Finest grit to remove orange peel?

[87LC2]

What is the finest grit that will remove the majority of orange peel from a finish? I am planning on getting my car a "real" professional paint job but wanted to see if it would be good enough for a few more years with a wet-sand.

I was thinking 2500 grit? Will this be enough, or will I have to go with 2000? I doubt 3000 will flatten too much of the orange peel.

I want to keep it as fine as possible to I will be able to remove the sanding marks with my G110V2 and M105.

For reference, I will be using Meguiars Unigrit papers and doing the work by hand. Maybe one panel a week or so taking my time, the car rarely leaves the garage anyway.

Any opinions appreciated.

[bmrfan]

Re: Finest grit to remove orange peel?

Depending on the degree of orange peel, you'll probably need to sand with 1000 - 1200 grit (possibly even 800).

Note: the above doesn't apply to paint runs, dust nibs, or "dry" spray - these are things that are best left to "experts" to correct.

FWIW - I prefer to have the painter be responsible for the initial sanding of the paint for two reasons.

1. Puts emphasis on the painter to spray a "smooth" paint job
2. It removes the "finger-pointing" in case you sand through the paint job.

I also recommend having the painter apply extra coats of clear coat (assuming you're getting a 2-stage paint job) - this way you will have enough paint build to sand/polish/buff.

[Ravi_1992]

Re: Finest grit to remove orange peel?

I'm no wet sanding expert, but you should do some test spots starting with 3000, then 2500, then 2000 and so on . By doing this, you can see for your self which grit paper you'll need.

Note- O ya , use a paint depth gage.

[87LC2]

Re: Finest grit to remove orange peel?

Wow, 1000 grit? I though 2500 would at least do a decent job. Im going to order some Unigrit in 1500 up to 3000 and do some test spots.

Unfortunately I dont have a thickness gauge and I dont plan on spending the money on one. I believe the clear is think by the wet look of the orange peel, so Im pretty sure it could stand at least one wet sand.

When it goes in for a re-paint, I will surely have the shop wet sand it, I would never attempt it on a new paint job, just seeing if I can make the car look better until that time comes.

Last question, when sanding by hand, what is the best technique? I will be using a sanding pad of course and only go in one direction, but as far as lubricating the paper and the surface, which method is best?

[bmrfan]

Re: Finest grit to remove orange peel?

87CL2 -

I'm sorry I misunderstood your original posting - I thought you were asking for advice on wet sanding a fresh repaint.

I'd be really careful about wet-sanding factory paint without full knowledge of the car's paint history. As Ravi 1992 stated, current cars have thinner paint than older cars (10+ years) so you can get into trouble real quick if you're trying to achieve a "perfect" finish.

IMHO - it is tough to achieve a perfect finish with current factory paint since the orange peel might not be correctable without overly thinning the clear coat.

Definitely perform test spots with fine to course paper (3000 - 2500 - 2000) but be prepared to compromise on how much orange peel you are willing to accept.

[87LC2]

Re: Finest grit to remove orange peel?

I am definitely willing to compromise with the acceptable level of orange peel, not necessarily looking for perfect.

However, this is not factory paint, it is a 6 year old repaint with thick clear. Thats why I think I can get away with it. I wouldnt even try it on factory paint, not worth it.

I'll do some test spots and see where it goes. I dont think I'll go any lower than 2000 grit. Thanks for the help.

[David Fermani]

Re: Finest grit to remove orange peel?

Trizact 3000 discs via DA will certainly do the job, but you'll burn through a bunch. 1500 works much better and faster but will require further refinement(w/3000).