Wet Sanding Lessons

i was assuming that 'waxing' implied use of sealants as well ... well, i'm definitely not an expert, but many sealants do have UV protection
 
On the vehicles I've kept a long time, even mild polishing (PC/Cyclo/hand) over a few decades thinned the paint quite a bit, to the point where I couldn't do any more major correction on them- had to live with marring (really bugs me on the Jag). Sure glad I didn't take off any *more* paint than I did and I sure never thought I was removing much.



Note that the rule-of-thumb is: removing more than .3mil (that's .0003" ) of clear will result in eventual clearcoat failure. With many single stage metallics you can't remove even that much (yeah, I know, with other ss you can remove much more). Three-tenths of a mil is not much paint over the life of a vehicle.



Just some more food for thought for those considering wetsanding.



Remember my oft-repeated opinion: "Better imperfect original paint than a need for a repaint; it's only original once." But that is, after all, just my opinion ;)



And yeah, if you use high-quality sanding media (I prefer the Meguiar's Unigrit stuff) of 2.5-3K grit, it's not all that hard to remove the scratches by hand/PC/Cyclo. Using coarser paper or the less-uniform stuff from other makers (I found 3M to be pretty lousy in this regard) might require a rotary to keep the time/effort reasonable.



Oh, and nice, healthy (i.e. thick), well-cared for paint holds up just fine in the sun with only carnaubas on it. Even on vehicles left outside 24/7/52 for many years (first-hand experience). But only *some* paints. I can't imagine red not fading under those conditions no matter *what* is on it. Some reds even fade under (healthy) clear.
 
the top of the clear coat has no added uv protection then the bottom. Orange peel is caused by improper application. Whether it be you mixed the clear to thick/or thin and now you have to compensate for that by applying it heavier or more dry.
 
I like to see the video. I have wetsanded cars and I don't like to do it on OEM finishes. I'm curious on how you can sand a car in 2 hours and buff it out in another 2 hours. Thats pretty quick compared to me. I've spent 12 hours on a 98 T/A WS 6 black of course. Any time I wetsand I tell the customer I need the car for 2 to 3 days. I'm not trying to bash you, I"m just trying to figure out your techniques.



Chubs
 
98bmw323is said:
the top of the clear coat has no added uv protection then the bottom. Orange peel is caused by improper application. Whether it be you mixed the clear to thick/or thin and now you have to compensate for that by applying it heavier or more dry.
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I beg to differ.



http://www.autoint.com/tips/images/mag_paint.jpg



See how much more dense the clear is at the very top portion(way above the word clearcoat)? That's where all you're UV protection is. And in the case of Ceramiclear, the ceramic portion is even thinner(microns vs. mils).
 
Chubs said:
I like to see the video. I have wetsanded cars and I don't like to do it on OEM finishes. I'm curious on how you can sand a car in 2 hours and buff it out in another 2 hours. Thats pretty quick compared to me. I've spent 12 hours on a 98 T/A WS 6 black of course. Any time I wetsand I tell the customer I need the car for 2 to 3 days. I'm not trying to bash you, I"m just trying to figure out your techniques.



Chubs
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2-3hrs is on car that just come out of the oven 12h ago. Clean, soft, easy to cut wih 1500 grit paper.



OEM or older cars will take longer. Typically people are concernd with the hood, trunk and sides above the rocker panel. I wouldnt get crazy and start sanding parts of a car that I coulnd t get to with a rotary. Maybe for a show car and if I had the time, then I'd get that crazy.
 
I'm still patiently awaiting your wetsanding primer. I'm pretty sure there's enough interest, so please don't give it up. Count me in too!
 
me 4.. my hood is a horrible repaint job so i'm willing to wetsand it, and if i screw up and it needs to be repainted, well.. it needed it anyway!
 
If you be careful and concentrate fully, it is not a very hard job... I would suggest adding some car shampoo into the water used to wet the sandpaper and areas. Also a sponge you slowly squeeze water from the top by letting the water seep down the panel will be very helpful...
 
How long do people usually wetsand for? cause I tried to even the paint surface but coudn't because I was so afraid of sanding too deep. I only wetsanded for about 5-10 minutes (multiple spots), then I just gave up. The mark is still noticeable.......should I continue sanding again?
 
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