# The Steampunk Chronicles – MGB Wet Sanding



## Steampunk (Aug 11, 2011)

*Definition - Steampunk*

*Etymology: *

Steam + Punk

*Noun: *

1.	A subgenre of speculative science fiction featuring technological advances that were ahead of their time.

2.	A lifestyle choice where by individuals practice the philosophy of retro-futurism, uniquely combining the best of old and new technologies or aesthetics in order to achieve a new plane of advancement.

*Adjective:*

1.	Something that is ahead of its time.

*Verb:*

1.	To depict in a quasi-anachronistic fashion.

Nearly five years ago I got my first car, a 1977 MG MGB Roadster resplendent in Brookland's Green, and this is where my love of detailing began. In the process of restoring the beauty my car once had, I discovered an art form new to me. In the art of detailing you manipulate colour and reflection to create an aesthetic that suits different vehicles. You can create contrast, and match tones. You think flexibly, varying your process and products to suit different materials in order to achieve perfection. This is what fascinates me to this day, and drives me to constantly hone my craft.

This is the story of the night when I first tried wet sanding, and my MGB's original acrylic-enamel paintwork was the place where it all began. I took something classic, and something modern, combining them to create something new… Something very… Steampunk…


IMGP6133 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr​
Underneath the luggage rack on the boot lid of my car the paint was un-touched, so I knew that I had plenty of paint in this location to play with. I started by cleaning the panel with Dodo-Juice Low on Eau at QD dilution (approximately 50:1), decontaminating it with my new 6" CarPro Polyshave disc on my DA, and taping off the work area with 3M Green painter's tape.


IMGP5691 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr​
I had purchased ½ sheets of Meguiar's Unigrit sandpaper (Made by Nihon Kenshi or 'Nikken' Abrasives.) in P1500, P2000, and P3000 grits, as well as a Meguiar's foam sanding block to practice with. These I soaked in a bucket of warm water and Optimum No Rinse for 4-hours, though in retrospect I should have waited for at least 12-hours, as this particular paper seems to load less with a longer soaking time. I began by wetting the panel with a weak mixture of ONR in a spray bottle, and practicing folding and stretching the sandpaper around the block. This way I could create a flat surface with no irregularities or sharp edges to dig into the paint. Beginning with P1500, I started leveling the panel. This stage easily removed the orange peel and major defects in a matter of minutes. There is a tactility to wet sanding that feels like a combination of claying, and manually correcting with SMAT abrasives, though if anything even more emphasis is put on technique. A balance must be struck between speed, pressure, lubrication, grip, and pattern to achieve the desired results. This is something that will take time to fully master.


IMGP5673 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr​
I followed with P2000 and P3000 paper grades to further refine the surface, each time changing pattern to assure complete leveling of the previous grit's scratches. With every grade it took more time to remove the defects of the one before, and the paper had a greater tendency to load. The P3000 was the most delicate, and quickly clogged with spent paint. In total it took me 2-1/2 hours, a gallon of lubricant mixture, and a single half-sheet of each grade to wet sand a 5-square foot (Approximately .46 square meter) area. I quickly gained a new respect for wet sanding by dual-action sander, and intend to investigate this method more in future. Wet sanding by hand with long blocks does provide fantastic leveling, more so than can be achieved with a 6" round disc, so I do see advantages to performing the initial P1200-1500 (Or coarser) cut by hand. However, subsequent refinement stages become terribly tedious, and the leveling advantage is largely irrelevant the higher you go up the P-scale. Thus I think starting by hand, and finishing by machine may be the ideal combination.


IMGP5687 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr​
Now it was time to begin correction. The original British Leyland Acrylic-Enamel on my car is pretty soft, and I had achieved amazing results using Optimum Polymer Technologies polishes and microfiber pads when correcting deep swirls and RIDS on the front wing, so this was the combination I decided to turn to for removing the remaining P3000 scratches.


IMGP5700 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP5702 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr​
I started by priming a 5.25" Optimum Microfiber Polishing Pad using Optimum Polish II (V2), working the thick product into the pad using my hand until the textile was evenly coated with abrasive. I then blew out the excess using my air-compressor, added two pea-sized drops of polish, and spread the product onto the panel using speed 1 on my Meguiar's G110V2 Dual-Action polisher. I ramped the speed up to 3 (3800 OPM's), slowed my arm movement to 1-inch (25mm) per second, and increased the pressure until the pad slowed to 50 revolutions per minute. I continued on in this fashion for 4-section passes until I could see the P3000 scratches had disappeared through the transparent polishing film (A lovely feature of OP-II!), and moved on to a final finishing pass. For this I bumped the speed back down to 1 (1800 OPM's), lifted up on the machine to reduce pressure to zero, and pressed my little finger against the edge of the pad to keep the RPM's down. This is the technique you use when finishing down on finicky paint with any SMAT product, as it keeps the orbital pattern from tightening as you reduce pressure. This is one of the factors which can lead to hazing and micro-marring on ultra-soft finishes, as the abrasives are not allowed to follow a smooth cutting path. When correcting with a DA your goal is to ideally obtain a large, smooth, looping orbit by varying pressure and speed. I was rewarded with this finish:


IMGP5711 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr​
I had gone from P3000 sanding scratches (This combo even removed some P2000 tracers around the periphery in a few extra passes.) to virtually a final finish in just one step! On soft paint, this is a dream combo…


IMGP5728 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP5723 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr​I finished the rest of the panel, reveling in the speed and ease of correction, as well as the finish I was revealing. Because of the low speeds and textile pad, the panel temperatures remained unchanged throughout the correction process, despite the high correction rate. At the end, the product wiped off effortlessly with a Detailed Image Auto-Fiber Zero-Edge towel. I just love this combination…


IMGP5744 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr​
More was to come, though; the next stage was the final finishing… For this I decided to use a new finishing combo I had been playing around with, and had achieved amazing results on soft paint. This combo was Dodo-Juice Supernatural Micro-Prime on a Lake Country Low-Profile Crimson Hydro-Tech Finishing Pad.


IMGP5747 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr​
I worked the product using the Zenith-Point-Method (ZPM) as popularized by DaveKG, up to speed 4, and back down to 1 for several jewelling passes. This product has a very long working time, with lovely, oily lubrication. Combined with ultra-fine diminishing abrasives, this allows you to achieve an amazing gloss, especially on soft finishes like my MGB's. It brings something special to the table, a certain depth and clarity, which all other finishing polishes I have tried to this point have not. When you look into the finish, what you see ceases to appear as a reflection, and begins to take on the air of a separate world living inside the paint. The effect is truly stunning, and very pure, with little influence from glazing oils (As can be demonstrated by an IPA wipedown.). Words can only describe so much; you'll just have to see for yourself…


IMGP5751 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP5771 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP5808 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP5712 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP5916 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP5721 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr​
The final step was to cap it all with an LSP. This took some deliberation, as I adore using Dodo-Juice Rainforest Rub, and love the vibrancy it imparts to Brookland's Green. However, in the end, I decided that there should be no compromise when it came to sealing in something so utterly perfect. I pulled out my pot of Dodo-Juice Supernatural Hybrid. It was 3:30 AM by now, and the temperature was approximately 50-degrees Fahrenheit (Circa 10-Degrees Celsius). The wax spread very easily using a Supernatural Foam Finger Applicator, leaving behind a whisper-thin layer. I left this to cure for 20-minutes while I cleaned up my supplies, and buffed it off with one of my new favorite microfiber towels:


IMGP6173 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP6165 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr

If you are serious about detailing, and you have not tried Microfiber Madness towels, you are truly missing out! Even if you just decide to purchase a couple due to their high price tag, the quality of these towels is phenomenal, and they are well worth the outlay.

I then went inside to go to bed, with the decision to return in the afternoon to add a few more layers before the final photo shoot. I applied 3-layers in total, 12-hours apart, buffing with chilled distilled water 30-minutes after the last coat to flash-cure the wax. Supernatural Hybrid does not suffer secondary hazing as such, but I do find that this helps to amp-up the final gloss and clarity.

After the last coat of wax was applied, I began setting up for my final photo shoot of the detail. Anything I say about the finish at this point would just be verbiage, so I will let the photos speak for themselves…


IMGP5899 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP5972 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP5964 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP5963 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP5957 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP6182 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP6178 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP6183 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP6184 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP6198 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr

Now let's throw some water into the mix…


IMGP6219 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP6261 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP6211 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP6211-001 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP6235 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP6232 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP6228 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr​
And some of my signature watch reflection photos...


IMGP6319 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP6318-002 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr​And a few shots in full sun a couple days later...


IMGP6408 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP6407-001 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr​
Finis…

*Epilogue*

This has been my biggest forum thread, and most satisfying detailing adventure yet! When you find the perfect combination of products for an application, the end results are absolutely magical. I really enjoyed my first foray into wet sanding, and hope that my musings along the way may help to inform those who are also trying to learn about this process. Wet sanding is not the big scary monster most people make out, but it does require research, practice, and extreme care. I will have to put many more hours with sandpaper in one hand and a spray bottle of water in the other before I have attained complete mastery of this subject. These were the best detailing results I have ever achieved, in no small part to the extreme paintwork correction I was experimenting with. However, despite these results, I still feel that there is so much more to come. I still have so much more to try, so much more to learn, that I know my first evening of wet sanding was just a taste of what lies ahead for me. Detailing is an art form, and like any art form, a pursuit of excellence is the devotion of a lifetime…

Sincerely,

Steampunk


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

Been waiting on this for a while sam. 

Stunning mate, great work :thumb:


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## S63 (Jan 5, 2007)

The. Verdant hues of your wonderful automobile attracted my attention a while back. The British beauty is looking even more resplendent following your craftsmanship, a joy to behold.

Or in modern parlance

Nice work dude :thumb:


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## 738ALR (Sep 8, 2009)

absolutely stunning.


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## kk1966 (Aug 8, 2007)

Superb thread and love the photography....excellent.


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## jlw41 (Jun 5, 2011)

Awesome work and a stunning finish :thumb:


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## AaronGTi (Nov 2, 2010)

Awesome mate :thumb:


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## G105ALY (Dec 6, 2006)

Fantastic work.... But I have no idea what you are on about !!!


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## DMH-01 (Mar 29, 2011)

Stunning mate :thumb:


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## Benn (Aug 22, 2007)

Fantastic result. Paint has a perfect finish now. So flat.


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## sm81 (May 14, 2011)

Stunning review. Really enjoyed to read it.


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## lowejackson (Feb 23, 2006)

Very impressive :thumb:


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## AndyA4TDI (May 7, 2012)

Great write up and a stunning finish. Thanks for taking the time to post this.


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## cobra (Feb 18, 2012)

wow, amazing work there, nice one


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## ted11 (Jul 8, 2011)

Stunning.


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## Damien (May 8, 2011)

Great job & a lovely shade of green too. Very nice pics. Love the beading ones.


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## efib (Sep 18, 2012)

that was awesome :doublesho
love the pictures :thumb:


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## JBirchy (Oct 9, 2010)

Brilliant work mate, looks stunning! Really enjoyable thread, and i expected nothing less given the thorough nature of all your posts!

Incredibly informative, thanks for sharing!

Jon


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## skorpios (Sep 11, 2011)

Awesome! :thumb:

Stunning correction/wet sanding session on a beautiful car, coupled with a very detailed write up, and a series of breathtaking photos that balance between accurate portraying of the car and process, and a more artistic/ethereal approach!

Overall, an ******** post that clearly belongs in a league of its own...

Respect Steampunk


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## Bod42 (Jun 4, 2009)

Awesome write up. I been tempted by the Optimum Polishes after reading your threads before.

Your really not helping with me trying to stop myself wet sanding my car :thumb:


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## Soul Hudson (Jul 5, 2011)

Mate that was an awesome write up. Suberbly shot and great descriptions for a very imformative post. You made cleaning a bonnet very interesting ha.

Found this very useful and can't thank you enough for spending the time to pass on your thoughts and experience. I agree with you with this been an art form and takes time to fully appreciate what can be done.

As for your finish, that it suberb and is a credit to your dedication. Reflections are awesome and make me also green with jealousy ha.


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## VenomUK (Oct 13, 2011)

Stunning results mate.


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

Love a good wet sand thread. Well done fella.


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## Jamie_M (Dec 1, 2008)

Beautiful car.

I will own one, one day...

Nice photo's too. ( :


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## Steampunk (Aug 11, 2011)

Thank you all very much! Those are some very awesome compliments! I'm really pleased that you've been enjoying my thread, and happier still to hear that it has been useful.

Detailing, photography, writing, and my MGB are my greatest passions in life... I really appreciate the opportunity to share them with you, especially as it was here on this forum that I learnt much of what you saw in my thread...

Cheers :thumb:

Steampunk

P.S. If you have any questions about any of the products or processes used in my writeup, post them, and I will do my best to answer your queries. 



S63 said:


> The. Verdant hues of your wonderful automobile attracted my attention a while back. The British beauty is looking even more resplendent following your craftsmanship, a joy to behold.


I like your style! 



Jamie_M said:


> Beautiful car.
> 
> I will own one, one day...


I simply adore my MGB... Lovely little cars, aren't they?


IMGP6388 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr


IMGP6391 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr

Have you ever gotten the opportunity to drive one? They're pretty modern to drive, and quite practical classics, as it so happens. MGB's are really undervalued at the moment, so now is the time to buy if you can afford it. When you get one, be prepared to do a bit of this to make sure it runs reliably:


Picture 110 by Mole Hill Motors, on Flickr

If you ever have any questions about how to shop for one, just let me know...


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## tonyy (Jul 26, 2008)

Great job:thumb:


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## Guest (Nov 9, 2012)

Lovely finish there, mate, well done.


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## deni2 (May 4, 2011)

That looks stunning, nice photography too :thumb:.


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## burgmo3 (Jun 27, 2010)

Amazing work and beautiful car. 

Sent from my SGH-T759 using Tapatalk 2


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## DJ X-Ray (Sep 2, 2012)

Outstanding work mate,great write up,and fantastic pictures.


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## CEE DOG (Nov 13, 2010)

Stunning work!!! Beautiful work, writeup, and pictures!


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## TopSport+ (Jul 22, 2012)

Awesome work mate, perfect:thumb:


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## M.J (Mar 17, 2010)

Wow i loved it all the way. The thread in its own right, is a classic!


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## Steampunk (Aug 11, 2011)

M.J said:


> Wow i loved it all the way. The thread in its own right, is a classic!


Cheers, glad you enjoyed it! :thumb:

Steampunk


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## sm81 (May 14, 2011)

That green color is just STUNNING!


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## waterbutler71 (Jan 18, 2013)

Great work steampunk...that took big ballz to start wet sanding that mg but you definitely pulled it off!


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## HAVEN40 (Apr 24, 2013)

My god... that paintwork looks stunning. Top work


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## Alex L (Oct 25, 2005)

Absolutly stunning :doublesho :doublesho :doublesho

The reflection shots with the Dodo tub and beads are outstanding, they look like proper publicity shots.

Dodo should definetly be using them (for free products of course )


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## sevenfourate (Mar 23, 2013)

Not sure if i enjoyed the car, the shots or the write-up more.....

But great car, fabulous write-up and some absolutely STUNNING photography.

Very glad i stumbled across this small area of the internet.

Great work all round my man......


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## PootleFlump (Jan 1, 2006)

Great write up, have you wet sanded and polished the whole car or just the boot lid?

My dearly departed Grandad had an MGB GT, purchased it in about 1984 and drove it until about 2010 when ill health put a stop it it. My Gran and he drove all over the country in that car covering well over 200,000 miles over that time and maintained a meticulous service record. When he was forced to stop driving by brother-in-law took it on but the ravages of time and many miles meant he was unable to afford to maintain it so sold it last year.


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## theshrew (May 21, 2008)

Brilliant work finnish is yum yum and those photos are very very good


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## Mart1965 (Apr 21, 2013)

Wow, what a finish,fantastic car and fantastic photos to:thumb:
Thanks for all the hard work


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## sm81 (May 14, 2011)

How's the car looking now? How well hybrid lasted?


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## Guru (Aug 28, 2013)

Fantastic!

Loved everything - the car, the paint shade, the work, the detailed narration, the photography - every single thing.

The refelections in the paint are unreal - the one of yours taking a pic - damn, I can see a strand of your hair standing up - that's crazy.


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## deegan1979 (Mar 6, 2012)

Damn you are good!


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## torkertony (Jan 9, 2013)

Perfection Sam! A great read mate and as I haven't seen this before, I'm glad it has re surfaced :thumb:


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## Flakey (May 5, 2013)

Felt like reading poetry. Simply stunning!


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## FabrizioTDI (May 6, 2011)

Lovable work and shots!!!


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