First cut at wet sanding process

[ADCOX]

I've read enough on this site to get pretty confused. But I think it's starting to sink in somewhat. Here is my first stab at putting together a process for wet sanding my car. First thing I have determined as to what to use is "It Depends" At each stage the surface needs to be assessed to determine what comes next. And following sage advice start with the least agressive product on a test panel and follow this panel thru the entire process.

To set the stage, the car is a 37 ford painted cranberry (like the PT cruiser)base and clear (3 coats of clear meant to be wet sanded). (car was painted 8 years ago) Most likely very hard clear. Surface conditions is very good with some orange peel and a couple of heavy clear runs(planning to use the Meg's sanding blocks on these). Here goes:

- Wash / Clay if necessary(car has not set outside at all)
- Wet sand - Wet sand with a Air powered DA(Mirka Abralon system - 1000, 2000, 4000) Hand sand where I can't get with the DA.

Question: Since the machine sanding produces a finer grit than hand how would I match the finish between hand and machine, or will this be taken car of in the cut and buff portion?

Clean: M105 Rotary, with w5000 wool pad speed 5. ??Maybe a foam pad to start??)

Polish: M80 Rotary. with W8006 pad speed 5

Polish: M80 G110. with W8006 pad speed 5
Wax Nxt gen. g110 W8006 pad

Question. Has anyone used the Razor Block for leveling out clear runs??

Seems simple for spending the last couple of months reading every post that seems to apply. Any suggestions, additions , deletions would be appreciated.

MANY Thanks for this forum. Hope this will keep me busy over the winter so I can get this thing on the road for the upcoming rod runs.

JWA

[Mike Phillips]

Re: First cut at wet sanding process

- Wash / Clay if necessary(car has not set outside at all)

If you're sanding down the paint you can skip claying as sanding will do the same thing as claying will do and that's remove anything sitting on top of the surface. Sometimes cars with new paint jobs will have overspray on them as that's the nature of having a car parked around a place where there's overspray in the air. (body shops spray paint), unless the car was immediately moved away from the body shop after it came out of the spray booth. Wash the car and feel the paint, if you feel overspray you could clay it just to save your sanding papers for removing the actual paint. Either way, if there is any overspray, claying or sanding will remove it, you either fill a clay bar up with overspray or load up a sanding disc with overspray, at the end of the day, either way the goal will be reached.
- Wet sand - Wet sand with a Air powered DA(Mirka Abralon system - 1000, 2000, 4000) Hand sand where I can't get with the DA.

Question: Since the machine sanding produces a finer grit than hand how would I match the finish between hand and machine, or will this be taken car of in the cut and buff portion?

You have 2 goals,
1) Remove orange peel to get the surface flat
2) Leave the most shallow sanding marks in the paint for the easiest buff-out

Mirka Abralon goes to #4000 and Nikken goes to #3000 and you can even hand sand with the Mirka Abralon discs, so at the end of the sanding process you're going to have very shallow sanding marks to remove, no worries.

Clean: M105 Rotary, with w5000 wool pad speed 5. ??Maybe a foam pad to start??)

Start with wool us a speed around 1500 RPM adjust to your comfort level but you're going to want to be around the #1500 RPM range give or take a few hundred rpm.

Polish: M80 Rotary. with W8006 pad speed 5

You might be able to skip this entire step as M105 can finish out that nice, if not you might like M82 better for your second step process with a foam polishing pad. Speed setting again is the same as above with a rotary buffer.

Polish: M80 G110. with W8006 pad speed 5

M80 or maybe something less aggressive, this is all because the M105 finishes out so nicely.

Wax Nxt gen. g110 W8006 pad

Okay here, maybe use a finishing pad on about the 3-4 speed setting.

Question. Has anyone used the Razor Block for leveling out clear runs??

These or our sanding blocks work pretty well. Some people just sand them out with the DA carefully.

[ADCOX]

Re: First cut at wet sanding process

Mike, Thanks for the Quick reply, some things you pointed out seemed obvious but not to me, so I am still learning, Again Many Thanks. I am charged up and ready to go. Will take before and after photos as I slowly proceed. Will have my order in for material and products ASAP.
JWA