The Best Way to Wet Sand
- 1). Choose the best grade of sandpaper for the job you're doing. Auto Detailing Network advises wet sanding with paper from 1000- to 2500-grit, with higher numbers being finer. Sandpaper below 1000-grit is too abrasive for the delicate paint on cars. Auto Media suggests using 1200- or 1500-grit wet sandpaper for wet sanding a paint job, while more abrasive 400- to 600-grit wet sandpaper can wet sand a primer coat.
- 2). Plan to wet sand up to three times, beginning with the coarsest of the grades you are using and working up to the finest. For example, begin a wet sanding job with 1200-grit, then use 1500-grit. Finish the job with 2000-grit wet sandpaper.
- 3). Rinse off the area you plan to wet sand, then wash it with a tack cloth dipped in a solution of 1 tbsp. car soap to 1 gallon warm water.
- 4). Fill a bucket with water.
- 5). Wrap the sandpaper around a foam or rubber backing pad for support. Plunge this into the tub of water to wet it.
- 6). Bring the sandpaper out of the tub of water and up to the surface of your car. Rub the sandpaper back and forth, working in long, lean strokes. Keep the backing pad flat against the car. Whenever you feel resistance or when the surface of the car begins to dry out, plunge the sandpaper back into the tub to soak it. Also re-wet the sandpaper when it becomes clogged with paint chips and debris.
- 7). Change to a new sheet of sandpaper or turn the sandpaper over when you've worn through all the grit in a given area.
- 8). Switch to a finer grade of sandpaper when you've removed the major blemishes. Remove the old sandpaper from the backing pad then wrap the new one around it. Wet the sandpaper and work in the same manner as before.
- 9). Dry the area with a fresh tack cloth and inspect it. Auto Detailing Network notes that you want to feel no lumps in the texture and see no visible shine (you'll restore the shine later).
- 10
Stop wet sanding when you're satisfied with the look and feel of the car. Too much wet sanding can remove excess paint.