Can someone give me step by step wetsanding info?

[ttypewhite]

As the ad said. I am sending my car in for paint. It is a white T-Type that is being painted the orginal factory white (base clear). When I get the car back from the bodyshop, I would like to wet sand the car myself. I have never done this before, but I want to give it a shot. I have done everything else on this car from motors to trannys etc. Can someone give me some step by step instructions on how to do this with the proper products I need to do this? I am going to let the car sit a couple days after its painted before I do this. I basically want to ellimunate any orange peel if any and have a smooth finish when done. This my understanding thus far

Get 600, 800, 1200, 1500 grit sandpaper.

Make sure my surface is clean. Start of with 600 and sand ( with lots of water) to a dull finish(lightly so it doesn't burn through) and upgrade paper grit as I go. Then polish it back up with specail polish (name brand???) and buff with another speacil compound of some sort.

Can someone shed more light on this for me? Where do you get these products from?

 

[Red Regal T]

Here's your problem. You really don't know how much paint the painter is going to put on. You only have his word, besides, you got guys here thinking you can wet sand the hell out of three coats of clear.........ya can't. Secondly, you have no experience doing this job. Even someone experienced could go through. If you go through, you'll have to get that part repainted.

You're painting white. Unfortunately, white doesn't show much difference between a sanded and buffed finish or an untouched finish with orange peel. If the guy puts a nice, factory style original finish, you might consider leaving well enough alone.

 

[Drop Top]

I'm going to agree with Red Regal T. If you try to sand with the grits that your talking about with the average paint job. You will deffently be repainting the car.

I restore and do show car paint jobs for a living. The only time I ever use 600 grit is if I have a run in the paint or I'm going to sand the clear for another 3 coats of clear.

I clear with a heavy hand and put more clear on than most painters in the first place. This alows for the colorsanding that I do. The grits of paper to be used for sanding greatly depends on how bad the orange peel is on the car.

Sence you have never done this before you are probley going to sand through on an edge somewhere or buff through somewhere. If you do it in too many places your going to end up ruining the paint.

If you still want to attempt this. Post back and I will give you more information for a beginner on how to buff without ruining your paint. If you dont have a buffer then be prepaired to spend around $300 to $400 dollors and about 25 to 30 hours of your time to do it.

 

[ttypewhite]

I would still like to know. Practice becomes perfect, you guys had to learn at some point. This is something I am going to try. There is nothing I can't do with these cars. I heard the same thing when I decided to pull my motor and tranny out for the first time. Now i can do it in my sleep. Anything I set my mind to do, i will accel at. The guy painting my car is my buddy, and I will be there when he is painting it, so lots of clear will be on this car. So Drop Top can you tell me what you use for products and sand paper with some insight?

 

[Drop Top]

Ther are many variations to buffing a car. Depending on the condishtion of the paint before sanding as to what needs to be done. I sand a car at least 3 times sometimes 4 before buffing. Then I use 4 differant compounds with 4 differant pads and then hand buff when I'm done. But your talking about show cars shine. I didn't start out doing it thias way. I will tell you what youneed for your first attemt at buffing. You will notic a big differance in before and after if you fallow my instructions.

For your first attempt. Sand your car with 1500 grit Meguiers paper. Then buff with a wool pad and use 3Ms rubbing compound to get the 1500 grit scratches out. Do it in the shade or inside a shop. When you get the scratches out you will see a good shine to the paint. But if you look very close you will see swurle marks. Round very fine scratches. To remove these you nee a black foam pad and 3M's new machien glaze. Buff entell the marks are gone.

You will want to soak the paper in worm soapy water for at least 15 mins before sanding. This will soften the paper so the corners wont cut into the paint. Use a mild dish soap in your water.

Use a clean sponge to keep the area wet while your sanding. Sand entill all the gloss is gone. Use a Californa water blade to dry off the paint once in a wile to see the progress your making. Stop sanding as soon as all the gloss is gone. For your first time I would sugjest staying away from the edges at least 1/16 to 1/4 of an inch. You might think about taping off the edges wit masking tape. While your sanding pay close attintion to the sound the paper is making. If you here a high pitch sound you have picked up a small pice of dirt. Stop right away and rense the area and the paper with clean water from your bucket of water.

When you have sanded the car. Tape off all edges with masking tape. You may want to tape off any windows and cracks like door jams and trunk/engine bay jams. Any where you don't want the compound to get. This will help in the clean up of the car. When your ready put a small amount on the car and smeer around with the pad before pulling the trigger on the buffer. Slowwly start to buff the compound inti the paint. Tis will keep the compound on the car where it belongs. As the compound starts to dissapere into the paint speed up the buffer and keep it moving back and forth. Do this entill all the 1500 grit scratches dissapear. Do one section at a time. I start fro the top and work my way down. Make shure you keep the pad moving away from the edges of the paint. Meaning the rotation of the pad. If you go the wrong way into the edges you will burn off the paint on the edge. This is why you want to tape the edges before you start. After you have buffed with the first compound. Change to the foam pad and do the same thing with the machine glaze. The you will want to use 3Ms final glaze with a clean rag and wip it off with a micofiber cloth.

This is a good start for your first time at buffing a car. I could tell you more tricks but you need to learn how to do it this way first. Then you will learn alot on your own. This is just the starting point. Good luck.

 

[ttypewhite]

Thank you for the info. So it looks like 3M products are highly reccomended by lots of people. I will check it out.