wet sanding
02-27-06, 03:58 PM
#1
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
wet sanding
i know this has been covered to an extant in the past, but i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions. my gs is going into the body shop (it was hit last time i was in NYC, minor damage) and i asked them what they recomended about all of the swirls and scratches in the paint. they mentioned a wet sanding process that they felt very confident in, so confident that if i wasn't happy with it he wouldn't charge me. this guy does alot of classic cars and restorations and the work i have seen from him seems good, but from what i did gather from previous threads it did'nt seem like anyone was very fond of this idea. any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. btw my gs is black so under low lighting the finish looks perfect, however in the sun is a different story. sorry if this scenario has been covered thoroughly and i just missed it.
02-27-06, 08:33 PM
#2
The reason people (myself included) cringe at the mention of the words, is that it's THE most aggressive option you can use on your VERY THIN paint. You should only consider it as a last resort before a repaint, and IMO, you're not there with your particular paint issue(s).
They should be able to remove your scratches and swilrs via buffing/compounding and a good final polish. Unless the scratching is so deep that you can feel it, wetsanding is too extreme.
Here is what you need to know; Your paint (when NEW) is *about* 2 MILS thick. 2 MILS is 2 one -thousandths of an inch OR approx. the width of a baby's hair. Think about that a bit.. ..50 microns or 2 MILS...thick as a baby's hair. That should scare anyone that wants to wetsand oem paint.
You take sandpaper and you start removing .3...or more of that paint, and you begin removing some or ALL the UV inhibitors in the resin of the paint. When the paint is curing at the factory, these UV inhibitors migrate up to the surface of the paint, where they do their job of protecting it. You start sanding them away, and they go bye-bye, and then...the sun begins to break the paint down. Ultraviolet rays can have their way within a year.
That will cost you much more than swirl removal.
Now...show cars are a TOTALLY different animal.They have MUCH more paint applied, and they usually sit in a garage outof the sun's reach, unless at a car show, or a weekend drive. I know this because I paint cars too, and have one I wetsanded. I would not do that with factory paint unless i was prepared to 1) rarely let the car see sunlight, or 2) figure on a repaint when it fails, which it will.
I really believe what you say, in that they know HOW to do it well, and can restore your paint, BUT...they want your money too. Will they guarantee that your paint won't fail in 1 year? 3 years? I would bet they can't make that guarantee.
Trust me, it's time for a second opinion. I think a shop with a skilled detailer can solve your paint issue with MINIMUM paint removal, and likely much cheaper for you as well. Please give it a shot. Good luck.
They should be able to remove your scratches and swilrs via buffing/compounding and a good final polish. Unless the scratching is so deep that you can feel it, wetsanding is too extreme.
Here is what you need to know; Your paint (when NEW) is *about* 2 MILS thick. 2 MILS is 2 one -thousandths of an inch OR approx. the width of a baby's hair. Think about that a bit.. ..50 microns or 2 MILS...thick as a baby's hair. That should scare anyone that wants to wetsand oem paint.
You take sandpaper and you start removing .3...or more of that paint, and you begin removing some or ALL the UV inhibitors in the resin of the paint. When the paint is curing at the factory, these UV inhibitors migrate up to the surface of the paint, where they do their job of protecting it. You start sanding them away, and they go bye-bye, and then...the sun begins to break the paint down. Ultraviolet rays can have their way within a year.
That will cost you much more than swirl removal.
Now...show cars are a TOTALLY different animal.They have MUCH more paint applied, and they usually sit in a garage outof the sun's reach, unless at a car show, or a weekend drive. I know this because I paint cars too, and have one I wetsanded. I would not do that with factory paint unless i was prepared to 1) rarely let the car see sunlight, or 2) figure on a repaint when it fails, which it will.
I really believe what you say, in that they know HOW to do it well, and can restore your paint, BUT...they want your money too. Will they guarantee that your paint won't fail in 1 year? 3 years? I would bet they can't make that guarantee.
Trust me, it's time for a second opinion. I think a shop with a skilled detailer can solve your paint issue with MINIMUM paint removal, and likely much cheaper for you as well. Please give it a shot. Good luck.
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