Wet Sanding with the PC or G100 ?

[twinimini]

Hey, I'm sure this has been covered here somewhere before, but I'll ask anyway. Is it possible to use a DA (random orbit) buffer w/foam pads to remove wet sanding marks? I was thinking #1 medium cut or #2 fine cut? It seems like the DA buffer should be more aggresive then hand compounding which has worked for years (with lots of elbow grease!).

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Newbie DA question

First, welcome to Meguiar's Online!

Next...

It seems like the DA buffer should be more aggressive then hand compounding which has worked for years (with lots of elbow grease!).

Just to check, you personally remove sanding marks out of clear coat paints by hand?

Are you doing this in a body shop situation working on fresh paint?

or

Are you work as a detailer and doing this on cured paint?

Hey, I'm sure this has been covered here somewhere before, but I'll ask anyway. Is it possible to use a DA (random orbit) buffer w/foam pads to remove wet sanding marks? I was thinking #1 medium cut or #2 fine cut?

THe answer is yes with a qualifier... It can be done some of the time.

The issues are always,

1. Paint hardness
2. Depth of scratches
3. Pad and product selection
4. Skill of operator

The harder the paint and the deeper the sanding marks the more difficult they will be to remove by any method and because you can literally stop the spinning and oscillating action of the foam pad an a G100/PC with your hand this is an indicator of how non-aggressive the tool is and thus why it's not effective at removing lots of paint which is usually what you have to do when your want to remove sanding marks.

The last one, Skill of operator, that's an important factor also, we have a lot of people come to our classes that have the tool, have the pads and have the chemicals but they can't get good results just removing normal wear-and-tear swirls and scratches, it always comes down to their technique. Sanding marks are going to be as difficult and often times more difficult to remove so technique is always going to be a major factor.

Can it be done? "yes"

Should it be cone? "not by most people"

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Newbie DA question

Here's some more info on this topic we keep in the Hot Topics forum.


Can You Use the PC to Polish-out #2000 Grit Sanding Marks?

[twinimini]

Re: Newbie DA question

First of all thanks for the quick response. To clarify I have not personally hand rubbed a wet sanded paint job, I just know it has been done this way in the past. It sounds as though it would be very tough to get a nice job with the DA buffer.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Newbie DA question

First of all thanks for the quick response.

To clarify I have not personally hand rubbed a wet sanded paint job, I just know it has been done this way in the past.

Back in the old days they would and could rub-out a single stage lacquer paint job by hand, it was called a hand-rubbed lacquer finish

They were able to do this because old nitrocellulose lacquer paints were very soft and thus very easy to rub-out using nothing but your hand, a piece of terry cloth towel and some type of compound.

This doesn't hold true for modern catalyzed clear coat finishes. Compared to these older single stage paints, most clear coat paints, (not all but most), are as hard as glass and the only way for the average person to effectively remove swirls and scratches is by machine, thus the popularity for tools like the G100/PC and the popularity of forums like this where people can come and find out why they're having a hard time getting the swirls and scratches out of the paint.

For demonstration purposes one time we sanded out a scratch on the deck-lid of a car, an area about an inch wide and about 4" long and then we rubbed and rubbed and rubbed and rubbed with multiple applications of ScratchX and about the 7th or 8th application and a lot of perspiration we were able to remove all of the sanding marks.

We could have done this in about 20 seconds with a rotary buffer.


Most people in the world have no idea about how hard the clear coat paint on their car actually is and unless they find a forum like this then tend to just give up and learn to live with the swirls and scratches.

It sounds as though it would be very tough to get a nice job with the DA buffer.

Actually it's the fastest and easiest way to get a show car finish and best of all almost anyone can master the tool in just minutes, not years like the rotary buffer.

[74 thing]

Re: Wet Sanding with the PC or G100 ?

Who is that nice looking young lady? Not only is she attractive but she knows how to take care of her car! Is she married?

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Wet Sanding with the PC or G100 ?

I think she was single in that picture, whe was also 10-years old and attending with her Grandma.

Long Beach And South Bay Mercedes-Benz clubs at Meguiar's!

[74 thing]

Re: Wet Sanding with the PC or G100 ?

Wow that is cool, grandma even knows how to take care of cars properly. Kudos to you Mike for passing on your knowledge to those willing to learn!