# Wet sanding!



## k9vnd (Apr 11, 2011)

Taking the plunge! After watching countless vid's and looking at the pro's and con's think it's about time I stepped up a gear, that being it's nothing major.
The overall plan is 2 passes with 2000g followed by 1000g using the megs paper and block, ive a few new polish's on route and eager to try them out while achieving some simple stone chips repairing and hopefully reduce a little more of the orange peel.
Looking for any hint's and tip's and any advice I may have not herd yet:thumb:


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## waqasr (Oct 22, 2011)

Woah, slow down a second there. The lower the number the coarses the paper so it would be 1000 and then 2000 BUT 1000 is far to coarse to start with, depending on what car you are doing, start with 2000, if that is not doing the job go down to 1500. Also try not to skip 2 grades of paper. Wet and dry comes in 1000/1200/1500/2000/2500/3000/4000.


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## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

k9vnd said:


> Taking the plunge! After watching countless vid's and looking at the pro's and con's think it's about time I stepped up a gear, that being it's nothing major.
> The overall plan is 2 passes with 2000g followed by 1000g using the megs paper and block, ive a few new polish's on route and eager to try them out while achieving some simple stone chips repairing and hopefully reduce a little more of the orange peel.
> Looking for any hint's and tip's and any advice I may have not herd yet:thumb:


Clearly not watched enough.

Joking aside.

1000 is very rough.

2000 would be better start depending on how bad it is.

And bring it up to at least 3000 personally I would bring it upto 5000 using discs and da.

Ie 2000, 2500, 3000, 4000, 5000.

Then polish

3m even do a 6000 disc.

With rupes da pads. 1500, 2000, 3000


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## rob_vrs (Jan 4, 2012)

As rascal said, minimum 2000 unless after a lot of passes its striggling maybe drop to 1500, then go up to around 4000 grit to finish before polishing out


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## jenks (Apr 20, 2009)

Thankfully he posted his plans rather than before/ after photos! Would have been a very steep learning curve


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## Benn (Aug 22, 2007)

Remember that when you flatting/sanding you need to be able to re-polish.
So your pad of choice needs to fit. IE: Don't sand in to a corner that your pad/mop wont fit in too.
Try not to use your fingers, always use a pad where poss. As flatting with your hands you can leave marks in to paint.


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## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

Reason why da discs are safer option some times. 

Thought about denim and velvet pads instead?


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## k9vnd (Apr 11, 2011)

See now am a little confused, according to polished bliss site the megs 2000 is medium cut and 3000 fine cut? I noticed the 1000 was marked as heavy cutting so decided to opt that option out.


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## k9vnd (Apr 11, 2011)

Rascal_69 said:


> Reason why da discs are safer option some times.
> 
> Thought about denim and velvet pads instead?


Yeah, at first I thought about the carpro denium pads with fixer but after a look on pb I thought I had the combination for what I needed correct.


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## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

k9vnd said:


> See now am a little confused, according to polished bliss site the megs 2000 is medium cut and 3000 fine cut? I noticed the 1000 was marked as heavy cutting so decided to opt that option out.


That's right. 1000 is rougher than 2000.

What is it your removing? Peel? Marks? How bad are they?

If it's peel is it total removal you want?

This the car a daily?


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## k9vnd (Apr 11, 2011)

This is what I got here including the block-
http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/meguiars-unigrit-sanding-papers.html


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## k9vnd (Apr 11, 2011)

Rascal_69 said:


> That's right. 1000 is rougher than 2000.
> 
> What is it your removing? Peel? Marks? How bad are they?
> 
> ...


TOBH its for the vec in the avatar, it really doesn't need anything but theres mabey at least 4 small stone chips on the bonnet, ive just did a small blob on each and the plan was to pass over the bonnet with the 2000 then the 1000 and use the new polish's to see what it would achive.
Or 
Just mask a square round the chips and see what is achievable before doing the whole lot, it may be a waste of time but my thinking is once am confident doing that then I can step it up a notch at a time.
The peel not 100% but given time and id say possibly more knowledge then it's a task id like to do.


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## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

Again your saying it in wrong way. 

2000 followed by 1000 is wrong way about it. 

It should read 1000 followed by 2000

The lower the number ie 1000 is lower than 2000 so it's rougher paper. 

Ie 500 grit is rougher than 1000.


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## k9vnd (Apr 11, 2011)

Rascal_69 said:


> Again your saying it in wrong way.
> 
> 2000 followed by 1000 is wrong way about it.
> 
> ...


:lol:sorry 2000g then finish 3000g. If I was going to step above the 2000g then it's 1500,1200 and 1000 being the roughest
Just trying to keep myself right.


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## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

Better. Yeah if your not happy with 2000 

Then 1500 would be good then remember to bring it back up again by 2000 again after then 3000.


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## BRUNBERG (Oct 21, 2010)

Rascal has given you some great info there. Measure every square inch of that bonnet before sanding mate


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## k9vnd (Apr 11, 2011)

Rascal_69 said:


> Better. Yeah if your not happy with 2000
> 
> Then 1500 would be good then remember to bring it back up again by 2000 again after then 3000.


It's in there now:lol::thumb:


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## suspal (Dec 29, 2011)

k9vnd said:


> It's in there now:lol::thumb:


Practice first on a similar scrap panel to the car you're going to be sanding :thumb:


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## Benn (Aug 22, 2007)

Best advice^

Paint/clear is very easy to sand though.


Easy way to remember. Think of a sheet of paper, The higher the amount of bits on it will mean they are smaller and finer, the less bits means they can be bigger.

2000 grit will be tiny.
80 grit will be like bricks.


1500 and above are classed as finishing paper. As you'd use them for flatting.
1000 and under is for flatting paint to re paint.


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## k9vnd (Apr 11, 2011)

Everything's here, just debating whether to do the megs #101 with a microfiber pad or the blackfire src compound via foam? the idea is to try out the bf src finishing polish with a finishing microfiber pad after the compound?
Failing so its the rupes with microfiber pad's?

Any idea's to solely remove the 2000g sanding?


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## Benn (Aug 22, 2007)

I use 3M fastcut with a black polishing Farecla soft foam head. I use that for all my polishing flatted paint work, Then a ultrafina over the top to finish.
Sure someone would say that's a bit hard/harsh but works perfect at home or in a bodyshop.


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## frosty90 (Dec 9, 2013)

im by no means an expert but I wouldn't even think about wet sanding my car with anything rougher than 2000 and then a good polish after!


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## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

k9vnd said:


> Everything's here, just debating whether to do the megs #101 with a microfiber pad or the blackfire src compound via foam? the idea is to try out the bf src finishing polish with a finishing microfiber pad after the compound?
> Failing so its the rupes with microfiber pad's?
> 
> Any idea's to solely remove the 2000g sanding?


Bring it up to 3000.

I am going to be doing my own car soon.

But it's just getting re painted.

Block it from 1200 up and going to finish with 3m trizact 3000 on da.


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## Benn (Aug 22, 2007)

CAreful going down to 1200 tho^

We used to 1200 and 1500 everything in the bodyshop where i worked.
Sometimes getting the 1200 mark out can be hard, even going up to 3k.

My roof flatted with 1500,2k then 3k.



Polished back with 3M fastcut then 3M ultrafina.


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## Leebo310 (Sep 30, 2013)

I used just 3000 followed by a two stage polish after I painted a few chips on the bonnet of our Golf.
Used 3000 grit sandpaper to wet sand, followed by Menz fast gloss 400 on a purple Scholl spot pad and Rupes Diamond Gloss on an orange Scholl to finish. I'm sure that wouldn't be the way pro's would do but i was happy with it and (to me at least) it came out quite well!

Took AGES to do even just a small section but to me it was something I definitely wanted to do right, rather than do fast!


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## devonutopia (May 29, 2006)

I've wet sanded with 240 grit paper before. I had to though as had to cut through about 2 dodgy resprays to reach proper original paint. That was on 2 pack paint but it still felt a little wrong using something that coarse.

I happily start with 1200 grit on most cars when wet sanding is needed, and then bring through to 2000 grit - Never had an issue where polishing hasn't removed all sanding marks (that could have been helped perhaps by going all the way to 3000 grit)


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## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

It's something i plan on teaching myself sometime soon, i have a practice panel to work on and just from reading stuff on here i wouldn't dare go any harder than 2000 grit before using something like megs #205 to bring it back but at least this way i will make my mistakes before i go anywhere near a car.


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## kubanc1991 (Mar 23, 2014)

hey man sory for my bad english can you tell me are you wet sanding by hand or with maschine ? i have my schrach on car and wetsand it by hand with 2000 and than with 2500 grid, is danegerous to wet sand with maschine and which maschine do you use to wet sand ?


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## Benn (Aug 22, 2007)

I do it by hand, using a foam pad.


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## p1tse (Feb 4, 2007)

Will be attempting this for my headlights which have gone cloudy


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## SunnyBoi (Apr 25, 2013)

Wet Sanding with 2000 and 3000, Rotary with woolpad and Rupes with Megs #83 DACP :


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## devonutopia (May 29, 2006)

p1tse said:


> Will be attempting this for my headlights which have gone cloudy


Very good for this. I've done a few sets of lights now - restored from likely MOT failures to basically as new clarity again. :buffer:


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## Steve (Mar 18, 2014)

Really need to do this im just not brave enough


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## suspal (Dec 29, 2011)

sjk said:


> Really need to do this im just not brave enough


Easy when you know how to.


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## Steve (Mar 18, 2014)

suspal said:


> Easy when you know how to.


Have the equipment too! :lol:

My bodyshop have quoted me £100 to do it ( trade ).

Just wondering to let them do it or not.

I doubt i can buy the equipment for that.


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## suspal (Dec 29, 2011)

sjk said:


> Have the equipment too! :lol:
> 
> My bodyshop have quoted me £100 to do it ( trade ).
> 
> ...


If you're not comfortable doing it yourself then let someone who's qualified do it better safe than sorry eh.:thumb:


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## Steve (Mar 18, 2014)

suspal said:


> If you're not comfortable doing it yourself then let someone who's qualified do it better safe than sorry eh.:thumb:


Yup.

Spanners and diagnostics are my game.

Dont get me wrong id love to learn but I dont want to end up costing myself money i dont have to fix it.

do you think £100 is a good price?


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## devonutopia (May 29, 2006)

sjk said:


> Yup.
> 
> do you think £100 is a good price?


For just a pair of headlights to be cleansed I think it's a little OTT, but then they probably have more expenses to cover than I do when I do similar.

Have you tried seeing what a decent pair of replacement second hand lens units cost on Ebay?


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## Steve (Mar 18, 2014)

devonutopia said:


> For just a pair of headlights to be cleansed I think it's a little OTT, but then they probably have more expenses to cover than I do when I do similar.
> 
> Have you tried seeing what a decent pair of replacement second hand lens units cost on Ebay?


I was refering to the whole car :driver::lol:


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## dekerf1996 (Sep 9, 2008)

sjk said:


> I was refering to the whole car :driver::lol:


WHole car wet sanded for £100.....

That seems way too cheap. I would be interested in what they were actually offering to do for this kind of money.

I mean wet sanding the car properly with 2000 grit could take the best part of a day (or more), then depends on what they will be doing next, 2500 then 3000.

Its going to be at least 2 days sanding, then a full polish after, for £100???


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## Benn (Aug 22, 2007)

Way to cheap. For £100 bet it's just a compound over...


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## Steve (Mar 18, 2014)

dekerf1996 said:


> WHole car wet sanded for £100.....
> 
> That seems way too cheap. I would be interested in what they were actually offering to do for this kind of money.
> 
> ...


Like I said mate I have no idea.

He did say it was a days work.


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## suspal (Dec 29, 2011)

sjk said:


> I was refering to the whole car :driver::lol:


I wouldn't of thought anybody would do the whole car for that,something fishy it's at least a three/four day job minimum.


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## Bod42 (Jun 4, 2009)

Just to put a 100quid into perspective, KDS charge 1,195quid for a medium size wet sand and polish. 12x the price.


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## Steve (Mar 18, 2014)

Bod42 said:


> Just to put a 100quid into perspective, KDS charge 1,195quid for a medium size wet sand and polish. 12x the price.


Well the bodyshop is taking **** then aren't they


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## Benn (Aug 22, 2007)

Bodyshop are different don't forget,
When i worked in one, if i spent 2/3 days flatting and polishing a car i'd have been in mega sh*t.
A bodyshop would want it done in a day. You don't get to hang around.


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