I`m wetsanding

**solekeeper** · 05-24-2010, 02:36 PM

Hey guys, I`m sanding down cars usually with 2k grit. Right now, can you guys reccomend me a good process to go with to correct?

I`am using m105, so if you guys can stick to that as the first step that would be great. Can I follow up with m205 on light colored cars and be done?

Please reccomend pads too as well. (I typically like foam, I do not like wool)

And last thing, It is a body shop (so typically, the clear is hard, and fresh?)

**efnfast** · 05-24-2010, 03:21 PM

Magic 8 ball says you`re going to be having people shaking their head in disgust ..... not that you`re trying to learn, but the fact you`re wetsanding without knowing the basics behind it and finish restoration

**eyezack87** · 05-24-2010, 06:38 PM

efnfast is right. Why would you attempt it on cars if you don`t know how to do it in the first place? I practiced first on junk trunks and small portions of my car before I felt comfortable enough to wetsand an entire car...

**Barry Theal** · 05-24-2010, 06:41 PM

Fresh paint hard?? HMMMM I never had that exsperiance. I love sanding fresh paint. Its always soft and compounds out nicely and fast. I would definatelly get some wool if I were you. You will want it. I would never compound fresh paint with foam to remove sand scratches. It will heat to fast and twist the paint.

**WaxManRonnie** · 05-24-2010, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by efnfast

Magic 8 ball says you`re going to be having people shaking their head in disgust ..... not that you`re trying to learn, but the fact you`re wetsanding without knowing the basics behind it and finish restoration

Right here......:nono

**solekeeper** · 05-24-2010, 07:46 PM

I`m sorry, didn`t mean to come off incorrectly.

I have been wetsanding cars for quite some time now.

However, I`m looking for a process that is faster than my current process.

I usually do m105 twice, followed by a wipedown, and then UF. I get the paint to about 95 percent correction.

I do not like having to use the M105 twice though, I would like something in between.

**JohnKleven** · 05-24-2010, 08:19 PM

I use menzerna polishes and start with power gloss and wool pad followed by lake country orange with SIP and finish with super finish and white pad. Barry is correct about foam for cutting, stay away. If you`re not finishing down with 100% correction you can damp sand with 3000 grit. I use 3M trizact with a D.A.

John

**Danspeed1** · 05-24-2010, 10:01 PM

Fresh paint by detailing standards is very soft...

However, I know from working in a body shop (it was actually a vintage car restoration place) after 48 hours they consider the paint "hard." I`ve seen guys sand, cut, and buff a car just hours after painting it. Personally I like to work with a cured car,... less chance of making an error, but if your working with a product like 4Star MCC you can get "RESULTS" buffing right after the paint has been shot.

I`ve never sanded and buffed a soft car right after paint... to me it seems too scary.

To answer your question, you will require wool to get proper results... 3m Extreme cut is your friend if you got yourself into a mess with the sand paper. But be warned, I recently found out how quickly this stuff really cuts! Your best off with M105 or the 4star line and some wool pads....

DG

**solekeeper** · 05-25-2010, 07:03 AM

Originally Posted by JohnKleven

I use menzerna polishes and start with power gloss and wool pad followed by lake country orange with SIP and finish with super finish and white pad. Barry is correct about foam for cutting, stay away. If you`re not finishing down with 100% correction you can damp sand with 3000 grit. I use 3M trizact with a D.A.

John

Hey john, thanks for the reply

Do you have any experience with Megs105? I actually considered Menzerna before I made the switch to the Megs line. So I`d kinda like to stick to that for now. I like being consistant.

**solekeeper** · 05-25-2010, 07:05 AM

Oh, danspeed, I usually tend to sand cars the following day after it has been shot.

I`am used to cutting with foam, it`s the wool that scares me... lol

**JohnKleven** · 05-25-2010, 07:58 AM

Originally Posted by solekeeper

Hey john, thanks for the reply

Do you have any experience with Megs105? I actually considered Menzerna before I made the switch to the Megs line. So I`d kinda like to stick to that for now. I like being consistant.

I don`t have any experience with Megs., but Menzerna works so well for me, so why switch? I have been using it for years, and must say the Powergloss works so well after wetsanding compared to 3M, or other products I have used.

John

**Accumulator** · 05-25-2010, 10:40 AM

My "good" painter follows his wetsands with PowerGloss/wool. But he still does more than two steps.

solekeeper- Wool sounds/seems scarier than it is IMO...things stay nice and cool. Just don`t use too aggressive a wool pad and I bet you`ll love it.

**efnfast** · 05-25-2010, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by Accumulator

My "good" painter follows his wetsands with PowerGloss/wool. But he still does more than two steps.

solekeeper- Wool sounds/seems scarier than it is IMO...things stay nice and cool. Just don`t use too aggressive a wool pad and I bet you`ll love it.

PG/wool ... yikes, how much clear do you have left after that?

When I`ve wetsanded I`ve found that, generally, 2 passes with SIP/PFW was perfect. Of course, when going over my body guy`s .... wonderful ..... sanding ability, some areas took 5 passes with the above combo to remove huge clusters of his....work.

**Accumulator** · 05-25-2010, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by efnfast

PG/wool ... yikes, how much clear do you have left after that?

Sorry, my bad, I made that sound way too general....It`s not like he does that *every* time, and he takes stuff like that into account when he shoots the clear.

It just came to mind because he and I had a big discussion about how he finds PG to be *SO* much more aggressive than M105.

BTW/FWIW, he`s *GOOD* and I`d let him take that rotary to my cars any time. Yeah, he`s *that* good

**RaskyR1** · 05-25-2010, 12:57 PM

Wool pad and a rotary is simply the most effective method for removing wet sanding marks, period. Foam generates too much heat and will take forever to remove any tracers or pigtails in the paint, and you are more likely to cause damage.

The buffing process after wet sanding should be at least a 3 step buffing process (especially finishing with 2000), if you try to do it in 2 steps than you are cutting corners and will likely not have as nice or as swirls free of a finish if you had done 3-5 buffing steps.

Here is a pic of a 1936 Ford I just finished working on. This car was painted, wet sanded, and buffed 14 years ago....and as you can see corners were cut in the buffing process and even 14 years later DA sanding marks could clearly be seen in the paint.

Please don`t think I`m trying to be an a$$ with this post, I just really hate finishing the body shops work and if you cut corners this is what you`ll be left with! Do it right or don`t do it at all.

Cheers,

Rasky