Clay bar vs. compound

[Chino Girl]

So for all you detailer type guys/gals, what is the difference between using a clay bar and compounding?

[akirby]

So for all you detailer type guys/gals, what is the difference between using a clay bar and compounding?

 

I'm not a detailer but that's an easy one. A clay bar removes things that are embedded in the paint like rail dust, etc. It lifts out the debris.

 

Rubbing or polishing compound is an abrasive that actually removes a thin layer of paint leaving a smooth and polished surface.

[richy]

The clay bar actually shears off the top of the impurity on the paint. There is a new product called IRonX which can be sprayed on directly or another version is used like a soap, that actually removes the complete contaminent from the paint. It is great for wheels with the metallic brake dust. Compound flatens the surface of the paint. If you were to examine an extreme close up of the paint surface, it is not smooth at all but rather has little hills and valleys. Polishing and compounding smooths out the surface (as well as wet sanding). The smoother the surface, the better the reflection and shine. The wild card is the thickness of the clear. You don't want to remove too much at all. There are gauges available that measure the cc thickness so you have an idea of what you're working with. I have one and have been very surprised by the results sometimes. The end goal is to have a smooth finish. Clay will start you off, compound and polish will finish it.

[CanuckG35]

Chino Girl, like the others have touched on, clay bar and compounds are two different products. Clay bar is a resin that will help remove bonded surface contamination from your paint. Things like rail dust, tar, etching from bird bombs, brake dust, or industrial fallout, etc can be removed with a clay bar. There are varying degrees of abrasiveness when it comes to clay bars as well, so you will need to choose the appropriate one depending on how bad your paint surface is.

 

Compound is another abrasive substance, however it's used to remove surface imperfections (ie, scratches, swirl marks, spider webbing, etc) from your paint. Compounds are typically applied by machine so they can be properly broken down. They will remove a very thin layer of a vehicle's clear coat paint.