Wet Sanding and Buffing 101:
There is a lot of misinformation being spread about the correct procedure when it comes to Wet Sanding and Buffing paint. The most common errors occur in the correct techniques and tools to use. So here I will outline exactly what you need to do to get that show-quality/no-orange-peel look from your car.
DISCLAIMER
I am in no way responsible if you set out to try this on your car and bust through the paint. If you really want to wet sand go to a junk yard and get a trunk lid and try out your skills. Once you are satisfied with your abilities then work on your own car. This all takes practice, dont get discouraged, this takes a bit of finesse and technique.
The Tools:
Here is a list of the things you will absolutely need to complete your wet sanding project:
1) Sand Paper here is a place where too many people try to cut corners and end up with deep scratches, the better the paper the easier the paint will buff up. Meguairs sells a product called Uni-grit wet sanding paper. This paper should be available at your local Paint Supply Store. This paper is somewhat expensive because the grit is consistent throughout. Cheaper paper will have cutting abrasives glued to it that could vary, this variation will result in an inconsistent surface and much more buffing time.
2) Clean Bucket, New Sponge, squeegee, water sprayer If you have a bucket that is between 1 and 2 gallons that is clean it can be used. Clean is the key here, anything that can be laying in the bottom of the bucket such as large dust particles, tiny pieces of sand..etc. can end up getting between your paper and your paint, this will result in a scratch and can mess up a nice paint job. If you have any doubt whether the bucket is clean or not, buy a new one. Also make sure to rinse the new one out before using it. A new sponge, preferably without the scuffing side, will work just fine. These can be found in the cleaning aisle, get a new sponge because any foreign matter that can be in the sponge can cause problems as I explained earlier. Water sprayer, you will see them using these on American Hot Rod, they are simply pump style applicators with water in them. These are awesome, they deliver clean, and most importantly filtered water when you need it. The old school way of wet sanding involved using a bucket and reusing the old water over and over, this works but trust me the sprayer is better. Finally a squeegee, a California Water Blade does the trick.
3) A hard sanding block, and a soft sanding block- these things can be picked up at a paint store also, the hard block will most likely be made out of hard rubber and have two different sides. One side will be perfectly flat and the other will have holes cut half-way through it. A soft block will be very flexible and will also have two different sides. One side will be a soft rubber and the other side will be a harder rubber. These blocks are the only way to assure even pressure on the paint. Using your hands will cause the paint to plane down unevenly because of the natural peaks and valleys between your fingers. The blocks are normally about 2.5x4 in size.
4) Orbital Buffer and accessories yes orbital, the dual action/random orbit buffers wont work here. I suggest some kind of buffer in which you can adjust the speed. I normally buff at about 1450 RPMs and my Dewalt buffer has both speed adjustability and a variable trigger. You will need at least 1 if not two wool pads and 1 foam pad. The foam pad will need its own separate mount so make sure you buy that also.
5) Compounds I will swear by 3M products. I use Perfect It as my heavy compound and Finesse It as my lighter compound. I finish up with Meguairs Swirl Remover on the foam pad. Feel free to try what you want, but I know this combination works.
6) Wax and grease remover this stuff will also be available at your paint supply store. It will be used to remove any wax build up or any foreign material on the surface of your paint.
First I will outline a method that should be used when dealing with fresh paint or a car that has been re-sprayed (no stock paint). The reason I will split this up is because a car that has been refinished will more than likely have both more orange peel and more clear coat on it then a car with stock paint. This allows you to attack the surface much more aggressively without having to worry about rubbing through.
1) If at all possible try to begin wet sanding and buffing quickly after the paint has dried. In many cases we will paint a car and wait only 14 16 hours before beginning the wet sanding. If this isnt possible dont worry; buffing the car up will just take a little longer.
2) Prep the surface of your vehicle by using a wax and grease remover. This will ensure that no foreign particles that can harm your paint are on the surface. Simply get two clean rags, soak one with the cleaner and leave one dry. Wipe a body panel with the wet rag and follow it with the dry rag.
3) Get your bucket and fill it about ¾ of the way with clean water and add a drop of dishwashing detergent. Throw in your sponge and a couple sheets of 1200 grit paper.
4) Once the paper has soaked for about 15 minutes you can remove a piece and wrap it around the block. If you are working on an area such as a fender that has a bunch of curves use the soft block, if you are starting on a hood use the hard block. When you wrap the paper begin by putting the edge of the paper directly in the center of the block surface that you intend to use, now simply wrap the paper around and hold the loose end with your fingers. A note about the hard block, the hard block as stated before has two sides, a solid side and a holed side. The holed side is the one you will use to sand your paint with. The holes allow the water to lubricate the paper easier and makes for a more aggressive sand.
5) Before beginning to sand you should be aware of a few things. First is that paint is always thinner on edges, so stay at least an 1/8 of an inch away from all body lines and gaps. If you dont trust yourself to do this by being careful then simply tape the edges with masking tape. More pressure will not get the job done any faster it will simply increase the chances of you scratching your panel. And finally always keep as much of the surface of the block on the panel as possible, do not use the corners to remove dust or shiny spots. Wet the panel down with the water sprayer. Now if you begin on a fender you will want to, using moderate pressure and overlapping strokes, begin to sand the panel in a diagonal fashion. Once you have sanded the entire panel in one direction switch up and sand in the opposite direction. Intermediately dry the panel off with the squeegee and see what sort of progress you are making. (If at any time you hear something strange or feel as though something is underneath the paper stop immediately. Clean out your sponge and run your block/paper under clean water in the sink.!!) The goal is to level the orange peel, so if you dry the panel and see shiny spots, which are the valleys in the orange peel surface, you still have a little bit to go. Once the entire panel has no more shiny spots you may proceed to a finger grit paper.
6) Once you finish the entire area you plan to sand with 1200, soak up a few pieces of 1500. Repeat the sanding methods as stated previously. The difference here will be that instead of removing orange peel you will be simply removing the 1200 scratches with finer 1500 scratches. Your best bet is to sand the panel twice (twice in direction and twice in the opposite). Then buff it and if there is still some scratch you will need to sand some more.
Buffing:
1) Set your buffing speed to about 1450 RPMS and set up the wool pad. Once the buffer is set up take a old, but clean screw driver and, while spinning the buffer at a moderate speed, work the screwdriver tip from the inside of the pad to the outside. This will remove any foreign matter or lint that is in the pad.
2) Again as before you will want to stay away from edges and keep the buffer moving. When you do need to buff near an edge make it so that the pad sweeps of the edge rather than onto the edge. If allowed to remain in one place for two long the buffer will build up heat and burn the paint, keep the buffer moving and this wont be a problem Apply a bit of the heavy compound to the panel in a 2x2 area. Keep moving the buffer first up and down the panel in a side to side motion then side to side in an up and down motion. Once most of the compound is removed wipe the panel and check your results. If parts are not shiny and are still dull repeat again. Clean the pad whenever it gets caked up with compound.
3) Once you have finished with the first compound switch the pad to a clean side and do the same with the lighter compound. When you are finished the paint should all look shiny with no dull spots.
4) Clean the panel and attach the foam pad to the buffer. Apply a small amount of the swirl remover to the panel buff it as stated before. The foam pad is much more forgiving than a wool pad. It doesnt remove a lot of material and doesnt generate any heat. Once the surface is up to your specs then you are finished.
Doing a wet sand on a stock paint job will be to remove acid rain marks or scratches. The procedure is much the same as above except you will want to start off with 2000 grit. You wont be removing much orange peel either. You can most likely being buffing with the lighter compound rather than the heavy stuff because the scratch is so light. Simply sand a little bit in a fashion as explained previously and buff it. If you are happy with the results leave it, if youre not then sand some more.
I will try to post some pics the next time I undertake a wet sanding job.
There is a lot of misinformation being spread about the correct procedure when it comes to Wet Sanding and Buffing paint. The most common errors occur in the correct techniques and tools to use. So here I will outline exactly what you need to do to get that show-quality/no-orange-peel look from your car.
DISCLAIMER
I am in no way responsible if you set out to try this on your car and bust through the paint. If you really want to wet sand go to a junk yard and get a trunk lid and try out your skills. Once you are satisfied with your abilities then work on your own car. This all takes practice, dont get discouraged, this takes a bit of finesse and technique.
The Tools:
Here is a list of the things you will absolutely need to complete your wet sanding project:
1) Sand Paper here is a place where too many people try to cut corners and end up with deep scratches, the better the paper the easier the paint will buff up. Meguairs sells a product called Uni-grit wet sanding paper. This paper should be available at your local Paint Supply Store. This paper is somewhat expensive because the grit is consistent throughout. Cheaper paper will have cutting abrasives glued to it that could vary, this variation will result in an inconsistent surface and much more buffing time.
2) Clean Bucket, New Sponge, squeegee, water sprayer If you have a bucket that is between 1 and 2 gallons that is clean it can be used. Clean is the key here, anything that can be laying in the bottom of the bucket such as large dust particles, tiny pieces of sand..etc. can end up getting between your paper and your paint, this will result in a scratch and can mess up a nice paint job. If you have any doubt whether the bucket is clean or not, buy a new one. Also make sure to rinse the new one out before using it. A new sponge, preferably without the scuffing side, will work just fine. These can be found in the cleaning aisle, get a new sponge because any foreign matter that can be in the sponge can cause problems as I explained earlier. Water sprayer, you will see them using these on American Hot Rod, they are simply pump style applicators with water in them. These are awesome, they deliver clean, and most importantly filtered water when you need it. The old school way of wet sanding involved using a bucket and reusing the old water over and over, this works but trust me the sprayer is better. Finally a squeegee, a California Water Blade does the trick.
3) A hard sanding block, and a soft sanding block- these things can be picked up at a paint store also, the hard block will most likely be made out of hard rubber and have two different sides. One side will be perfectly flat and the other will have holes cut half-way through it. A soft block will be very flexible and will also have two different sides. One side will be a soft rubber and the other side will be a harder rubber. These blocks are the only way to assure even pressure on the paint. Using your hands will cause the paint to plane down unevenly because of the natural peaks and valleys between your fingers. The blocks are normally about 2.5x4 in size.
4) Orbital Buffer and accessories yes orbital, the dual action/random orbit buffers wont work here. I suggest some kind of buffer in which you can adjust the speed. I normally buff at about 1450 RPMs and my Dewalt buffer has both speed adjustability and a variable trigger. You will need at least 1 if not two wool pads and 1 foam pad. The foam pad will need its own separate mount so make sure you buy that also.
5) Compounds I will swear by 3M products. I use Perfect It as my heavy compound and Finesse It as my lighter compound. I finish up with Meguairs Swirl Remover on the foam pad. Feel free to try what you want, but I know this combination works.
6) Wax and grease remover this stuff will also be available at your paint supply store. It will be used to remove any wax build up or any foreign material on the surface of your paint.
First I will outline a method that should be used when dealing with fresh paint or a car that has been re-sprayed (no stock paint). The reason I will split this up is because a car that has been refinished will more than likely have both more orange peel and more clear coat on it then a car with stock paint. This allows you to attack the surface much more aggressively without having to worry about rubbing through.
1) If at all possible try to begin wet sanding and buffing quickly after the paint has dried. In many cases we will paint a car and wait only 14 16 hours before beginning the wet sanding. If this isnt possible dont worry; buffing the car up will just take a little longer.
2) Prep the surface of your vehicle by using a wax and grease remover. This will ensure that no foreign particles that can harm your paint are on the surface. Simply get two clean rags, soak one with the cleaner and leave one dry. Wipe a body panel with the wet rag and follow it with the dry rag.
3) Get your bucket and fill it about ¾ of the way with clean water and add a drop of dishwashing detergent. Throw in your sponge and a couple sheets of 1200 grit paper.
4) Once the paper has soaked for about 15 minutes you can remove a piece and wrap it around the block. If you are working on an area such as a fender that has a bunch of curves use the soft block, if you are starting on a hood use the hard block. When you wrap the paper begin by putting the edge of the paper directly in the center of the block surface that you intend to use, now simply wrap the paper around and hold the loose end with your fingers. A note about the hard block, the hard block as stated before has two sides, a solid side and a holed side. The holed side is the one you will use to sand your paint with. The holes allow the water to lubricate the paper easier and makes for a more aggressive sand.
5) Before beginning to sand you should be aware of a few things. First is that paint is always thinner on edges, so stay at least an 1/8 of an inch away from all body lines and gaps. If you dont trust yourself to do this by being careful then simply tape the edges with masking tape. More pressure will not get the job done any faster it will simply increase the chances of you scratching your panel. And finally always keep as much of the surface of the block on the panel as possible, do not use the corners to remove dust or shiny spots. Wet the panel down with the water sprayer. Now if you begin on a fender you will want to, using moderate pressure and overlapping strokes, begin to sand the panel in a diagonal fashion. Once you have sanded the entire panel in one direction switch up and sand in the opposite direction. Intermediately dry the panel off with the squeegee and see what sort of progress you are making. (If at any time you hear something strange or feel as though something is underneath the paper stop immediately. Clean out your sponge and run your block/paper under clean water in the sink.!!) The goal is to level the orange peel, so if you dry the panel and see shiny spots, which are the valleys in the orange peel surface, you still have a little bit to go. Once the entire panel has no more shiny spots you may proceed to a finger grit paper.
6) Once you finish the entire area you plan to sand with 1200, soak up a few pieces of 1500. Repeat the sanding methods as stated previously. The difference here will be that instead of removing orange peel you will be simply removing the 1200 scratches with finer 1500 scratches. Your best bet is to sand the panel twice (twice in direction and twice in the opposite). Then buff it and if there is still some scratch you will need to sand some more.
Buffing:
1) Set your buffing speed to about 1450 RPMS and set up the wool pad. Once the buffer is set up take a old, but clean screw driver and, while spinning the buffer at a moderate speed, work the screwdriver tip from the inside of the pad to the outside. This will remove any foreign matter or lint that is in the pad.
2) Again as before you will want to stay away from edges and keep the buffer moving. When you do need to buff near an edge make it so that the pad sweeps of the edge rather than onto the edge. If allowed to remain in one place for two long the buffer will build up heat and burn the paint, keep the buffer moving and this wont be a problem Apply a bit of the heavy compound to the panel in a 2x2 area. Keep moving the buffer first up and down the panel in a side to side motion then side to side in an up and down motion. Once most of the compound is removed wipe the panel and check your results. If parts are not shiny and are still dull repeat again. Clean the pad whenever it gets caked up with compound.
3) Once you have finished with the first compound switch the pad to a clean side and do the same with the lighter compound. When you are finished the paint should all look shiny with no dull spots.
4) Clean the panel and attach the foam pad to the buffer. Apply a small amount of the swirl remover to the panel buff it as stated before. The foam pad is much more forgiving than a wool pad. It doesnt remove a lot of material and doesnt generate any heat. Once the surface is up to your specs then you are finished.
Doing a wet sand on a stock paint job will be to remove acid rain marks or scratches. The procedure is much the same as above except you will want to start off with 2000 grit. You wont be removing much orange peel either. You can most likely being buffing with the lighter compound rather than the heavy stuff because the scratch is so light. Simply sand a little bit in a fashion as explained previously and buff it. If you are happy with the results leave it, if youre not then sand some more.
I will try to post some pics the next time I undertake a wet sanding job.
