRC Compound and BLACKFIRE SRC Finishing Polish. This step will remove all the swirls and scratches, creating a flawless finish. That's exactly what Curt is doing in this photo:




The next step is to apply a wax, sealant or paint coating. We demonstrate all of the above at our Boot Camp class, and because this Corvette sits outside 24/7 we decided it was best to apply BLACKFIRE Crystal Coat Paint Coating. Compared to a wax or sealant, Crystal Coat forms a super hard shell of protection that provides superior protection that complements the glassy finish it creates. Here's Mike demonstrating how to apply it:






The glassy reflections seen below started with the Cobra Clay Mitt! The students from our September 2015 Boot Camp class did an outstanding job on this Corvette.




On Autogeek.com

Cobra Clay Mitt

Pinnacle Half Gallon Foamaster Foam Gun

Pinnacle XMT Gel Shampoo & Conditioner

BLACKFIRE Car Care Products

[Kamakaz1961]

Way cool! Wash and Clay all in one.

[Mike Phillips]

Just to chime in....

The washing method you see being shared in this write-up is the Aggressive Method I teach in my classes and in my how-to book, The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine.

If you're going to buff out a car, be it with a multiple step process like,

1. Compound
2. Polish
3. Wax

Or a two step method like,

1. Polish
2. Wax

Or even the very simple one step approach like,

1. Apply a one-step cleaner/wax

Then the aggressive approach to washing a car is the approach you want to use because you want to get the car SUPER clean before you start doing any compounding, polishing or waxing.


To save steps and save time, while the car is STILL WET during the washing process, that's the time to mechanically decontaminate the paint using the Cobra Clay Mitt.

After washing and rinsing all the dirt off the car because this is vitally important, THEN re-foam the car and rub down the paint, glass and any other smooth surface with the Cobra Clay Mitt to remove any above surface bonded contaminants.

Things like,

• Overspray paint
• Tree Sap Mist
• Industrial Fallout
• Traffic Pollution
• Air-born dirt and misc contaminants

Removing these types of bonded contaminants during the washing step saves you time by cutting out at least two steps.

Plus in my opinion, decontamination tool options like the Cobra Clay Mitt do a better job of removing contaminants than traditional detailing clay. The proof is in the Baggie Test.


When I detail a show car I know how important removing 100 percent of the above surface bonded contaminants is to the final results.

Why? Because...

Gloss comes from a smooth surface


You cannot maximize gloss until all the contaminants are removed and removing the contaminants is always done before any polishing.

If you want to take your car's finish to it's maximum potential, then check out the Cobra Clay Mitt.

[david b]

Sounds like a real time-saver even for a newbie. The directions say...

1) Do not use Cobra Clay Mitt in direct sunlight, or on hot surfaces. Surface should be cool to the touch.

...the guys are working in sunlight - not sure how hot the surface was. Did that impact the performance and/or marr the paint?

Thanks in advance!
David

[GSKR]

Good question I'm mobile.

[jsgntulok]

Sounds like a real time-saver even for a newbie. The directions say...

1) Do not use Cobra Clay Mitt in direct sunlight, or on hot surfaces. Surface should be cool to the touch.

...the guys are working in sunlight - not sure how hot the surface was. Did that impact the performance and/or marr the paint?

Thanks in advance!
David

Also note in the polishing photo above, Curt lets the power cord dangle against the side of the car rather than place it over his shoulder.

[WRAPT C5Z06]

Looks like a nice product.

[haris300]

May have to give this one a try. Cheaper than the Nanoskin mitt.

[Nick McKees37]

Sounds like a real time-saver even for a newbie. The directions say...

1) Do not use Cobra Clay Mitt in direct sunlight, or on hot surfaces. Surface should be cool to the touch.

...the guys are working in sunlight - not sure how hot the surface was. Did that impact the performance and/or marr the paint?

Thanks in advance!
David

David,

Not everyone is as educated as our forum members, so we have to dumb down the instructions on certain products/tools to consider the lowest common denominator.

You can use the Clay Mitt in direct sunlight so long as the surface is lubricated with soap.

Also note in the polishing photo above, Curt lets the power cord dangle against the side of the car rather than place it over his shoulder.

Good catch! The Corvette was the first vehicle we detailed at the class, and this was Curt's first time using a dual action polisher. By the end of the class he was a PRO, and actually ended up ordering a FLEX XC3401 due to his new-found confidence, knowledge and experience on all the various dual action and rotary polishers we carry.

[Mike Phillips]

Also note in the polishing photo above, Curt lets the power cord dangle against the side of the car rather than place it over his shoulder.

And just to piggyback on what Nick said....


This is why he's at the class. To learn.

There were multiple, multiple times when most of the students didn't have the cord over their shoulder as they worked over a fender or a trunk lid.

That's where Nick and I come in. We train. We look for areas or techniques that need tweaks and then gently and kindly work with the student.

Placing the cord of a polisher over your shoulder is called a best practice. And a person NEW to machine polishing learns this best practice with time and with reinforcement.

After 3 days of buffing and detailing cars and using over 12 different tools just for machine buffing paint... the best practice of placing the cord over ones shoulder become s new habit.

A habit most people don't bring with them to the class. That's just one tiny, tiny little thing the class learns over the 3-day journey.

But good eye and it sounds like this is a best practice that you practice.