clay bar vs duct tape
 

I had what I thought was a brilliant idea but I was wrong.
Clay bars certainly work to drag particles off the paint, leaving it smooth. However they do drag those trapped particles over the paint leaving shallow scratches so I would not use.
I thought that if I stuck on duct tape then pulled it straight off at 90 degrees to the paint, the particles would be pulled off.
Even though I smoothed the tape on the paint and it grabbed onto the paint very hard it failed. Can anyone explain this or suggest a better way?

By the way, someone suggested the best way to feel for lack of smoothness on your paint is to feel through a plastic bay and I can confirm that method is WAY better than with a bare hand.

:popcorn:

Hahaha just use a claybar, thats why they are there. If your claying your car the next step would be a polish. (The number of stages depends on the paints condition but in your case you likely just need a swril remover) then after that you wax the car to help prevent future build up in the paint.

You don't wipe before you shit.... well in the case wipe at all. If your gonna do step one you have to follow through with everything else. Cant skip that stuff and say its done right.

The clay bar works by removing an almost microscopic layer off your clear coat and therefore taking the particles with it. Tape is not going to remove anything and could actually leave residue behind.
I have never had any scratches left behind when clay baring.

My method:

Wash car with dish soap to remove most of the wax.
Rinse really REALLY well.
Dry car with a synthetic chamois so no water spots (residue from the water)appear.
Use a pile of detailing spray as lubricant and turn and fold the clay frequently.

Wow, pass on what ever your smoking buddy. Sounds like good shit.
Ok, just to tickle your pickle, once you put duck tap on the car you also leave the adhesive behind. Thus allowing more dirt than what you remove,make it worse now with added glue.

Also your car is totaled go get a Honda.

IMHO, a clay bar, used with the proper lubricant, will not leave shallow scratches visible to the naked eye or that can be sensed by the human touch.

Now, if you drop it on the floor or ground and continue to use you just might be asking for trouble.

As far as the duct tape ...... I wouldn't let that stuff get near the paint of a car ..... it just may pull off more than just a few particles.

As far as checking smoothness, I find if I set my spray can of glass cleaner on the hood ..... and it slides off .......that's plenty smooth..... :)


humfrz

It feels better through a bag... than bare you say.

No adhesive was left behind when I pulled the tape off nor could I even see or feel where it had been applied. Mind you, I did use a polymer wax/polish a week before and I did wash the area before applying the tape. I have driven around 30km since and the taped area has not collected any more dust than the rest.


Maybe, IF you use enough detailing spray with the clay it floats over it and leaves no scratches but sooner or later .....

Use more detailing spray? :iono:
Light polish after the clay to remove the minor scratches.
Go watch some videos and learn the correct procedures from professionals.

:popcorn:Better yet take it to a professional detail shop and let them do it. ;)

No "sooner or later" about it. Do it right and there are no scratches.
Tape will leave adhesive behind that is how tape works.
Why apply a polymer wax and then a week later clay bar? All you are doing is clay baring the wax not the paint.

If professional detailers use a clay bar, I'm pretty sure that's the safest/superior method...

No, no, no, that isn't how it works! The pros never know anything and there always must be some better, cheaper, easier way that the Illuminati have kept hidden from us.