Buckwheat wrote:noticing some pros on videos using 5" hand power buffers with 2000 grit slow rpm for the wet sanding. i like the power idea vs hand. followed up with 3000 grit then buffed.

Makes it look so easy when they use a DA for wet.Ill get one sooner or later.By hand just seems safer but if you have a whole car to do at least the flat areas would go much quicker.

'68 Coronet R/T wrote:

myke wrote:People always say use a hard pad for flattening peel,some even use a hardwood block.
Kinda scary but it does work,You can sand in one direction with 1500 like NW to SE then go the other way with 2000 on a softer pad.

Ive always sanded quite wet ,whats the advantage of going damp?

I use a piece of oak for my hard block. The main thing is that the block doesn't flex, you want it to make contact only with the high spots.
The same holds true when sanding a run in your clear coat.

How big is the hardwood block? Do you have more then one? Im thinking something like 5" long and 1" wide? Or ? Say like doing a box side on a truck.

I use a 1" x 2" piece of Oak about 6" long. Actual measurements are 3/4" thick by 1 1/2" wide.

'68 Coronet R/T wrote:I use a 1" x 2" piece of Oak about 6" long. Actual measurements are 3/4" thick by 1 1/2" wide.

well thats interesting, I had no idea, I thought it was like the block sanding. I have a lot of block sanding pads, firm durablock etc.

so thats a small narrow block you use! ok, please explain how you use it, do you do very small areas at time? a 2'x2' area before moving on? now i'm getting that nervous feeling before wet sanding as I did before painting. ugh in fact the wet sanding probably intimidates me even more.

I keep two buckets with some water in them.

The first bucket is where I put the precut pieces of sandpaper and I add a little dawn dish soap to the water. The second bucket is clean water for rinsing my wiping cloth.

Next I have a spray bottle with water and a couple of drops of dawn added. I also keep a squeegee handy.

Work a small section at a time, like you said. Start with a 12" x 12" area and squirt some water on it. Then take your hard block with sandpaper wrapped around it and just lay it on the panel and start moving it in small overlapping circles. Keep it wet with the squirt bottle.

To check your progress, squirt some water on the area and use the squeegee. Wipe or blow dry and see if you have removed all the shiny spots.

thanks, biggest key from your post for me was......."small overlapping circles".

I didnt know if you cross hatched like block sanding or just straight or what.

appears its far more a process than block sanding really. its highlighting why I screwed up wet sanding my first job. didnt even use a block that time, just my hand thinking it was similar to just waxing a car. ugh.

i'll really follow the process this time. any further tips please post. I know this stuff has been discussed but what grit do you recommend I start with? 1500 or 2000? I have plenty of clear on the car but not as much as a pro probably. so move up over 3 different grits or just 2 and then compound?

Depends on how heavy your orange peel is.
Start with 1500 and if it seems like you aren't getting anywhere drop to 1000.
I usually start with 1000.

When moving up in grits, you work in sections as well. When checking your progress look across the panel from an angle and you should easily see the difference as the heavier scratches are removed.

ElliottG wrote:Hi guys,

Always wondered this question.

I painted parts of a white car last week, and it is barely even noticable without buffing. I still want to do it anyway.

I use a medium pad with M105 cutting compound, does this have similar effects to wet sanding with let's say a 1500/2000 grit? If so, why even bother wet sanding?

Could get away with just using M105/205 combo and not wet sanding at all?

I painted parts of a white car last week, and it is barely even noticable without buffing. I still want to do it anyway.

I use a medium pad with M105 cutting compound, does this have similar effects to wet sanding with let's say a 1500/2000 grit? If so, why even bother wet sanding?

Could get away with just using M105/205 combo and not wet sanding at all?

Using a medium pad with M105 cutting compound can have similar effects to wet sanding with a 1500/2000 grit sandpaper, but there are some differences between the two methods.

Wet sanding with a fine-grit sandpaper helps to level the surface by removing a thin layer of clear coat or paint. The paint process is useful when you have deeper imperfections, scratches, or orange peel texture that cannot be easily corrected with just polishing. Wet sanding gradually smoothes out the surface, and the finer grits help to remove the scratches left by the coarser grits.

On the other hand, using a cutting compound like M105 with a medium pad can also remove imperfections and scratches, but it may not be as effective at leveling the surface as wet sanding. The cutting compound works by breaking down the abrasive particles and polishing the surface, but it may not remove deeper imperfections completely.

So, while you can achieve some improvement by using a cutting compound and medium pad, wet sanding provides more control over the leveling process and allows you to achieve a smoother surface. Wet sanding is particularly beneficial when you have significant imperfections or need to remove a larger amount of material.

If the imperfections on your car are minimal and you're satisfied with the results achieved using the M105 cutting compound, you may be able to skip wet sanding. However, keep in mind that wet sanding can often provide better results for achieving a truly smooth and flawless finish, especially for more noticeable imperfections. It ultimately depends on the extent of the imperfections and the level of perfection you desire for your car's appearance.