Is this a true statement..-theory wise..

Yes thanks fellas...
I apprecaite the time and effort to getting my question cleared up and fully answered...right on...
Now to get a rotary -probably the DeWalt one-
and get some old car panels from some scrap yard and start practicing..
 
Anthony- does your truck have a metallic paint on it?

I didn't think you were suppose to wetsand if you had a metallic paint?

Not true?

:dunno
 
Tarios said:
Now to get a rotary -probably the DeWalt one-
and get some old car panels from some scrap yard and start practicing..
Click to expand...

Tarios, that's exactly what I did and continue to do :bigups
 
Rob Tomlin said:
Anthony- does your truck have a metallic paint on it?

I didn't think you were suppose to wetsand if you had a metallic paint?

Not true?

:dunno
Click to expand...

Wetsanding metallics is no problem. The danger lies in getting the top coat too thin and then shifting the metallic around.....basically it's the same for non-metalics also....go through the clear on either and your in big doo-doo.

A paint gauge is crucial if one does alot of wetsanding. I need to get a new one myself!

Anthony
 
Anthony,

You the man!! I've learned a ton from you as well~~

Tarios,

Do a search here on DC for rotaries. You'll find the pro's and con's of just about all the popular ones out there, as that was a big discussion about 5 months ago or so :bigups
 
Pesonally I dont wet sand unless the car has been repainted or doesn't have a factory clear coat. Repainted clear coats are usually deeper than factory. You can always try but if it doesn't work be ready to paint.
 
I hesitate to throw in my 2-cents because I am not a painter or an expert in any sense of the word, but hey, that's never stopped me from having an opinion before. :hah

To me a paint job is either a work of art or just plain work. The final results are generally the same, but the process of getting there are different. First, the "work" part. Anyone painting can put on a coat of paint, sand off the high points and paint again ad infinitum until it comes out smooth. A paint "artist" has the knowledge and ability to regulate the paint consistancy and amount sprayed so that the paint is liquid enough to flow out and level before it dries. I think there is a very critical point between flowing out to level and running. Especially on vertical surfaces. This is where I think the "artistic mastery" comes into play. That's not to say that even then you would not need some sanding, but I think minimally in comparison.

Maybe I've opened my mouth when I shouldn't have. Does anyone else agree?

I am always in awe of a perfectly smooth paint job. They really look incredible!
 
It is really very dangerous and certainly harmful for a detailer to wet sand or dry sand a factory clear coat. They ARE NOT thick enough for wet/dry sanding. The factory on puts on maximum 1.5 mils of clear over the base.

They tell you not to buff off more than .50 mil when using compound. Can you imagine what you would do if you wet/dry sanded a factory clear coat?

When a body shop wet/dry sands the clear they put on a repair vehicle, it is a different story.

They apply at least 2.50 to 2.75 mils of clear-coat with the intention of doing a wet/dry sanding after application.

But the factory does not intend that the factory clear would ever be wet/dry sanded.

Be very careful if you are working on a factory paint job. The car might even look ok when you are done, but, but.....you have destroyed the integrity of the clear and it will deterioate much, much faster than if you had not wet/dry sanded.
 
buttashine said:
It is really very dangerous and certainly harmful for a detailer to wet sand or dry sand a factory clear coat. They ARE NOT thick enough for wet/dry sanding. The factory on puts on maximum 1.5 mils of clear over the base.

They tell you not to buff off more than .50 mil when using compound. Can you imagine what you would do if you wet/dry sanded a factory clear coat?

When a body shop wet/dry sands the clear they put on a repair vehicle, it is a different story.

They apply at least 2.50 to 2.75 mils of clear-coat with the intention of doing a wet/dry sanding after application.

But the factory does not intend that the factory clear would ever be wet/dry sanded.

Be very careful if you are working on a factory paint job. The car might even look ok when you are done, but, but.....you have destroyed the integrity of the clear and it will deterioate much, much faster than if you had not wet/dry sanded.
Click to expand...

You definitely sound like you know what you are talking about, and this certainly makes sense to me!
 
This is where a paint gauge is critical.

Paint thickness varies from car maker to car maker. When I wetsanded Gonzo's paint I still had a visual of OP left in the paint so I knew I was still in the "safe" area.

To better reply to the "metallic" wet sanding question.....one should not wet sand a non-cleared metallic paint job. These paint jobs are rare but I did run across a green metallic Ford truck once that was metallic but had no clear coat.......oddest thing :confused:

I may have a Porsche wetsanding job coming up in the New Year and if it happens I'll post up pictures.

Later,
Anthony
 
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