# Iron X



## SICK TT (Aug 3, 2006)

Who has used this product and how do you rate it compared to clay bar? i've only just discovered the Iron x


----------



## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi, This may help.
viewtopic.php?f=31&t=206170&p=2004284&hilit=ironx#p2004284
Hoggy.


----------



## YELLOW_TT (Feb 25, 2004)

PM bigsid he has used it


----------



## SICK TT (Aug 3, 2006)

cheers guys


----------



## ScoobyTT (Aug 24, 2009)

I've got some but haven't used it yet. It smells like eggs and puke, and I'm unsure whether the run-off is safe to go into water courses. There's no real chemical or user info on the bottle other than the IRRITANT warning.

To the question of claying though, chemical treatment isn't going to drag anything over your paint though so it should fare better than a clay bar for preserving the finish.


----------



## chassmash (Feb 16, 2012)

Bit of a sucker for trying new things ,so solved my problem went to scrap yard bought cheap tatty mk1 bonnet,hanged on garage wall now got perfect canvas for trying out different methods and prouducts,
small price to pay for a bit of trial and error................p.s as big syd says iron x really does do the trick.


----------



## Jac-in-a-Box (Nov 9, 2002)

I'll throw my thoughts into the ring here...

IronX will only remove, by chemical reaction, any ferrous deposits bonded to the paint. Any non-ferrous contamination will not be touched. 
There are numerous other contaminants that you will need to remove and that will only happen when using a clay bar(See sticky at top of this section for common contaminants)

IronX will react with any acrylic paint on your car, it has the potential to at worst lift, or at best soften, any repairs done with this type of paint - rattle cans and touch-up paints are acrylic. Poorly carried out SMART repairs can also be affected where insufficient prep work has been carried out.
The same will happen if you use it wheels and have painted your calipers.

At around a tenner for 500ml give it a go, it won't be the end of the world. But it isn't the complete answer to thorough paint preparation. Claying will take a little longer and need more physical work than giving your car a few squirts of a magic potion, having a cuppa followed by a rinse and expecting the perfectly prepared paint surface :wink:

I'll leave you with a final thought, IF this product was the be all to obtaining the perfectly clean paint surface all the major detailing product manufacturers (Swissvax, Zymol, DoDo, Juice, Zaino etc) would be marketing "clay in a bottle"...they're not, simply because of the reasons above 

Dave


----------



## ScoobyTT (Aug 24, 2009)

I don't think anyone is claiming that IronX would remain all things stuck to/on/in paint - the clue really is in the name of the product. The likelihood of having one product to do all that is slim in my opinion. There is a balance to be struck between what maket niches manufcaturers create, adding yet another step to the process for suckers, and what is needed for what job.

As for clay, sure it may remove everything stuck to the paint, at the expense of dragging it across the surface. If anything it picks up is going to mar the surface it will do that whether there is lubricant in the way or not. Oiled sandpaper will still scratch, no matter how fine the grit.


----------



## Jac-in-a-Box (Nov 9, 2002)

Scooby... my post addressed the relevance of the OP's question "Who has used this product and how do you rate it compared to clay bar"

Unfortunately due to the forces of marketing folk are seeing this as an alternative to the clay bar, when it blatantly isn't.

I've lost count of the number of cars I've clayed and I genuinely don't believe I've picked up anything on my clay bars that's caused any damage to the paint.
Make sure the car is clean (as clean as it can be with washing) before claying, avoid doing it when it's dry dusty and windy, avoid using anything more than v.gentle pressure when claying, loads of lub (soapy water) there ought to be no issues.

In my eyes, it's a superfluous product - as are so many other new "wonder" products in the world of detailing. Too much re-inventing the wheel nonsense going on...it's the unwary, those lacking knowledge and experience who caught out.
I've been there and I'm still doing. I've got a shedfull of products that'll bear testament to my stupidity and gullibility!
As with all my posts on here and elsewhere I give out advice based on experience with the products - as with all advice, take it or leave it.

Dave


----------



## ScoobyTT (Aug 24, 2009)

Fair enough  I'm unconvinced by the benefits of claying. If the paint's clean, I don't see what rubbing it all over with clay brings to the party. When I tested claying, per the instructions, my paint was clean, the clay picked up only a yellowing which I took to be the old wax, and yet it still caused marring which I then had to correct. The nature of the marring wasn't indicative of snagging a few large particles, but of a very fine effect. A friend also did the same: I thought he was just being ham-fisted as he's not one for following instructions. Until I tried it. This has put me right off it. I could see why the manufacturer's bumpf on claying said it was only for small "emergency" items like bird droppings.

Unfortunately in the "bro science"-filled world of detailing (and I'm not putting you in that category at all) a lot of people think they need to clay their car regularly, and I don't think that's true. Clay used to be a rare thing, now it isn't. The marketing pitch has changed too. Companies sell it because they can, not because it's necessary.

If there are truly iron particles embedded in/on paint, which there would seem to be since IronX reacts with iron compounds, my personal preference would be to dissolve them out of the way. Like you suggest though, try an area first. I agree with you that IronX vs clay isn't a wholly valid comparison as IronX obviously isn't going to remove things like tar spots.


----------



## Jac-in-a-Box (Nov 9, 2002)

Marring with clay? For sure it can happen...not all clays are equal though. Some are aggressive and some are quite gentle.

The aggressive one's have their place but are not what I'd recommend for the average user...over spray removal as an example of their use. No slight to anyone is meant by the term "average user" either...for a lot of people claying is a new process and I wouldn't want to see anyone cause problems through being given incorrect advice!

Post claying, polishing ought to be the next step which will remove any slight marring.

Regular use isn't something I advocate, unless twice a year is considered regular. Once a car has been clayed, polished and protected it really doesn't take anything more than 20 min's to give it a quick and gentle going over pre /post winter.
There maybe other times that a quick claying is needed - eg tree sap removal.

I've read a couple of recent posts where it seems to take someone all day to clay a car. If a car has been neglected for the last 10 years then yes, for someone new to claying on old and neglected paint, it will take a while - once they've developed their technique and gained confidence those times will reduce significantly when faced with a similar car.

I'll maintain that claying is an essential part of preparing your paint and maintaining the finish ...there is no alternative that I'm aware of; but as always, I'm prepared to be educated 
Until then my claybars will be considered an essential part of my paint care product arsenal.

Dave


----------

