how do you wet sand.?

[nismoman]

i understand wet sanding as far as you wet the sand paper and you usually use like 800 grit and up , but what are you looking for when you wet sand a car. like how mcuh do you do after each coat.what grit, and how do you know when to stop sanding. then also the same with polishing compounds and waxing. thanks

johng

[whiltebeitel]

you try to make it as smooth as possible, look for tiny bumps in the paint, by looking a the reflection of the piece in the light, and sand 'til smooth. At leas that I how I prep. If you're trying to refresh the paint, that's different.

[backtrail69]

Are you trying to cut and buff...if so I usually wet sand with 2000 grit and 1500 on the bad spots with a nice foam backing. Go over it with 3M rubbing compound with a wool buff pad, then again with a softer foam pad till it is almost perfect. Then I go over it with a machine glaze to get out the last little bits with a even softer pad, then go over the paint with a hand glaze to get the last swirls out. You NEED a rotary buffer...it doesn't work otherwise. Be careful of sanding too deep or burning the paint. If the paint isn't fresh you can wax it for longer protection...but after that you are going to want a break.

[nismoman]

COOL, also to get some different answers what about when people are putting base coats down ,do you wet sand on the base coat or do you only wet sand the clear coats. like i hear people say wet sand in between coats but which coats lol. and this is suppose to give you a uber fantastic shine.and is a enamal "spelling on that" paint better than a acrilyc?

[Jscotty]

like i hear people say wet sand in between coats but which coats lol.

This is said because its understood that the paint process will take multiple coats. So when you spray on a coat of paint, let it dry and then wet sand it prior to applying the next coat. It keeps the car from having that "funny" look where you can tell a car has been repainted. It also makes it easier for the next coat of paint to adhere to the previous coat. Also being that paint is not 100% opague when a thin coat is applied, the multiple coats blend together to give the car a consistent finish. Building up the coats of paint also allow you to create a smoother surface because when you buff away the top layer of paint, there is plenty of paint below it that is visable.

[nismoman]

Are you trying to cut and buff...if so I usually wet sand with 2000 grit and 1500 on the bad spots with a nice foam backing. Go over it with 3M rubbing compound with a wool buff pad, then again with a softer foam pad till it is almost perfect. Then I go over it with a machine glaze to get out the last little bits with a even softer pad, then go over the paint with a hand glaze to get the last swirls out. You NEED a rotary buffer...it doesn't work otherwise. Be careful of sanding too deep or burning the paint. If the paint isn't fresh you can wax it for longer protection...but after that you are going to want a break.

can i get name brands of pads and polishes and where you guys got this stuff from?? thanks and also you dont buff on a coat and then re apply paint ? sorry super duper noob at painting. or i guess can somebody give me the steps they used for painting there car??

thanks

[backtrail69]

At the shop I work at we use a lot of 3M and Malco products. Go to a auto body supplier and they should have their own brands and recommendations on what products should be used.

This technique is used to smooth out a paint job or take some oxidation (fade) off the top.
The sanding makes the paint very smooth removing any traces of orange peal, dirt etc. The buffing just shines the paint back up. I honestly would find a friend or someone local to come show you how to do it. It is hard to describe what you are looking for over the internet.

If you are painting anything the whole process is totally different and much more complicated and involved.

[nando]

also don't go back and forth, like you would for wood.. you want to change directions or you'll have a very uneven finish. the best technique I've heard is to go in circles, staring with larger circles and going smaller, and then back to larger.

[Jand3rson]

also don't go back and forth, like you would for wood.. you want to change directions or you'll have a very uneven finish. the best technique I've heard is to go in circles, staring with larger circles and going smaller, and then back to larger.

Chris is right, also be VERY CAREFUL around and radiuses (rounded endges). These areas are the easiest to burn through and expose the primer below, because paint is the thinnest in these areas (not as much surface area for the paint to gather). Even very light sanding on tight radiuses can burn through, so just make sure you are very careful and keep that sandpaper very wet! I keep a large bucket of water next to me and dunk the paper very frequently, everytime it even starts to get a little bit thin, don't let the areas you are sanding get pasty (dust mixed with water), you want to keep it very wet.

[nismoman]

EXCELLENT help guys, last question is are you guys color sanding(wet sanding on each base coat and using rubbing compund or do you only do that on the last coat or do not even do that on the base coat if you are going to use clear. and after i use clear (4 or 5 coats ?) i wet sand with 2500 grit and rub compund then wax on the last clear coat.


thanks home skillets, hooray you guys fuchhhhing rule

[atomic]

be vewy vewy careful.... go in one direction and never change direction or go in circles because it is way harder to buff out with compound with scuff marks in many different directions trust me. When you have to work on an area trying to buff it out for alot longer trying to remove sand marks that were in many different directions you will likely burn through since you are creating much much more heat than you would have if you were buffing out sand marks that were all in the same directions. ALSO VERY IMPORTANT !!!!! ONLY USE WET/DRY SAND PAPERS(dark grey papers) IN 1200 - 2000 GRITS BUT ONLY USE THE 1200 IF YOU HAVE MAJOR GRAPEFRUIT PEEL AND TRASH. It is also important to use when sanding a special foam backing pad so that you do not put finger grooves(very hard to remove once in paint) into your paint finish when sanding. Do not use normal sand paper because it is to harsh and was made for wood working only. Use plenty of H2O and make sure car is very clean before starting each sanding process. It is not important to get in very close to body lines and edges of body panels you can stay 3/4 inch away from these and you will never know it wasn't done. I always use a wool circular buffing/cutting pad with 3m finese-it compound to remove sanding marks then back it up with foam 3m pads with backing plates with different phases of polishing glazes. The easiest way to tell when is enough on sanding is dry the section off that you are sanding on and if you see shiny areas in the paint those areas are lower than the areas that are dull and will be possibily seen once buffed out. If you have any other questions on this I will try to help in answering those ? as well