What "grit" sand paper for wet sanding?

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imported_SilverStallion

New member
I have a few small touch up "globs" on my car that I want to detail out, and I figure that wet sanding them, and then using a swirl remover, and then, AIO, SG, then some Megs #16 would help eliminate the build up.



I can't recall which automotive sand paper I want for finish wetsanding...1200 or 1500, or perhaps something different.



Please note that I do not use a PC...this will all be done by hand as far as the post wetsanding stage.



Will his help remove the paint buildup safely?



Recommendations and opinions kindly requested.

~Darren



PS...This is on the BMW 330i (Silver of course), not the Mustang.
 
If you're bold, you can use 1,500 grit. But a safer bet is 2,000. With any of these things, you want to go real slow and be careful. And this isn't finish-grade sanding, this is for removal. You want 4,000 or higher for that.
 
When I touched up some deep scratches, I had to wetsand using 2000, 2500 and 3000 grit. Turned out great! Followed it up with #80 and #26, did everything by hand. Like what BoxterCharlie said, be careful:)
 
I would recommend taping off the touch up areas so you don't sand anything extra. It will make polishing and finishing much easier.
 
I can make your life much easier...



1) Get a single edge razor blade

2) Bend it slightly in the middle, so it's bowed.

3) Now use this to 'plane' off the high spots you filled. If you used a hardner in the paint, you will need to scrape it from a sever angle. If you used the laquer touch-up paint, you can shave it off with a slight angle. Don't be afraid! Your original paint is very hard and the touch-up is soft. Unless you really dig at it, you won't scratch the original paint. It'll take a few trys until you learn the correct pressure.

4) Lightly sand with 1500. Use a small block to keep it flat. Sand until the area is level, NO MORE. Sand in straight lines, one direction.

5) Lightly sand with 2500. I usually do this by hand. Use a towel to frequenly wipe it dry so you can see the finish. It should look hazy and you sould not see any sanding marks from the 1500. Sand the OPPOSITE direction you did with the 2500.

6) Use rubbing compound to take out the haze. Usually 2-3 light passes.

7) Use SSR2.5 to remove the swirls. Usually 2-3 light passes.



PIECE of CAKE :up



Sounds long and complicated, but it's not. I can do it in 5 minues if the touch-up paint is already hardened.



Only problem you will find is if you have orange peel in that area, you paint will be perfeclty flat in the areas you fix :p
 
Although I did OK with a 2500 sanding block, I always recommend that people use 3,000 grit, at least when they try this for the first time. You can usually remove 3K grit scratches with something like PI-III RC (05933) by hand.
 
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