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Clay bar


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I read and article in 'Trailer Boats' about this. I have done this on my car with success. has any one does this on thier boat?

Edited by DeltaDan
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Personally would be afraid of Clay Bar'ing my Bu' due to the abrasive nature of the Clay Bar. But to answer your question directly, NO, I haven't used it on my boat. Trick is to not let it get that grungy!!! Whistling.gif

I read and article in 'Trailer Boats' about this. I have done this on my car with success. has any one does this on thier boat?
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I have used the Meguiars clay bar on my boat many times with no problems. It worked great for getting off the hard water spots left from being on Lake Shasta for a week.

Edited by Captain Blood
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Clay is fine to use on your gelcoat, just make sure you keep it well lubricated, and turn it often. I would also choose one of the cheaper bars (like Meguiars or Mothers) because they're much softer than a good brand like Adams.

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What little I've read about using the clay bar systems available now is that it's not about cleaning the paint/gelcoat. It's about sealing the "pores" in the paint/gelcoat so dirt cannot get into it.

I haven't tried it yet, but it seems like it would be similar to a good wax job where the dirt can't really stick to the surface, but washes off easily. I'm not sure how much better or worse it may be than wax. Seems like it would be super tedious to do the entire hull.

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Not that it needs it, but I do have to wax the boat this year before the season starts. Not to take over this thread but what is everyone using out there, is clay bar an option rather than wax?

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My understanding of the clay bar is to remove contaminants from the surface prior to polishing and waxing. This page is about auto use, but provides basic information on using the clay.

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Correct, clay is a more aggressive method of removing tough contaminants. If you've got something on your paint (or gelcoat) that won't come off with washing, clay will usually pull it off).

After you've got everything clean, then you can do any correction that may be needed (polishing compounds), and then protect it (with either wax or a polymer sealant).

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The article I read did talk about removing contaminants. You would use the claybar first and then wax.

Yes.gif Clay bars work great to "clean" before you wax, but are not a simple replacement for wax or polish No.gif

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My understanding of the clay bar is to remove contaminants from the surface prior to polishing and waxing. This page is about auto use, but provides basic information on using the clay.

Plus1.gif

Roger that. If you drop the clay bar, you're toast. Toss it out or carefully cut off all of the clay on the surface. If you use it after that then you will use what ever dirt and sand you pick up to scratch your finish. The bar picks up contaminants in your paint (gelcoat) and removes them into the clay, but these are microscopic, not like the grit on your garage floor. Use lots of lubricant (spray detailer-comes with the Mothers kit) wash your boat/car first then clay bar. Try it on your car, you will notice a significantly smoother finish. Each Mothers bar is good for 2 cars (2 uses).

If you run your hand over your boat and it is smooth, I wouldn't bother. Compare it to running your hand over a freshly washed car and you will probably notice more micro bumps on your car, basically tiny pieces of grit lodged into your paint.

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