Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
- 7
Perfectionist Detailing #2 - Sanding right up to an edge
No time to type an in-depth article, but here's some stuff on this topic already written in the below thread...
The question comes up about wetsanding right up to and edge or a body line and my answer is the closer you sand to any edge and/or right up to a raised body line the greater the risk to burn through the paint either while sanding or buffing because paint is thinnest around edges and raised body lines. This is due to two reasons,
1. Gravity causes wet paint when it's sprayed to flow downward.
2. For cars where other people have buffed or sanded and buffed BEFORE you, you don't know what they did and the paint can be what I call Whisper Thin. And you could be the unlucky person, as careful and experienced as you are, to sand or buff through the thin portions.
Can it be done?
Yes!
Does it take a lot of time?
Yes!
So if it's your car, it's your time and go for it.
If it's a customer's car and they are willing to pay you by the hour for what I call perfectionist detailing... then go for it!
Besides the two reasons above, you're probably better off risk-wise and profitability-wise to do the best you can and live with a little orange peel a 1/4 inch away from edges and body lines.
Until you sand through, or burn through the paint on someone else's car I cannot even begin to describ the sinking feeling you will get in your heart when it happens to you.
The discussion about sanding up to an edge starts with Post #33 in the below thread...
Removing Orange Peel & Sanding Marks with the Griot's ROP and the Wolfgang Twins
:xyxthumbs:
No time to type an in-depth article, but here's some stuff on this topic already written in the below thread...
The question comes up about wetsanding right up to and edge or a body line and my answer is the closer you sand to any edge and/or right up to a raised body line the greater the risk to burn through the paint either while sanding or buffing because paint is thinnest around edges and raised body lines. This is due to two reasons,
1. Gravity causes wet paint when it's sprayed to flow downward.
2. For cars where other people have buffed or sanded and buffed BEFORE you, you don't know what they did and the paint can be what I call Whisper Thin. And you could be the unlucky person, as careful and experienced as you are, to sand or buff through the thin portions.
Can it be done?
Yes!
Does it take a lot of time?
Yes!
So if it's your car, it's your time and go for it.
If it's a customer's car and they are willing to pay you by the hour for what I call perfectionist detailing... then go for it!
Besides the two reasons above, you're probably better off risk-wise and profitability-wise to do the best you can and live with a little orange peel a 1/4 inch away from edges and body lines.
Until you sand through, or burn through the paint on someone else's car I cannot even begin to describ the sinking feeling you will get in your heart when it happens to you.
The discussion about sanding up to an edge starts with Post #33 in the below thread...
Removing Orange Peel & Sanding Marks with the Griot's ROP and the Wolfgang Twins
:xyxthumbs:
