Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
- 6
How to remove #1200 Grit Sanding Marks?
Anytime I get questions via e-mail, a PM or a FB message I prefer to invest my typing time where
A: It's easier for me to share links, pictures and videos.
B: More people can read and thus benefit from the information. (no just one set of eyeballs)
So I get an e-mail asking,
Hi Mike I have looked up some of your threads.
With your expert advice, I need to remove a couple of patches 2 x 2 feet and some less size area that a car painter left, 1200 scratches by hand, when he was cutting and polishing.
I won’t take it back to him he didn’t do a good job at all.
The car has basecoat /clear coat Black 2005 Nissan Fuga
Do you recommend a compound I could use, I have Meguiars Ultimate Compound.
I have some Terry Cloth as well.
Thank you
Peter
I answer back,
Hi Peter,
First, I apologize for the delay in getting back to you, I've had a very crazy busy schedule. I'm much faster at replying to people when they join our forum and post their questions to the forum than when people send me questions via any other touch point and then I take the time to copy and past their questions to the forum for them.
Second - Without prior experience in sanding and buffing, most people should not take on projects like this. Just this last weekend Jason Rose from RUPES and I taught a class on hand and machine sanding and out of the 13 people in the class - no one, after taking the class plans on taking on complete cars to hand and buff. It's too much work and too much risk for any reward their "might" ever be.
First - #1200 grit sand paper is very course and aggressive to try to remove by machine or by hand and especially by hand.
You mentioned you had Meguiar's Ultimate Compound. This compound will work but you'll need to re-sand the affected areas and REFINE the #1200 grit sanding marks to a minimum of #2000 grit sanding marks. You can do this by hand sanding but it's a LOT easier to machine sand.
It will actually be a LOT easier and faster if you refine the #1200 to #3000 grit sanding marks and then remove these. Basic rule of thumb, the higher the grit number you sand to the faster and easier it is to remove the sanding marks.
To hand sand I strongly recommend getting Nikken Finishing Papers as these use Unigrit Abrasive Technology as well as offer 100% coverage of particles over the entire sheet of paper.
To machine sand, get Mirka Abralon #1500, #2000 and #3000 sanding discs and do this step by machine using an orbital polisher or pneumatic palm sander. (you can use Mirka Abralon by hand too)
You didn't mention in your e-mail if you have any of the above, (sand papers, sanding discs, machine polishers, buffing pads), so I'm kind of assuming that you don't? I hate assuming but I end up doing a lot of this when I get questions via e-mail.
Here's what you want to do,
Step 1: Re-sand using #1500 - You are refining the #1200 to #1500
Step 2: Re-sand using #2000 - You are refining #1500 to #2000
Step 3: - Re-sand using #3000 - You are refining #2000 to #3000
After you finish sanding to #3000 grit you are now ready to start compounding the area to remove the sanding marks. This is done fastest using a rotary buffer with a wool pad and the Meguiar's Ultimate Compound.
I know very few people that have the skill, experience, muscle and patience to rub-out sanding marks by hand and I'm one of these people. If you don't own an electric polisher of any type, then now is the time to get one and use it to remove the sanding marks. I
f you don't want to spend a ton of money then I'd recommend the Griot's Garage 6" DA Polisher. Here's an article I wrote this year for people still working by hand.
Here's what you need to get into machine polishing - Recommendations for a beginner by Mike Phillips
Compared to a rotary buffer and other orbital polishers that cost between $300.00 and $500.00 - the Griot's 6" Random Orbital Polisher is on the weak side but with time and patience, it will work to remove sanding marks on the higher grit spectrum.
Links to products on the AG store <-- you won't be able to find this stuff easily at local auto parts stores
Meguiars Unigrit Sand Papers 6 Pack Kit - Your Choice!
Meguiars Sanding Pad E7200
Mirka 6" Sanding Discs
MIRKA 6 inch Interface Pad, 5 pack
You only need ONE interface pad, ask your customer care rep if they can help you to order just one.
MIRKA Molded Palm Sanding Block – 5 inches
I'm not sure why we don't carry a 6" sanding block? But the 6" discs and the 6" interface pad will work on the 5" palm sanding block
I could type more, like wool pads for rotary buffers but taking on a sanding project is more than average car owner can take on without help and guidance from someone that actually has experience hand or machine sanding.
I'll be sending you the >link< to this thread via e-mail and any follow-up you send me I'll post to this thread as I don't answer questions any more via e-mail. I take everything to the forum.
Hope the above helps.... sorry to hear you did not get a quality shop and quality work for your car.
Anytime I get questions via e-mail, a PM or a FB message I prefer to invest my typing time where
A: It's easier for me to share links, pictures and videos.
B: More people can read and thus benefit from the information. (no just one set of eyeballs)
So I get an e-mail asking,
Hi Mike I have looked up some of your threads.
With your expert advice, I need to remove a couple of patches 2 x 2 feet and some less size area that a car painter left, 1200 scratches by hand, when he was cutting and polishing.
I won’t take it back to him he didn’t do a good job at all.
The car has basecoat /clear coat Black 2005 Nissan Fuga
Do you recommend a compound I could use, I have Meguiars Ultimate Compound.
I have some Terry Cloth as well.
Thank you
Peter
I answer back,
Hi Peter,
First, I apologize for the delay in getting back to you, I've had a very crazy busy schedule. I'm much faster at replying to people when they join our forum and post their questions to the forum than when people send me questions via any other touch point and then I take the time to copy and past their questions to the forum for them.
Second - Without prior experience in sanding and buffing, most people should not take on projects like this. Just this last weekend Jason Rose from RUPES and I taught a class on hand and machine sanding and out of the 13 people in the class - no one, after taking the class plans on taking on complete cars to hand and buff. It's too much work and too much risk for any reward their "might" ever be.
First - #1200 grit sand paper is very course and aggressive to try to remove by machine or by hand and especially by hand.
You mentioned you had Meguiar's Ultimate Compound. This compound will work but you'll need to re-sand the affected areas and REFINE the #1200 grit sanding marks to a minimum of #2000 grit sanding marks. You can do this by hand sanding but it's a LOT easier to machine sand.
It will actually be a LOT easier and faster if you refine the #1200 to #3000 grit sanding marks and then remove these. Basic rule of thumb, the higher the grit number you sand to the faster and easier it is to remove the sanding marks.
To hand sand I strongly recommend getting Nikken Finishing Papers as these use Unigrit Abrasive Technology as well as offer 100% coverage of particles over the entire sheet of paper.
To machine sand, get Mirka Abralon #1500, #2000 and #3000 sanding discs and do this step by machine using an orbital polisher or pneumatic palm sander. (you can use Mirka Abralon by hand too)
You didn't mention in your e-mail if you have any of the above, (sand papers, sanding discs, machine polishers, buffing pads), so I'm kind of assuming that you don't? I hate assuming but I end up doing a lot of this when I get questions via e-mail.
Here's what you want to do,
Step 1: Re-sand using #1500 - You are refining the #1200 to #1500
Step 2: Re-sand using #2000 - You are refining #1500 to #2000
Step 3: - Re-sand using #3000 - You are refining #2000 to #3000
After you finish sanding to #3000 grit you are now ready to start compounding the area to remove the sanding marks. This is done fastest using a rotary buffer with a wool pad and the Meguiar's Ultimate Compound.
I know very few people that have the skill, experience, muscle and patience to rub-out sanding marks by hand and I'm one of these people. If you don't own an electric polisher of any type, then now is the time to get one and use it to remove the sanding marks. I
f you don't want to spend a ton of money then I'd recommend the Griot's Garage 6" DA Polisher. Here's an article I wrote this year for people still working by hand.
Here's what you need to get into machine polishing - Recommendations for a beginner by Mike Phillips
Compared to a rotary buffer and other orbital polishers that cost between $300.00 and $500.00 - the Griot's 6" Random Orbital Polisher is on the weak side but with time and patience, it will work to remove sanding marks on the higher grit spectrum.
Links to products on the AG store <-- you won't be able to find this stuff easily at local auto parts stores
Meguiars Unigrit Sand Papers 6 Pack Kit - Your Choice!
Meguiars Sanding Pad E7200
Mirka 6" Sanding Discs
MIRKA 6 inch Interface Pad, 5 pack
You only need ONE interface pad, ask your customer care rep if they can help you to order just one.
MIRKA Molded Palm Sanding Block – 5 inches
I'm not sure why we don't carry a 6" sanding block? But the 6" discs and the 6" interface pad will work on the 5" palm sanding block
I could type more, like wool pads for rotary buffers but taking on a sanding project is more than average car owner can take on without help and guidance from someone that actually has experience hand or machine sanding.
I'll be sending you the >link< to this thread via e-mail and any follow-up you send me I'll post to this thread as I don't answer questions any more via e-mail. I take everything to the forum.
Hope the above helps.... sorry to hear you did not get a quality shop and quality work for your car.