Thread: wet sanding

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I use a couple different sanding pads that are sold at body shops.

One is soft like a sponge, and is used in sharp radiuses and on rolling surfaces. It will smooth the paint without taking thee tops off of high spots.

The other is harder for sanding off dust nibs, and leveling the surface. I use this for most of the sanding.

If I get a run, I wrap the paper around a flat paint stick. This is really hard, and will take the tops off of runs without cutting down the area around it at the same time.

Many people have gone to air sanding this "wet" stage. It is faster, but be careful you don't get into trouble and sand through.

A few other tips. Meguiars papers have more consitant grits. With other papers, it seems like there are always a couple "rocks" on the paper that are a little bigger, and you tend to get a few deep scratches on the surface.

Don't try to sand more than 2-4 square feet without changing the paper. It gets dull as you use it, and you will find it takes 2 or 3 times longer for the same size area.

While you are sanding, you can feel the surface with your hand to find spots that don't feel smooth. That way you don't have to dry it every time to see what you missed.

The grit you use will vary with the paint. A corser grit will cut faster and easier, but it's a wasted effort if it's too hard to buff. My paint stays soft longer, and I can use 1200, but some require much finer grits, like 1500 or 2000. Some guys like to use a second, even finer grit, to smooth it before buffing.

It's a lot of work to sand and buff, but it will give you a finish like glass, that cannot be sprayed on. :-) I do every job this way.