I always hear you guys talking about wet sanding things, what is the purpose of this as opposed to sanding it normally? And is it a special process or just as simple as getting sandpaper and making it wet b4 u use it?

 

wet sanding is usually used to correct flaws in the paint after it hasn't been applied very long, such as overspray. You use a certain kind of sandpaper and you get it wet. It's more of a technique, I wouldn't trust myself to do it, but have an experienced bodyman do it.

 

I use wet sanding right before buffing/polishing on aluminum parts. In my case, having the piece I'm working on & the sandpaper wet makes it glide across the surface much more easily. Also, I've noticed that higher grits such as 600, 800, 1000, 1500, etc will easily lose the texture from the dust/particles I'm sanding off. After a few min the sandpaper is pretty much smooth, but the water rinses it away.
Plus, it's easier to see what you are doing without having to dust off the parts every few minutes

*only certain sandpapers can be used wet. It will say specifically on the back. Regular low-grits usually will won't be able to be used wet, as they will start rotting or the sand will come off

 

It prevents the paint from building up on your sandpaper. And prevents gouging.

 

Wet sanding in general is nothing special - simply use paper that is labeled for wet sanding (the only special thing about it is it resists falling apart), and keep a little puddle of water on your work area.

It will keep the surface cool, the moving water will flush out the grit, and your paper won't clog up. In general, use wet sanding when possible. The only time I dry sand is for roughing primered surfaces with a coarse-grit sandpaper. Drying the water off wastes time between coats. Then I just knock the dust out of my paper instead.

Dave

 

dp