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Wet Sanding


Laguna

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Can someone explain exactly what this does/is?

 

I know the general idea, but not how to do it or anything.

 

I have some spots on my car that would most likely need it. I have a test car I can learn on if need be.

 

So any tips, directions, products, steps, etc. I'd like the experience to be able to do this to correct major issues. :D

 

:2thumbs:

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Can someone explain exactly what this does/is?

 

I know the general idea, but not how to do it or anything.

 

I have some spots on my car that would most likely need it. I have a test car I can learn on if need be.

 

So any tips, directions, products, steps, etc. I'd like the experience to be able to do this to correct major issues. :D

 

:2thumbs:

 

Well, the purpose, say with a custom new paint job, is to get the surface flat, no orange peel, and have a scratch / swirl free surface to then buff out.

 

New cars get a thin clear coat that is baked on, so it cannot be exactly flat, some orange peel, especially on the sides. And, probaly not enough clear to wet sand too aggressively. 3000 grit is probably safe on a new car, but beware, clear could be real thin to start with.

 

A custom paint job gets enough coats of clear to allow various steps in wet sanding to get perfectly flat, no orange peel.

 

So, you start with say, 1200 grit, then 1500, then 2000, then lastly 3000. Now you have a flat surface smooth as glass.

 

You will find at that point it will buff out quite easily with a great finish.

 

Think of clear coat like clear Saran Wrap. If you lay it flat you can see farly well thru it, if you mush it up then lay it out you can't see much thru it. Think of that as orange peel.

 

A properly wet sanded custom paint job is flat, the clear is now like looking thru a clean clear flat piece of glass. So you can now see the paint color very clearly.

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The company was Dynamic Motorsports. They do custom reproductions. They will be at the Ford Nationals at Carlisle again this year. I will definitely drop by to see what they bring, They were so happy that I fixed their car that they gave me all kinds of stuff!

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Sounds like a good plan to me. I should know way more about painting cars than I do since my father did it for 40 years but I was too stupid to learn when I was a kid.

 

 

Sounds like me and carpentry. Dad was a master carpenter. I, on the other hand, am like lighting with a hammer, can't hit the same place twice! :D

 

 

Do you remember the name of the company that had the Cobra there? Be worth it to contact them and find out the name of the painter. Those skills deserve public praise!

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Sounds like a good plan to me. I should know way more about painting cars than I do since my father did it for 40 years but I was too stupid to learn when I was a kid.

 

I think the secret is a real good quality brush.

 

You are the master Junkman! :burnout:

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Even if the paint job is an aftermarket one, you still need to know how much of it is clear coat. If you go through the grits you have suggested, you will remove quite a bit of clear. A lot of times when painters are going for a perfectly flat and flawless clear coat, it will require multiple coats of clear to be sprayed, cut and buffed. This is rather costly, but the look is unmistakably perfect when the right person does the job.

 

This Shelby was painted by a man with mad skills. I had to wet sand a scratch out of it and when I was done, you couldn't tell it had been touched. I would love to meet the guy who painted it.

 

fordshow24.jpg

 

Righto Junkman. Restorations I have done over the years I always had a quality painter lay on enough clear. Starts from a high build primer that is wet sanded dead flat, then base color coat with around 4 coats of clear. Then I only have to remove slightly more than 1 coat of clear with 1500, 2000, and finally 3000.

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Even if the paint job is an aftermarket one, you still need to know how much of it is clear coat. If you go through the grits you have suggested, you will remove quite a bit of clear. A lot of times when painters are going for a perfectly flat and flawless clear coat, it will require multiple coats of clear to be sprayed, cut and buffed. This is rather costly, but the look is unmistakably perfect when the right person does the job.

 

This Shelby was painted by a man with mad skills. I had to wet sand a scratch out of it and when I was done, you couldn't tell it had been touched. I would love to meet the guy who painted it.

 

fordshow24.jpg

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My understanding is those read everything above the metal. This way you know the total thickness of your primer base coat and clear but not individual layers.

 

Yeap... whats it matter if the reading is 200-300 microns - sounds good, but you may only have 10 microns on clear coat.

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Wouldn't it just be most necessary to only know the depth of the clear coat? I've seen a lot of paint gauges that most people have that do wet sanding and the like around $500-$600.

 

My understanding is those read everything above the metal. This way you know the total thickness of your primer base coat and clear but not individual layers.

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Wow...it looks easier than buffing, lol.

 

Just seems that the only con is getting a paint gauge (being able to afford one). Outside of understanding that paint depths and using the paint gauge, it seems like a VERY easy process.

 

Can't wait to get some experience in once I can afford a paint gauge. :D

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