Old timer told me to stop wet sanding so much

Had a guy come in last month. Been doing paint work for 40 years maybe more. Watched me wet sand a blend for 20 minutes straight. He just goes "you're burnishing that clear right into the ground." Changed my whole process. Now I do 3 quick passes with 1500 grit and move on. Way less orange peel issues. Anyone else had an old school painter save them from bad habits?

3 comments

3 Comments

julia_fisher2812h ago

...but see the thing is, even with the right paper and tons of water, you're still heating up that clear if you're going at it for 15 minutes straight. That's what the old timer was probably getting at (and what I finally figured out after it cost me a couple of jobs). I'm curious though, how thick are you spraying your clear typically? Because if you're laying it down heavy enough, three quick passes with 1500 should be plenty to knock down the peaks and not touch the valleys at all. That's what changed for me (and why I think that "more is more" approach to wet sanding is actually hurting people's final results).

maxm501d ago

You're burnishing that clear right into the ground" - man, I gotta disagree with that old timer though. I wet sand clear for a lot longer than 3 passes and my orange peel is basically gone. If you're doing it right with the right paper and enough water, you're not burning anything. You're just smoothing out the orange peel that came from the gun. Three quick passes with 1500 seems like you're not even touching the real texture, you're just polishing the bumps a little. To each their own but I've tried the quick method and it never got me a flat enough finish for a show car mirror look.

wesley_grant3312h ago

Three quick passes with 1500 seems like you're not even touching the real texture" - that line right there is what I've been trying to tell people. What paper are you running after the 1500? I usually go 1500, then 2000, then 3000 before I even touch a buffer. And how long are you letting the clear flash before you start sanding? I've found if I wait a full 24 hours the orange peel is way more stubborn than if I wet sand it after like 4 or 5 hours when it's still a little soft.