Thursday, July 21, 2005

how to wet sand and buff your car

I have had a couple recent requests to post a detailed article on sanding and buffing your car.
I'm talking about basecoat/clear coat paint jobs here. You can wet sand and buff a solid color single stage paint but not a mettlaic or a pearl. Usually I just say when you do single stage you simply need to accept that what you get is what you get and just accept it and leave it alone. So if you are useing basecoat/clear coat here is how

1. Wash the car

2. Wipe the car with a mild solvent or commercially available wax and grease remover

3. Buy 3 or 4 sheets of each 2000, 1500,and 1200 grit wet and dry sand paper

4.Were going to walk down a ladder here and then back up again. I can’t see the condition of your paint so I can’t tell you which grit to use. Start with the 2000 grit if that seems to be leveling the surface great. If you determine that it’s just not doing the job go with the 1500 if that isn’t getting the job done go to the 1200. Now let’s say you have to use the 1200 after you have introduced throes scratches your going to have to cut the tops off of the scratch with the 1500 and then again with the 2000 grit. You can see you will be doing the whole job three times with this example so you want to get the job done with the finest scratch that will work.

5.Start with the finest grit, 2000 put a couple of sheets into a bucket of warm water and add a few drops of detergent (I just use what ever I'm using to wash dishes with at the time) and yes I almost always wash the dishes at my house. Let the sand paper soak for at least 15 minutes until it curls up we want the sand paper saturated. The detergent is for lubrication. Wrap the sand paper around a sanding block or a sponge and as you sand keep the surface wet and dunk the sand paper often a single piece of sand paper goes a long way if you keep it wet. When you are done the surface is going to look very dull and to bring back a shine we have to get rid of the sand scratches.

6. This is the point at which you need a piece of equipment; the standard of the industry is a 7” polisher you can rent these or purchase them form $75 -$400 Pads for the buffer are made off wool or foam. I like foam pads they don’t last as long as wool but I’m less likely to scorch the surface and I get better results. You will need two pads (a dense firm pad for compounding and a soft pad for polishing)

7. With old paint a rubbing compound was used to scourer the surface it had an abrasive in it but with modern urethane clear coats we need a rubbing compound that actually reflows the clear. Squirt some on to the surface and “butter it in.” That means spread the compound lightly with the polisher used at low speed and then let it sit on the surface thirty seconds or so to let the chemical action begin. You want to work areas that are four square feet or so before moving along operate the buffer at the lowest speed and don’t press down. Let the buffer do the work you are just there to guide it. Now it should be starting to look good. However you will see swirl marks the darker the color the more you will noticeable the swirl marks will be.

8. Hang in there we’re getting near the end. We are going to use a polymer sealant to fill throes swirl marks fill up the voids in the paint and give a gloss. WE ARE NOT GOING TO USE WAX. Wax is bad for paint it has always been bad for paint it was just the best thing they back in the good old days. Today with the advances in polymer technology we can make the paint stronger, longer lasting shiny 3M, Meaguire’s and Finish Kare all make good polymers sealants I use Finish Kare’s Polywipe. Go down to your local automotive paint store and ask them what they carry. Don’t bother to ask at the local parts supply house they just don’t know about this and will likely sell you wax. As far as how it is applied well that is very much like wax apply it with a soft cloth tee shirt material is good old cloth diapers are even better, work it in then let it have up for five or ten minutes. Next, buff with your clean sot foam pad. Work small areas at a time because you don’t want it to harden up it will get very hard and you will have a hard time removing it. Pay special attention to the hood and drivers side door those are the areas people look at closest.

9. Pay attention to the little areas like the edge of the hood and trunk lid get those spots clean before the polymer hardens

10. Pat your self on the back for a job well done.

67 comments:

Anonymous said...

I HAVE A 1988 FORD RANGER AND THE CLEAR COAT IS PEELING OFF ANY IDEAL HOW TO TAKE OFF CLEAR COAT WITH OUT KILLING PAIT JOB...brichard@carolina.rr.ocm...thanks. bruce

Unknown said...

No I'm sorry Bruce once the clear is starting to peal off the basecoat under it has sustained damage and it is time to repaint the truck. Think of base coat/clear coat as one paint that you put one one half at a time.
On the other hand the paint has lasted almost 20 years now it really doesn't owe you anything.
Jim

Anonymous said...

what do you know about buffing urethane that doesnt have a clearcoat?

Unknown said...

Bruce
It's a 1988, it's the original paint? How long do you think paint should last? Twenty years is a long time. Just repaint it the fact is once the clear is gone the protection is gone and you realy need to repaint just to protect the metal.
Jim

Anonymous said...

I am a 25 year novice. Just had a couple of thoughts. Buffing a urethane without a clearcoat is pretty much the same as any paint with a clearcoat.I sprayed Imron for a number of years and buffed it with great results. Used the same procedure that I use today to do basecoat/clearcoats.
As far as pealing clear, I use a razor blade and peel the clearcoat of the panel in question. If done correctly it will still require you to dust a basecoat color before you re-clear. On a large scale its better to just repaint.

Anonymous said...

jim hows it goin i will be atempting to prep and paint my first car. its a 1989 lx mustang any tips u can give me on my first paint job and first prep like what grid sand paper kind of paints thnks

mustang guy

Anonymous said...

how u doing jim my name is ashley and i am looking to buy a paint kit for my fiance to do his 1997 toyota supra want it to be a surprise so cant ask him what to get can u halp me im buying him paint a sprayer, and sand paper, and sand paper block,primer, what else do i need any special brands his car has no rust no filler and no rot please help me also what i will need to buy for preping car thnks hope u can help me ashley

Unknown said...

mustang guy
First and most importantly clean the car before you start detergent and water, then wipe the car down with a wax and grease remover to get anything that is not water soluble.
At this point you need to decide what body work you need to do.
If you are doing "bondo" work sand thoes areas with 80 grit.
If you are going to use a high build primer sand with 180 grit then prime and then sand the primer. Sand the primer first with 220 grit then 320 the finish off with 400 or 500 or 600 grit paper.
If you are only going to put sealer on sand the car down with 320 grit then seal it then paint.
In general the more time you spend getting the body strait and smooth the better the paint will look when you're done.
Jim

Unknown said...

Ashley
First your fiance is one lucky guy his girl is buying him car paint how cool is that.
The first thing I would advise is seek out a local automotive paint store that has employees that are willing to take the time to help you. I am frankly pissed off (beware rant starts here) at paint people and parts people that think they are too good or to superior to talk to novices. The last time I looked there was no gene for painting or pluming or carpentry these are learned activities and everybody gets to be a beginner once. If you really know what your talking about you should be able to explain it to anyone. OK rant over
Sherwin Williams, PPG and DuPont all have their expensive paint that are designed for exact paint matching and their cheaper paint. So if you are painting the fender on your 2005 Buick buy the expensive paint. But your boyfriend wants to paint his whole car so the paint doesn't have to match a standard it just has to match itself. This difference can be hundreds of dollars next urethane clear buy a generic. Don't buy one with the major brand names. Dupont does not make clear neither does SW they buy them from clear coat manufactures the same goes for primer. I do recommend you get him urethane primer it costs a little more but it's just way better.
Get him a gravity gun the cup on the top kind better newer technology than the old siphon cup on the bottom gun. Or evan better get two one for primer one for color and clear.

Anonymous said...

Hello, I have a 01 lincoln ls and i was wanting to wet sand and buff it. I went out and bought a buffer,2000 grit sand paper,and 3M rubbing compound.Is there anything else i need? This is my first time ever doing this,and this car is my everything so i dont want to mess her finish up more then it already is.Also my car is black how bad do you think i will have swirl marks after i wet sand and buff her. Thanks

Unknown said...

lincoln man
What is the condition of your car now? And which of the many 3M compounds also what are you going to use for a glaze. You understand that black is the very hardest color to do.
Jim

Anonymous said...

Hi Jim
thanks for the tip on wet sanding but i have a question,you
said that the car should be rubbed
down with mild solvent but i painted the car last fall so the car has never been waxed, do i still need the solvent, and being
the car was clear coated does this
matter thanks so much
chris
cnie852971@aol.com

Unknown said...

Does it matter when you are sanding the paint whether you sand in a circular pattern or a straight back and forth motion?

Steve

Unknown said...

On wet sanding Anonymous asked if he needed to use solvent because he hadn't waxed his car. I would just to be sure. You don't know what has is on your car that is not water soluble.
On sanding best to sand in one direction and that is with the lines of the car.

Anonymous said...

I have a 2002 dodge truck that has old buffing compound that has hardened to the surface of the clear coat. I used a 1200 grit wet sand paper to remove the hardened compound spots with no issue. My questions for you are: What do I do next? Go to a finer grit like 2000 or go right to buffing it out? Do I need to sand the entire panel or just around the area that needs sanding? I'm concerned that buffing in such a confined area may burn the clear coat too much. Your thoughts?

Kanon

Unknown said...

Kanon
I would want to see if you could get it clean it off, I'm sure you have tried to wash it with soap and water but have you tried a solvent?
If that doesn't work try a cleanser not one with bleach in it but try Bon Ami or Bar Keepers Friend. I believe they are both made with diatomaceous earth a very mild abrasive. Keep it wet and work it with a soft brush
Jim

Anonymous said...

my brother and i have just painted our car and are looking at sanding it and cleaning it up what is the best product and any secrets that would help
tyson

Unknown said...

Tyson
I have witnessed heated arguments between expert detailers about which is the best. There are a lot of great products out there.
I recently tried out the new 3M Perfect-it system I can recommend this as an excellent comprehensive system.
check out the pdf at http://multimedia.mmm.com/mws/mediawebserver.dyn?6666660Zjcf6lVs6EVs66SQogCOrrrrQ-

Anonymous said...

Jim, I just peeled off the magnetic business signs on my truck and the paint underneath is all hazy and white! Is there anything I can do? It's a 2008 Tundra and I'm so bummed right now.

Unknown said...

This is the kind of things that the conversation usually begins. "With out seeing it..."
So with out seeing it.. but my guess is water got in behind the sign and has entered the still partially cured clear.
If you are really lucky putting it in the sun will make it all right. More likely you will have to wet sand it and reapply the clear.
But like I said with out seeing it

Anonymous said...

Jim, How are you?

I have a black 1996 mustang cobra with some light surface scratches that will not disappear with ordinary wax. I was thinking about wet sanding the entire car. What type of rubbing compound would you recommend? I also am looking to purchase a polisher and was wondering if you had any favorites in mind? Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Jim, How are you?

I have a black 1996 mustang cobra with some light surface scratches that will not disappear with ordinary wax. I was thinking about wet sanding the entire car. What type of rubbing compound would you recommend? I also am looking to purchase a polisher and was wondering if you had any favorites in mind? Thanks.

Justin

Anonymous said...

Hi. Jim. I have a 1988 dodge. I painted it with PW-7 Omni- white paint, 3-4coats of single stage. I am leaving it for about 60-80 days before sanding, first with a 2500, then a 3000. Do I need to wash it with a solvent? or not? Thanks, rjk @ jark@SCinternet.net

Unknown said...

My comments on wet sanding and buffing were directed primarily to base coat clear coat paint jobs. Maybe I'll edit it to make that clear. Base clear lends it self to wet sanding and buffing much more than single stage does. You may sand and buff a single stage paint job as long as it is a solid color, like the PW7 white. Some single stage paint works better than others omni urethane will buff out quite well, while single stage acrylic enamel will never buff to a high gloss. The plastic binders are just different.
But don't try to wet sand and buff a pearl or metallic single stage paint
Jim

Anonymous said...

Hello my friend. My brother just painted my car with a base coat metalic pain and then he put clear over it. Just that the car looks like a orange peel and some parts of car don't shine to much. He said ( my brother ) give it a week and he will sand it down and then buff it out.
My question is, could he do that? reason I ask is because I just read your comment about not sanding a metallic car.

Thanks
Alex

Unknown said...

Alex
Reread what I said in the second sentence "I'm talking about basecoat/clear coat paint jobs here"
That's the beauty of base clear systems you can go back and fix those little problems.
Your brother is correct
Jim

ben said...

How do u protect flat black? any protectant seems to make it gloss. I want to keep it dull and flat.

Unknown said...

Ben
It's the gloss the skin of the paint that protects the metal. That is after all paints first job. Flat black paint does not protect the metal Take a look at this post from June'06 http://carpaint.blogspot.com/2006/06/lacquer-primer-does-not-protect.html
Jim

Anonymous said...

hello, my grandmother left me a 1993 lincoln town car which she bought brand enw. a week ago it was painted original color [charcoal grey] but with metalic glitter in it. cash was low so i setteled on the shop. it looks REALLY good but not the mirror finish i want. he used a base and 3 gallons of clear coat. will buffinf fix my problem or is wetsanding my best option? this car means the world to me i already put 351 clevland in it. thank you

greg

SS396 said...

Hey Jim,
I really like your answers to some of the questions but don't agree fully. I don't think you stress enough the idea of "block sanding" the high build primer. This is really crucial to a good paint job. I also strongly suggest the use of epoxy primers before doing any of the bodywork. This is an excellent base to start with especially if doing some "bondo" work. Anyway great blog and i picked up some pointers on the wet sanding since that is what I am on next with my 68 Camaro SS project.
Thanks,
SS396

Unknown said...

Good point ss396
I probably didn't stress it enough. Let me now. The smoother and straiter the body work the better it will look when it is shinny.
Jim

Wayne said...

I have a 95' Riveria that has been rebult including new engine. The only thing left is the paint job. It's dark cherry metallic and is in good shape except for the trunk lid and some small horizional surfaces. Hood and rest of car is fine.
The clearcoat on trunk is "sploching" (white spots)that disappear when wet. Will sanding off the clearcoat, light coat of basecoat and re-clearcoat do the job? If so what grit, polish, etc. Thanks in advance----Wayne

Unknown said...

Wayne
The horizontal surfaces take a beating from the ultra-violet rays of the sun. They are going to show the effects of age earlier then he rest of the car.
And yes you can wet sand and put a new coat of base and then apply clear. Clean then wet sand with 500 or 600 grit apply 2 or three coats of color and 2 or 3 colas of clear.

Jake said...

I have a 98 Acura Integra. The clear has come off in several areas and the passenger side has either major sun fading or some kind of sanding mistakes going on and I want a whole new paint. The car is a forest green now but I want it black. Do I just sand the clear off and scrape the original paint not taking it completely off and lay down primer? And can this be achieved with a wet sander and block sander starting with some 800 grit and working my way to a 1500 grit? Im new to the whole process so Im not sure what I should and shouldnt do.
Thanks
Jake

Unknown said...

Jake
Here is the process in a nutshell.
Clean the car.
Sand the car 180 grit
prime the car 220, 320 the 400 grit
paint the car
For a detailed disussion of how to paint your car go to Neil Slade's http://www.easypaintyourcar.com/
Jim

Anonymous said...

Jim I just painted a honda accord, looks pretty good but has a little bit a orange peel, I read that the longer I wait to wet sand with 2000 to 3000 grit paper then buff the worse it will be is this true?
Reason being is I am not 18 years old anymore I am 44 and after a gruelling two weeks of preping filling masking and painting I dont have the energy for the wet sanding and buffing at this time.
it has no clear coat and is urethane paint.
What do I need to know/do at this point?
Can I wait?
will the paint be okay if I drive the car around for a couple year's possibly thru winter?
Thank you
Ed.

Unknown said...

Ed
You can absolutely wait there is no need to wet sand and buff right away.
That said the paint companies have engineered the clear to wet sand and buff quickly because they are selling to high volume body shop that is looking for production.
If you wait till next spring it will be fully cured and harder to sand but it is doable.
Jim

1970_Chevelle_SS_454 said...

Jim,
My wife bought me a 1970 Chevelle SS 454 for a wedding present, (hell of a woman). Paint is descent but is a very cheap job. It seems i\like there is only 1 coat. Red with black stripes, i want to go back with Bright Yellow with Black Stripes. Right now i have the body off and all panels (fenders, hood, ext) separated because i am in the restoring stage.
1. should i strip all the old paint off?
2. what type of paint should i use?
3. how many coats should i lay?
4. what type of clear should i put on it?
5. do i even need a primer?
This is something i want to be able to say i restored 100% on my own but i don't want to screw it up. Thanks for any suggestions and tips you can provide.
- Owen

Unknown said...

Owen
Awesome present take care of that woman. let me answer your questions in a different order
1 The decision about striping the car depends on how many coats of paint are on it now. If it has been painted once or twice just sand it. If it has six or eight coats then it needs to be striped. If it is somewhere in between then it's a judgment call.
5 Yes you do need primer. Automotive primer does two thing it is a nice surface for paint to stick to and a high build primer is a surface that can be be sanded smooth so it will look gorgeous when painted.
2 You want to use urethane base coat/clear coat. Where you live will determine if your using solvent borne or water borne
3 Put on enough coats to get coverage some colors cover better than others. So 2-4 coats of color and 2-4 coats of clear high solids clear and production guns will put on enough coats in 2 passes low solids clear will need more.
4 I always used to use high solid clear thinking I was giving more protection but lately I use an inexpensive low solids clear. It just lays out nicer for me and I'm not in a production situation so if it takes a little longer and to put on another coat well that's not a problem for me

1970_Chevelle_SS_454 said...

Jim Thanks for the information. Reckon i can just sand it down, i don't need to strip it all off because that's what the guy did to it before he painted it before i got it. I live in south Georgia and the humidity is a big factor for painting. If i go ahead and wet sand it down now, is there a certain amount of time in which i need to get fresh primer and paint back onto it.

Unknown said...

Owen
I can't really tell you how much time you have but keep in mind that paints first job is to protect the metal. The primer doesn't offer the same protection that the paint will so just keep it in the garage until it's painted and I'm sure it will come out great.

Mike said...

Jim,
I'm a novice at this but not sure if I want this done professionally or can I do this myself with professional results. I have a 2000 Roadstar motorcycle. Spent $3000 on a custom paint job about 6 years ago. Its got about 5 layers of paint with ghost flames. Paint is still in excellent shape except for the light surface scratches that have come with wear and tear over the years. What can I do to get rid of these without harming the clear coat and get that gloss back?

blu-XXI said...

Hi Jim,

It's been almost 6 years, so I'm not sure if you'd reply or not, but much appreciated if you do:
So, I backed my car into a parking structure pillar and there was quite a dent. Some random guys I met offered to fix it up and repaint it for pretty cheap, so I took them up on their offer. They pushed out the dent and added something else to smoothen the surface more. They then proceeded to repaint and clearcoat the surface. When it was wet, it looked fine, but it's been several days, and I'm noticing major orange-peeling. They told me to wait a week before doing anything, but the longer I wait, the worse it seems to look.

Should I try wetsanding and compounding this? Or would I have to repaint it again? It'd probably be helpful to say that I know absolutely nothing about painting a car.

Thank You,
Jon

Unknown said...

Jon
There could be a couple of things happening here. It could just be the clear and waiting a week to wet sand and then compound is appropriate.
What worries me is that you say it's getting worse. If they used a lacquer based putty or primer it could be shrinking as it gives off solvent. If that is the case, and I can't know, no amount of wet sanding and compounding will help.
I hope it works out for you
Jim

Unknown said...

Hello, i have a '67 Fury with a really nice flame job done about 10 years ago. The paint job is exactly what I want visually, but I think the prep work was bad. I would hate to hate it fully repainted as I doubt I could get back to the look I have.
The problem is that there is tiny bubbles in the clear. Didn't notice them until the past two or three years. Is there any why to sand and reclear a custom paint job without loosing the whole thing?

chris said...

Hi, was just wondering. Ive done repainting on non metallic or pearl base coats in the past. Was wondering why you said we should not wet sand and use rubbing compound on pearl and metallic coats. Never heard this before. I have a 2004 SRT-4 that has some much needed paint repairs and it has an electric blue pearl base coat. By the way i saw a decent spray gun kit at the following website if anyone cares to check it out: http://www.automotivetouchup.com/spray-guns/all-spray-guns.aspx

charlyboy said...

Hey Jim I just finish color sanding and buffing a 64 impala it came up looking pretty good but i did had some trouble when I finish compounding the car cause it had residues from the wool pad and dried compound on most of panels on the so my next step was polishing the car to remove the swirl marks but to that I had to clean the surface of the panel when I did it kind of left lite scratches on the panel what do you think went wrong

jose wicho said...

Yes umm I have a 98 f150 and I just painted it with indurtrial paont jet black how do I buff it I have some 2000 grit but I don't know wat compunds to use

impala man said...

I got a question. I took my car to a car wash and use the brush and it scratch it all up. Its a 06 impala ss with factory paint do you think its a good idea to have it wet sand and buff? I'm new to this

impala man said...

I got a question. I took my car to a car wash and use the brush and it scratch it all up. Its a 06 impala ss with factory paint do you think its a good idea to have it wet sand and buff? I'm new to this

skytrash said...

Hey Jim,
I have an aluminum hull boat that has factory paint that has some very small chips from towing, I'd like to just glaze the chips, primer those areas (small) and repaint the entire hull the original color. I was told by 2 body guys just to lightly rough up the existing paint so the new paint would adhere, the problem is that one is saying to use the maroon 3M pads and the other is saying to use a 320 wet sand. The existing coat is PPG and I have the paint code, any thoughts? I plan to hit her with 2 coats of base and at least 3 coats of clear. Many thanks in advance for any insight you might have!


Regards,
Scott

Unknown said...

Scott
It sounds like you are on the right track and the scratch from a maroon scuff pad is roughly equivalent to a 320 scratch so those guys were both correct. The only thing I would add is self etching primer on chipped spots.

Jim

fldave59 said...

Jim, I am preparing to repaint my Chevy truck using a metallic urethane. What role do hardeners reducers play and are they necessary? Also, is there a limit to the number of coats of clear that can be applied, when does the law of limited return kick in when applying clear?

Unknown said...

Fldave59
Years ago when enamels were first introduced paint companies needed to introduced a new class of solvent so they introduced this new class of solvent as "reducers" to differentiate them from lacquer "thinners"
When we spray modern base coat clear coat paints the role of reducer is to lower the viscosity of the paint so the spray gun can atomize it.
The hardener is required for the urethane clear to cure. If you don't put it in it will never get hard and will remain sticky or soft, so yes they are both necessary.
When we go to car shows we see those gorgeous cars with so much clear it looks like you could reach into them. Great for show cars not good for cars we actually drive everyday. Apply 3 or 4 coats more than that and the paint becomes to brittle to react to temperature changes and will crack.
And remember always wear your respirator.

fldave59 said...

Thank you for the clarification on Urethane reducers!

Any idea if I can get by with a gallon of base and a gallon of clear for a full size Chevy pick up? I will not be painting the inner bed as I will be having a liner painted in.

How long do I have to wait before using an orbital buffer on my new clear coat to apply a sealer and buff out the high spots?

Thanks again,
David

Seabrz said...

Jim,
I have a 95 Ford F150 and the clear coat is peling off. Is there a way I can just remove the rest of the clear coat and save paint. I don't want to put much in such an old truck.

Thanks,
Johnny

Unknown said...

Johnny
Think of base-coat/clear-coat as one paint that you put on in two steps not as two separate things. So if you spray more clear on it will cure but it will not integrate into the color and you run the risk of it peeling off.

Vaced said...

How safe is wet sanding? I will practice on some things before I move to my car, but if I screw up on my car will I be able to reverse or at least disguise my mistakes?


Also, I know once clear is peeling the car should be repainted, but is there anyway to delay the peeling of the clear? It is peeling only in a small dime-sized area on my car, but I am expected it to start peeling more rapidly soon, and I am hoping to prolong the clear until I can scrounge up cash to paint the car. (Color is a metallic-dark blue with a clear over it).

Anonymous said...

jim,

I have a 98 VW jetta. We did bondo work to it to get the small dents out, made the body nice and straight. Scuffed the car down and sprayed Kliens primer to it. Then we hit it with a Restoration shop basecoat clear coat system. Restoration shop jet black gloss paint (two coats) let it dry and sprayed Kustom Shop 2K Speed Urethane Clear (two coats). The car is sitting in the garage now with an orange peel look on it and some drips of clear coat on the hood. also, it needs some touch up work where the tape covered too much and you can see primer when it was peeled up. I bought a foam sanding block, 1200, 1500, and 2000 grit sand paper so I can wet sand it. I also bought a electric 7" polisher/sander for buffing it out. My question is should i start with the 1200 first to get out the orange peel look and the clear coat spots. Then move to the 1500 and then the 2000 in that order? Or the other way around. Also, before wet sanding, You suggested to wash the car. Can I spray it down with simple green (environment friendly degreaser), wash the car and then go into the wet sanding? After the wet sanding is complete, I will buff it out with the polisher I bought and probably Mequirers compound or something you suggested above. I'm a novice with the wet sanding and would just like some recommendations. Also pointers on the touch ups. I still have some jet black paint left and clear coat left. Thanks

Unknown said...

People that wet sand all the time can look at orange peel and say "Oh I need to start with 1200 on that spot, or 1500 will take care of that" if your doing it the first time that's just not possible you don't have the experience. You don't have very much thickness to work with so take some time and see if 2000 will level the surface. If not the move to a courser grit.
The point here is you want to finish with the finest grit, you don't want to make scratches deeper than you have to and you don't want to take off more than is necessary.

Unknown said...

jim, just had a 79 ford f250 cab painted with a single stage urethane, the result orange peel galore. question am i stuck with it or can i wet sand doing the step or buff it out?

Unknown said...

If you used single stage urethane and it has NO metallic or pearl you can wet sand and buff assuming you have enough paint on the car.
If it has metallic or pearl you will move the metallic pieces around and it will not look good.

Unknown said...

I have a full size chevy van that I have sanded down and ready for primer. My question is can I primer this at the paint booth and bring it home and block sand? Will moisture be a problem? I am trying to do a good job and want to take my time block sanding. Thanks Kelly

Unknown said...

Kelly
Yes you can prime your car and take it home to block it out. Use a urethane or an epoxy primer or one of the new hybrid primers. Just don't use lacquer primer and you should be fine. Keep the car in a garage or if it has to go out in the weather for a while give it a coat of sealer. You will have to sand it off before the paint job but it will help protect it from the elements.
Jim

Unknown said...

I am troubled by how many supposed professionals—some employees at parts stores, like you say, for example—aren't aware that wax is harmful. It makes me nervous to take in my car anywhere. I've taken it upon myself to call each of my grandkids when they get their first car and tell them to avoid wax like the plague! Thanks for spreading truth, Jim.

Derek Hewlett | http://www.highwoodautobody.com

jtman9200 said...

So I have a 2006 SAAB and the paint is in pretty good shape. I am somewhat worried that water spots and other things seem to "stick" more to the paint. What would your solution for this be? I don't want to repaint my car or anything but I feel like it has lost its glass like finish. http://www.platinumcarwash.com

Unknown said...

As your paint ages the paint goes from flat, hence shinny to rough on a microscopic level. So you need to get it back to smooth so it really depends on how bad and how much time your willing to devote to the fix.
So Having read my 10 step "how to wet sand and buff..." post. This post is now like 9 years old but I think it is still valid. first thing is still clean the car. From there you can skip down to the glaze/polymer sealant step. It may be good enough good luck