Clay Bar Necessary when Polishing??

B&W_Evader

The way I think clay-barring works...

The goal is really to lubricate the surface so it just glides over the smooth areas without really touching the paint, no contact, no scratches. That's what the spray that comes with it is for.

When it runs into a cunck stuck or imbedded in the paint, the contamination will put a scratch on the surface of the clay bar. This action causes the clay to grab and abraid the contamination in a very localized fashion thus removing it from the surface without damaging the surrounding paint. It's really just leveling the area to the point where the clay bar starts gliding over it without contact.

Pelican170

This is good to understand. I have clay at home but have yet to do it myself (had it professionally detailed in October). My biggest worry is to mess up the paint somehow but ive been told that as long as you use plenty of lubrication, it will glide smoothly, like you explained...

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AdamsPolishes

There is a bit of a balance you need to strike... it is possible to OVER lubricate and make the claying less effective. Essentially the ideal scenario is just enough lubrication to allow the clay to slide without catching.

Too much and the clay rides over the top and doesn't make full contact with the contamination, too little and the clay drags which leads to marring.

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