That is the million dollar question. Some use guide coat in between grits, some sand 90 degrees to the last grit, etc. It will take quite a bit of sanding to remove 1000 grit scratches with 1500. 1500 takes out 1200 much easier. After that, 2000 would take out 1500 relatively quick, 2500 would take a little longer to remove 1500. The harder the clear, the less jump between grits, also. That is why I suggested doing a small area to test your procedure. Pay attention to how long you sanded each grit. No singular right way. I have had a da in my hand for 40 years, but I would have a hard time suggesting a novice use one with the coarser grits to sand clear. Most have better control by hand. That said, I use almost the same exact procedure Don described above on restoration. I may change procedures depending on what I am starting with (texture, wave, trash) and what I want the end product to look like (daily driver vs. show car).
Getting Ready to spray base coat.
- Thread starter Mando
- Start date
Lizer
Mad Scientist
I think slower and conservative is always the best way for your first time. I still vividly remember my first cut and buff. I HATE doing it, btw, so I'm curious to try Don's method on a truck I'm doing this summer.
I don't think you want to start lower than 1000 because it gets progressively harder to cancel the grit out. If the peel is bad, you might start at 1000. If it's moderate, maybe 1200. I go 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000, 2500, and 3000 trizact (on an DA polisher). This is not for the faint of heart and is Shine's way of doing it, but it works.
I use Meguiar Unigrit paper for cutting. It lasts a long time and has a uniform grit.
When you are cutting, do not try to remove all the peel on the first pass, you still have a lot more grits you're moving through. Try to remove about half to a third of it, so it's just disappearing by your last several grits; this ensures you are keeping as much of your clear on as possible.
Keep your paper wet with constant flushing of water. Cleanliness is the most important part. Your water must be impeccably clean, your paper too. If you drop your paper on the ground then get new paper. Getting the slightest piece of something gritty under your paper will leave huge scratches that will be tough to fix. This is also why you it helps to be constantly rinsing the panel. I use a spray bottle or a huge sponge above the area I'm sanding. I just keep pressing the sponge very lightly against the panel and it squeezes the water out and provides a constant trickle over the area I'm sanding. If you feel or hear something gritty, then STOP.
I use one of the thin softblocks from my durablock set as a squeegee and squeegee the water off the panel and look at it an an angle. Water will squeegee off the surface but not out of deep scratches, so if you have big scratches remaining still, this will reveal them. Do not go to your next grit if you still have rogue scratches. Or, until your tolerance level allows you to move to the next grit
For repairing runs, my preferred method is to take something like EZ Sand body putty and thinly smear it over the run. After it dries, sand with 800 grit and work up. You will see the high spot of the run start to sand down first while the putty protects the clear on the lower spots. As you sand down the high spot of the run, the rest of the filler will sand off too. I sand all runs first, and finish with whatever grit I will be starting my cutting with.
I'm not a professional either. I went through some paint and body courses 13 years ago and then have had a lot of practice and continual learning. Most of my most valuable edumacations have happened in my conversations with Barry.
For your first time, you don't have to cut and buff EVERYTHING. Stay out of areas you can't get into easily (remember if you sand it, you will have to buff it). Stay away from edges of panels, stay off body lines.
When you are buffing at the edge of a panel, your buffer should be held at an angle on the panel so the rotation of the buffing pad is rotating off the edge of the panel but not back on it. In other words, the toe of the buffing pad is down on the panel and you're holding it such that the heel of the pad is up.
I don't think you want to start lower than 1000 because it gets progressively harder to cancel the grit out. If the peel is bad, you might start at 1000. If it's moderate, maybe 1200. I go 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000, 2500, and 3000 trizact (on an DA polisher). This is not for the faint of heart and is Shine's way of doing it, but it works.
I use Meguiar Unigrit paper for cutting. It lasts a long time and has a uniform grit.
When you are cutting, do not try to remove all the peel on the first pass, you still have a lot more grits you're moving through. Try to remove about half to a third of it, so it's just disappearing by your last several grits; this ensures you are keeping as much of your clear on as possible.
Keep your paper wet with constant flushing of water. Cleanliness is the most important part. Your water must be impeccably clean, your paper too. If you drop your paper on the ground then get new paper. Getting the slightest piece of something gritty under your paper will leave huge scratches that will be tough to fix. This is also why you it helps to be constantly rinsing the panel. I use a spray bottle or a huge sponge above the area I'm sanding. I just keep pressing the sponge very lightly against the panel and it squeezes the water out and provides a constant trickle over the area I'm sanding. If you feel or hear something gritty, then STOP.
I use one of the thin softblocks from my durablock set as a squeegee and squeegee the water off the panel and look at it an an angle. Water will squeegee off the surface but not out of deep scratches, so if you have big scratches remaining still, this will reveal them. Do not go to your next grit if you still have rogue scratches. Or, until your tolerance level allows you to move to the next grit
For repairing runs, my preferred method is to take something like EZ Sand body putty and thinly smear it over the run. After it dries, sand with 800 grit and work up. You will see the high spot of the run start to sand down first while the putty protects the clear on the lower spots. As you sand down the high spot of the run, the rest of the filler will sand off too. I sand all runs first, and finish with whatever grit I will be starting my cutting with.
I'm not a professional either. I went through some paint and body courses 13 years ago and then have had a lot of practice and continual learning. Most of my most valuable edumacations have happened in my conversations with Barry.
For your first time, you don't have to cut and buff EVERYTHING. Stay out of areas you can't get into easily (remember if you sand it, you will have to buff it). Stay away from edges of panels, stay off body lines.
When you are buffing at the edge of a panel, your buffer should be held at an angle on the panel so the rotation of the buffing pad is rotating off the edge of the panel but not back on it. In other words, the toe of the buffing pad is down on the panel and you're holding it such that the heel of the pad is up.
Last edited:
'68 Coronet R/T
Oldtimer
As someone already stated, we all have our own preferred methods and products.
Here are some pictures of the different grits being used.
This is the tailgate on the custom '55 Chevy truck pictured elsewhere.
It has been sanded free of orange peel with 1000 grit and now I am working right to left with 1500 grit. You can clearly see where I stopped to take this picture.
This next picture shows the entire tailgate sanded with 1500 grit and my progress with 2000 grit from right to left.
After buffing and polishing with a rotary.
Here are some pictures of the different grits being used.
This is the tailgate on the custom '55 Chevy truck pictured elsewhere.
It has been sanded free of orange peel with 1000 grit and now I am working right to left with 1500 grit. You can clearly see where I stopped to take this picture.
This next picture shows the entire tailgate sanded with 1500 grit and my progress with 2000 grit from right to left.
After buffing and polishing with a rotary.
Thanks to all of you for sharing your different methods of cut and buff, all great idea's. The edges and the body lines were the ones that I was worried about but I see here where I don't have to sand every part of the panel. I will tape the edges to make sure I don't burn trough. On the hood, it has 2 body lines that are hard to get to so I think I will just tape them up. When I sanded the primer, I used a couple of Dawn drops of soap on the water. Can I do the same while sanding the clear or should I use plain water. Is Meguiars ultimate compound good to use when buffing?
Dean Jenkins
Promoted Users
Earlier in this thread, these compounds/ pads were recommended:
ACA 3D 500 on black wool pad
ACA 3D 520 on black foam
ACA 3D 500 on black wool pad
ACA 3D 520 on black foam
'68 Coronet R/T
Oldtimer
Were you using the M100? I find it works excellent. No fillers like the M105, 250 etc.
I just started to wet sand the hood and while there is some area's that have orange peel, most of the hood does not show any peel. I can see the metallics really good. I do have to sand down the 2 gun drips of clear but was wondering if I sand the area's that have orange peel only or do I sand the complete hood before I move on to buffing? I want to make sure I get this right. Thanks.
Last edited: