DA SANDING CLEAR COAT

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WAYNE0

WAYNE0

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Does anyone sand the clear with a DA sander before buffing it. If so what for sanding disks do you use. Wet or dry ? Ive been painting & wet sanding for a good many years. I have just started to DA the clear for about 4 years. It does a good job & you dont have the mess of wet sanding. The problem i have is that it takes alot of disks to do a car & a box of 1500 is expensive. It doesnt take long to go through a box of 50. I havent found a 1500 grit disk that last longer. I have been using a 3m hook it disk. It buffs out really nice. The last box of 50 1500 grit was a little over $65 Depending on how much dirt i get in the clear & the size of the fender on average ill go through 5 to 6 disks. I dont get alot of orange peel. I can usaly lay it pertty smooth but if you want that mirror finish sanding & buffing is a must.
 
I've tried it several times but I don't think it produces the best finish. I believe wet sanding is a better finale result.
 
Oldiron440 said:
I've tried it several times but I don't think it produces the best finish. I believe wet sanding is a better finale result.
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With the clear i use & the 3m disks i use i can get a mirror finish its just getting way to expensive because you have to use so many disks
 
Ironracer said:
So if Yer going that way, on a Budget, do it old school?
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Im just thinking of the people i do paint work for. Trying to keep the cost down for people that dont have alot of money but want there car painted. It takes alot of man hours to do it by hand. Just looking for a better sanding disk.
 
Man, that's a great question! I have a Mopar Brother ( Al ) that works at Ed Morse Caddy. Body Shop guy there for longer than I've known him. 30 years... he's painting some of my Ironhead drag Bike sheet metal... I'll ask him. May take a while.
 
Ironracer said:
Man, that's a great question! I have a Mopar Brother ( Al ) that works at Ed Morse Caddy. Body Shop guy there for longer than I've known him. 30 years... he's painting some of my Ironhead drag Bike sheet metal... I'll ask him. May take a while.
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thanks what im using now is 3m hook it 6 inch
 
Car was infusion sanded after the first clear coat, then 2 more coats were put on it and I took it home. This sand and polish is 13 months after that was done, nothing like nice hard clear. A few spots were hand sanded with 1500/2000 to clean up some ripples but for the most part all 3000 and then polished. These two have been a team for decades.... so long they claim they invented the cut and polish.. LOL
 
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WAYNE0 said:
With the clear i use & the 3m disks i use i can get a mirror finish its just getting way to expensive because you have to use so many disks
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How about your 3M DA discs with a hand spritzer of distilled water. Stop every once in a while with a damp terry cloth towel and mop it up then go again.

Can pull over the area with a small rubber squeegee to check your work, it will show the Orange Peel and the high dust specs if they are left behind.

Your paper should last 10 times longer than sanding it dry.
 
George Jets said:
How about your 3M DA discs with a hand spritzer of distilled water. Stop every once in a while with a damp terry cloth towel and mop it up then go again.

Can pull over the area with a small rubber squeegee to check your work, it will show the Orange Peel and the high dust specs if they are left behind.

Your paper should last 10 times longer than sanding it dry.
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Daaamm.. that's using the noogin!
 
dadsbee said:
Car was infusion sanded after the first clear coat, then 2 more coats were put on it and I took it home. This sand and polish is 13 months after that was done, nothing like nice hard clear. A few spots were hand sanded with 1500/2000 to clean up some ripples but for the most part all 3000 and then polished. These two have been a team for decades..
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I've heard the same.. sanding clear and time passed goes great together..
 
dadsbee said:
Car was infusion sanded after the first clear coat, then 2 more coats were put on it and I took it home. This sand and polish is 13 months after that was done, nothing like nice hard clear. A few spots were hand sanded with 1500/2000 to clean up some ripples but for the most part all 3000 and then polished. These two have been a team for decades..
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Well it sure looks good, whatever yall are doin to it.
 
Ironracer said:
Daaamm.. that's using the noogin!
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Lol . . have wet sanded them by hand before and used the rubber squeegee to check the work while it was all wet. But yeah, that hand sanding takes a lot of time and effort, hence the DA technique .

Takes a high degree of skill either way to keep from messing things up.

Cheers !
 
George Jets said:
Lol . . have wet sanded them by hand before and
Takes a high degree of skill either way to keep from messing things up.
I worked for an ol Black Man, Lonnie, back in the day, for a few weeks, maybe a month. I had no wheels, and no ther work.. he paid me 35 bucks a day, for 12 hours. He had me doing all kinda ****! Lol. I already was a drywall finisher, so he had me running mud on cars, dry and wet sanding, then I got to drill some spot welds on a wrecked van and mig em back up... it was cool. He was a Good Man
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I've been painting for over 40 years, and I much prefer WET color sanding by hand with a semi soft sanding blocks. I have nothing against using a DA, but I feel I have more control by hand. I usually start with 1000 followed by 1500, then 2000, then 2500.
 
This my dads 62 polara he had that i painted in a real booth 3 coats of clear then blocked it with 800 then sprayed 3 more coats DA with 1500 then 3000 the first pic is before i sanded & buffed it

SDC10645.JPG


62 dodge & 69 cuda 090.JPG


62 dodge & 69 cuda 092.JPG
 
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WAYNE0 said:
Im just thinking of the people i do paint work for. Trying to keep the cost down for people that dont have alot of money but want there car painted. It takes alot of man hours to do it by hand. Just looking for a better sanding disk.
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I hear that! Just about EVERYTHING is Cheap Junk these Days!
 
I dry sand with the 3M hook and loop 1500 then wet with the 3M 3000 pad discs on a soft backed 6” DA. Then use the 3 step 3M buffing kit with foam pads.

13835954-5805-44E9-AC0D-8DACDBF6BF5E.jpeg
 
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