To 3k sand or not

[Every_detail]

I've seen this talked about before and just wondering on people thoughts.


Thinking of more effecient methods and thats when the sanding and polishing come into play.


Do you hit it with your DA or Rotary with your pad of choice and compound of choice and have at it? Or do you 3k sand and polish out to make less heat.

I know there are people that straight up 3k and polish call it done, also putting much less stress on the paint and panel.

 

[Rsurfer]

I've seen this talked about before and just wondering on people thoughts.


Thinking of more effecient methods and thats when the sanding and polishing come into play.


Do you hit it with your DA or Rotary with your pad of choice and compound of choice and have at it? Or do you 3k sand and polish out to make less heat.

I know there are people that straight up 3k and polish call it done, also putting much less stress on the paint and panel.

I would never wet sand todays oem paint unless absolutely necessary. Don't let the 3k grit fool you..you can remove a lot of clear with 3k paper.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

I've seen this talked about before and just wondering on people thoughts.


Thinking of more effecient methods and thats when the sanding and polishing come into play.


Do you hit it with your DA or Rotary with your pad of choice and compound of choice and have at it? Or do you 3k sand and polish out to make less heat.

I know there are people that straight up 3k and polish call it done, also putting much less stress on the paint and panel.

I teach a class I call,

Scuff & Buff

That's where you use #3000 Trizact or another disc to lightly sand or "scuff" the major portions of the major panels and then buff.

As long as you're really careful you can do it without sanding and buffing through the clear layer.

It helps to know that if you're working on FACTORY clear - that no one else has messed with the paint in the past. For example, if you purchase the car new and have never buffed on it, chances are, all of the factory applied clearcoat is still intact.

If you bought the car used, hard to say what's happened in the past.

 

[Every_detail]

I would never wet sand todays oem paint unless absolutely necessary. Don't let the 3k grit fool you..you can remove a lot of clear with 3k paper.

and from a lot ive read and watched you can remove more with a rotary, wool and m100.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

I would never wet sand todays oem paint unless absolutely necessary. Don't let the 3k grit fool you..you can remove a lot of clear with 3k paper.

Ron has a point. Making already thin paint thinner is risky. Especially if the car is parked outside all of the time.

Another option is the 3M Trizact #5000 or the new 3M Trizact #8000

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

See these,

Clearcoats are thin by Mike Phillips

Damp-Sanding Tools, Tips and Techniques by Mike Phillips

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Here's Scuff & Buff

1956 Chevy Bel-Air - Dampsanding, Cut & Polish

Scuff & Buff - Wet Sanding Single Stage Metallic Paint - 1948 Willys Jeepster

Links have all the pictures and the full story.

 

[Rsurfer]

and from a lot ive read and watched you can remove more with a rotary, wool and m100.

You don't need a wool pad and compound to burn through clear coat. Buffing with a foam pad and polish with a rotary can cause dull paint in a hurry.

 

[Every_detail]

You don't need a wool pad and compound to burn through clear coat. Buffing with a foam pad and polish with a rotary can cause dull paint in a hurry.

I get this, but Im wondering are there any major differences from sanding 3k versus long passes with a MF pad and say, m100.

 

[tomsteve]

I get this, but Im wondering are there any major differences from sanding 3k versus long passes with a MF pad and say, m100.

yes. sanding with 3000 is doing more work than necessary.

 

[DBAILEY]

You would end up with a smoother paint surface using the #3000 or #5000 first knocking down the orange peel texture a bit. Does the current condition of your paint really warrant wetsanding?

 

[Rsurfer]

I get this, but Im wondering are there any major differences from sanding 3k versus long passes with a MF pad and say, m100.

After sanding with 3k you still need to polish and a lot of time this will require a 2 step polish.

Any time you can compound and polish to get the job done would be better than wet sanding.

Maybe the 5000k-8000k that Mike mentioned will be easier.

 

[FUNX650]

•Since none of my OEM vehicles have ever
been predetermined/destined to be entered
into any Custom Car Shows...

-I need my vehicles to retain as much of
the protective CC paint film layer as I can
Humanly {and possibly humanely} provide.


Consequently...
•When it comes to OEM factory paint systems:
-I don’t wet/dry sand them
-I don’t use anything more aggressive
than something along the line of Meguiar’s
Ultimate Compound


•With the above in mind, I’m compelled to ask:
-What’s the advantage to do otherwise?


Bob

 

[Rsurfer]

You would end up with a smoother paint surface using the #3000 or #5000 first knocking down the orange peel texture a bit. Does the current condition of your paint really warrant wetsanding?

It appears that the OP is talking about trashed paint. Wouldn't consider using a rotary with a wool pad and compound to smooth out orange peel. Maybe a denim pad and a da would work..dunno never used a denim pad.

 

[Kaban]

Don't wetsand anything unless you have experience or at least some type of basic training. You can run into problems very quickly. Practice on a junk panel first before doing a customer car.

 

[Every_detail]

It appears that the OP is talking about trashed paint. Wouldn't consider using a rotary with a wool pad and compound to smooth out orange peel. Maybe a denim pad and a da would work..dunno never used a denim pad.

correct. paint that's trashed to where it would be faster to sand and polish out.

Don't wetsand anything unless you have experience or at least some type of basic training. You can run into problems very quickly. Practice on a junk panel first before doing a customer car.

I have plenty of experience wetsanding and knowing when and when not to.

You would end up with a smoother paint surface using the #3000 or #5000 first knocking down the orange peel texture a bit. Does the current condition of your paint really warrant wetsanding?

this is just a general question




This is more of a topic Im just asking about. I see a lot of detailers online and IG that go right to 3k handsanding on trashed paint because it allows them to keep their heat under control and not letting the paint swell.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

This is more of a topic Im just asking about.

I see a lot of detailers online and IG that go right to 3k handsanding on trashed paint because it allows them to keep their heat under control and not letting the paint swell.

Keeping temperatures low is better for the paint and one advantage to dampsanding over a heavy compound process.


I forgot I wrote this article but seems to fit here,


Destructive Polishing - Don't get clearcoats hot! by Mike Phillips

 

[Rsurfer]

"I have plenty of experience wetsanding and knowing when and when not to."

To the OP if what your saying above is true, why are you posting this thread?

Is it because you have no experience with a rotary and a wool pad?

 

[Every_detail]

"I have plenty of experience wetsanding and knowing when and when not to."

To the OP if what your saying above is true, why are you posting this thread?

Is it because you have no experience with a rotary and a wool pad?

This was more towards the ones I see that go right to wetsand and compound to reduce heat into an extremely beat panel. Does it do more damage or not, basically. Guess I should've stated it totally different.

 

[Rsurfer]

This was more towards the ones I see that go right to wetsand and compound to reduce heat into an extremely beat panel. Does it do more damage or not, basically. Guess I should've stated it totally different.

IMO if the paint is that trashed and a aggressive method needs to be used..put a paint gauge on it before anything else.

3000k versus rotary with a wool pad and compound would be a close race in removing clear coat.

BTW trying to remove RIDS with 3000k imo is wasting your time. If the panel is really trashed and has enough clear then start with 1000k and work up to 3000k.