dmw2692004
New member
Accumulator said:
Agreed. I think you’re one of the first people to mention the long-term “consequences” of wet-sanding.
Wetsanding Rant!!!!
- Thread starter Barry Theal
- Start date
Agreed. I think you’re one of the first people to mention the long-term “consequences” of wet-sanding.
Accumulator
Well-known member
dmw2692004 said:
And aggressive comounding, and, well, all other forms of overdone abrasion
I know, I'm a real party-pooper
Just thinking long-term....
RaskyR1
Rasky's Auto Detailing
I have also noticed an increase in wet sanding related threads! What are you saying Barry? LOL! 
I have no issues with anyone wanting to venture into the world of wet sanding but it does need to be done with caution. I've also noticed that the majority of the questions I get are related to removing orange peel from factory paint cars. While this can be done to a degree, I discourage anyone from doing so that does not have a PTG and lots of experience. I've seen a lot of newer cars with PTG readings in the 100 micron range and wet sanding on a car like that would be like playing Russian Roulette!
A lot of good tips have already been posted here but I'll add a few of my own.
-It's a LOT of work! Start to finish most full wet sanding jobs will take 40+ hours.
-Removal of the sanding scratches is best done with a wool pad and a rotary buffer.
-Finishing off with 3000 or higher grit is a must IMO.
-The most common thing I see from body shops is unfinished polishing. There is nothing I hate more than seeing sanding scratches left in the paint leaving it for me to fix. Make sure you have proper lighting to see if there are any sanding scratches left in the paint. After finishing the initial compounding step, wash the car and come back the next day to carefully reinspect all areas. You'd be surprised at how much you'll find. I don't know if it's from paint swelling or the compound filling but it's not uncommon for me to have to go back and re hit some areas the next day.
I'll add more as things come to mind.
Rasky
I have no issues with anyone wanting to venture into the world of wet sanding but it does need to be done with caution. I've also noticed that the majority of the questions I get are related to removing orange peel from factory paint cars. While this can be done to a degree, I discourage anyone from doing so that does not have a PTG and lots of experience. I've seen a lot of newer cars with PTG readings in the 100 micron range and wet sanding on a car like that would be like playing Russian Roulette!
A lot of good tips have already been posted here but I'll add a few of my own.
-It's a LOT of work! Start to finish most full wet sanding jobs will take 40+ hours.
-Removal of the sanding scratches is best done with a wool pad and a rotary buffer.
-Finishing off with 3000 or higher grit is a must IMO.
-The most common thing I see from body shops is unfinished polishing. There is nothing I hate more than seeing sanding scratches left in the paint leaving it for me to fix. Make sure you have proper lighting to see if there are any sanding scratches left in the paint. After finishing the initial compounding step, wash the car and come back the next day to carefully reinspect all areas. You'd be surprised at how much you'll find. I don't know if it's from paint swelling or the compound filling but it's not uncommon for me to have to go back and re hit some areas the next day.
I'll add more as things come to mind.
Rasky
imported_DJ Mayo
New member
RaskyR1 said:I have also noticed an increase in wet sanding related threads! What are you saying Barry? LOL!
I have no issues with anyone wanting to venture into the world of wet sanding but it does need to be done with caution. I've also noticed that the majority of the questions I get are related to removing orange peel from factory paint cars. While this can be done to a degree, I discourage anyone from doing so that does not have a PTG and lots of experience. I've seen a lot of newer cars with PTG readings in the 100 micron range and wet sanding on a car like that would be like playing Russian Roulette!
A lot of good tips have already been posted here but I'll add a few of my own.
-It's a LOT of work! Start to finish most full wet sanding jobs will take 40+ hours.
-Removal of the sanding scratches is best done with a wool pad and a rotary buffer.
-Finishing off with 3000 or higher grit is a must IMO.
-The most common thing I see from body shops is unfinished polishing. There is nothing I hate more than seeing sanding scratches left in the paint leaving it for me to fix. Make sure you have proper lighting to see if there are any sanding scratches left in the paint. After finishing the initial compounding step, wash the car and come back the next day to carefully reinspect all areas. You'd be surprised at how much you'll find. I don't know if it's from paint swelling or the compound filling but it's not uncommon for me to have to go back and re hit some areas the next day.
I'll add more as things come to mind.
Rasky
Very true, I'll call ya back today since its a rainy one.
tdekany said:
Wetsanding by hand is nice, but time consuming. I finally had a break today to do some research. DJ has been trying to get me to get on the "machine wet-sanding" band wagon for awhile now. Now that winter is on its way I think that I will make a small investment on a Dynabrade Sander (2.5mm orbit) and some Mirka Abralon 800-4000 grit pads. As much as I hate to admit it but wetsanding is by far the most effort and the most rewarding when it come to paint corrective procedures. That is also why we charge more it.
Accumulator
Well-known member
howareb said:
The Mirka pads are nice (well, in my oh-so-limited experience).
What size does that Dyanabrade sander take?
Accumulator
Well-known member
howareb said:
Ah, yeah...sounds good.
Barry Theal
New member
If your looking for a good air sander, I have the snap on 6 inch air snder which is amazing with the trizact setup. Get 1/4 inch interface pad and you will never look back!! here is my set up. This one has a 3/4 inch interface pad.
Here is a link to the sander. I think its the same as the Dynabrade. I just bought it threw snap on because I have a nice line of credit with them!
PS4612, Sander, Orbital, Low Vibration, 6"
Here is a link to the sander. I think its the same as the Dynabrade. I just bought it threw snap on because I have a nice line of credit with them!
PS4612, Sander, Orbital, Low Vibration, 6"
Accumulator
Well-known member
Barry Theal- More info on the interfaces please!
In the pics, you have two pads between the sander and the paper, right?
You and your air-tools....wonder if I'd hate that approach as much as I think I would (which is based on experiences back in the '70s..) :think:
In the pics, you have two pads between the sander and the paper, right?
You and your air-tools....wonder if I'd hate that approach as much as I think I would (which is based on experiences back in the '70s..) :think:
jdm5lughatch
New member
tdekany said:
This wouldn't happen to be the same person that owned a BMW would it?
sacdetailing
New member
I dont think anyone had mentioned to use paint gauge! If your wetsanding a car that has been repainted-go to the shop that resprayed it and ask how much clear coat they applied. Some cars just cant be wet sanded with orange peel removal purpose because the clear coat is too thin. Wet sanding - removing microns - polishing to perfection after wetsanding- also removing microns from your clear. It might be ok for a couple years but if you sell the car to a person that would of never care to wax it the clear will be gone sooner than you think. hope that helps! Am not a pro but am trying to learn something everyday.