I'm wetsanding

solekeeper

New member
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?)
 
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
 
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...
 
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.
 
efnfast said:
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
 
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.
 
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
 
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
 
JohnKleven said:
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.
 
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
 
solekeeper said:
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
 
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.
 
Accumulator said:
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.
 
efnfast said:
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 ;)
 
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.



sanding_marks.jpg






Cheers,

Rasky
 
JohnKleven said:
Fantastic work Rasky



Haven't had time to do a write up on it yet....soon hopefully as it was a beautiful car. '36 Ford sedan convertible slant back. ;)
 
RaskyR1 said:
Wool pad and a rotary is simply the most effective method for removing wet sanding marks, period.



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.



I totally disagree (respectfully). I've been having great luck doing 2 steps after finishing with Trizact 3000. I've also helped convert 3 body shops from conventional rotary repair to DA. It can and is being done and the results are very nice. And they are greatly reducing touch time and come backs. No cutting corners, just polishing them. ;)



Yes, when you start with a wool pad and compound it will require 3 steps. That's mainly because the extra heavy scratch you're creating unnecessarily by using a rotary/wool. That's the nature of the beast. I don't think that is a requirement; especially with soft, fresh paint.



With the technology hitting (and getting ready to hit) the market, correction via DA will truely be a game changer.
 
David Fermani said:
I totally disagree (respectfully). I've been having great luck doing 2 steps after finishing with Trizact 3000. I've also helped convert 3 body shops from conventional rotary repair to DA. It can and is being done and the results are very nice. And they are greatly reducing touch time and come backs. No cutting corners, just polishing them. ;)



Yes, when you start with a wool pad and compound it will require 3 steps. That's mainly because the extra heavy scratch you're creating unnecessarily by using a rotary/wool. That's the nature of the beast. I don't think that is a requirement; especially with soft, fresh paint.



With the technology hitting (and getting ready to hit) the market, correction via DA will truely be a game changer.





That's totally cool David as I respect your work very much. ;)



I've not yet tried the surbuf pads David but I'd be interested in seeing a comparison in time between the two methods, as well as a break down in cost on the pads used. I know I can usually cut a car down with one, maybe two W5000 pads and would be interested in how many surbuf pads would be required.



How does you DA method fair on rock hard paints? I have a '63 AH in my garage we shot with PPG concept single stage acrylic urethane....man this stuff is scary hard! I think we used DCX61 for the hardener.





Rasky
 
Rasky I'l send you you 2 of them to try for free. Whats your addy. I have them in bulk!!! David is right with this. Although if I were in a body shop setting I would be wool and ship it guy like the rest. Surbuff's are a game changer. You will see.
 
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