Things to keep in mind when getting started with wet sanding

[Michael Stoops]

Discussions in this area of MOL center around wet sanding. Yes, that means using sand paper on your car's paint.

If the thought of doing that gives you pause, good. If not, it should.

In many cases these discussions talk about using 1000 grit, 2000 grit or even finer paper. That may sound like some super fine paper, but even with that you can very quickly sand away your clear coat. Yes, that is as bad as it sounds.

When done properly you can do some pretty amazing things with wet sanding. Of course, you'll very likely need a rotary buffer to remove your sanding marks when finished, so keep that in mind too.

This is not intended to scare you off, just to make sure you're thinking. Thinking about the process, thinking about the potential consequences, and thinking about whether or not this is really the correct process for the issue you're dealing with.

[the_invisible]

Re: Things to keep in mind when getting started with wet sanding

I want to add that it is almost crucial to use Meguiar's Unigrit sandpaper if anybody chooses to wetsand the paint finish on their automobile. If Meguiar's Unigrit sandpaper is not accessible, get the highest quality sandpaper for wetsanding, preferrably ones with latex backing.

Because Meguiar's Unigrit sandpaper has the best grit uniformality compared to most other consumer sandpapers, it would create less tracer marks when you are sanding a large area. While tracer marks can be reduced by sanding in short strokes, using unigrit paper would significantly reduce tracer marks. And less tracers means less time needed to correct them.

I also want to emphasize that it is important that you soak the sandpaper in soapy water overnight before wetsanding. If possible, soak the sandpaper for a few days. That, as I discovered, also reduces tracers significantly. If you have sandpapers with latex backing, you could soak them in water for up to a week without any problem.

[ianrayburn]

Re: Things to keep in mind when getting started with wet sanding

While this is great advice, the biggest problem I face, & I suspect others also, is the inconsistency of availability of many of Meguiar's products, especially in Canada. Even though there is a Meguiar's Canada, I believe in Toronto, not even they can help in obtaining many of the products. This problem is compounded even in the U.S. where many of the big auto stores just don't carry much in the way of Meguiar's stuff. It really does seem to be a hit & miss situation.

[Eddie6th]

Re: Things to keep in mind when getting started with wet sanding

Your problem of obtaining Meguiar's products is pretty much the same for me over here.
As far as the papers go,I don't get meg's unigrit here. I do get my paper from a bodyshop outlet. It is wet/dry type and latex backed. Now if it has similair properties as the Meguiar's nikken paper....I don't know,but I havn't had any problems. No problems with tracers. I'm not sure what make they are....I'd need to check.

[96Lude]

Re: Things to keep in mind when getting started with wet sanding

I live in Canada also and I have never been able to find the Meguiar's sandpaper anywhere. My only option is to order it from Autogeek since they ship to Canada, however I cannot place an order only for sandpaper, it will end up costing me more than 3x the price when the shipping fees are added.

I use 3M sandpaper since I can find it locally.

the_invisible: I don't believe the tracers have anything to do with how long you soak the sandpaper in water, your technique is what will determine if you leave tracers or not.

P.S. I'm just curious, is that you in your avatar picture? I see that you're holding a plate with a fish in it, are you a chef?

[Forcemajeure]

Re: Things to keep in mind when getting started with wet sanding

same here it is hard to shop for M105, if ever there's one price is being doubled..

[ianrayburn]

Re: Things to keep in mind when getting started with wet sanding

Could not agree more. The ability NOT to get Meguiars stuff really does force you elsewhere. Meguiars Canada at times really is quite useless when it comes to information on where to buy their stuff. The cost is also prohibitive in spite of the so called "free trade" agreement. Why DOES Meguiars make it so difficult? California is not the only place where people detail cars.

[cooke24]

Re: Things to keep in mind when getting started with wet sanding

Could not agree more. The ability NOT to get Meguiars stuff really does force you elsewhere. Meguiars Canada at times really is quite useless when it comes to information on where to buy their stuff. The cost is also prohibitive in spite of the so called "free trade" agreement. Why DOES Meguiars make it so difficult? California is not the only place where people detail cars.

sooo i spent about a week trying to aquire m105 and m205 and 2000 grit sandpaper. unfortunately.. all three up here in canada is $150. i was forced to order off amazon and ship to a friend in blaine washington, total cost for all 3 products $71. why does a bottle of m105 cost $25 in usa and $50 in canada?


I have worked in the detailing industry and bodyshop industry for 4 years. i dont see any meguiars products at all, main reason is because its hard to get.

ill be doing a whole wetsand and polish on my 1996 nissan skyline gts25t due to orange peel from a insurance claim.