To 3k sand or not

[Every_detail]

I've seen this talked about before and just wondering on people thoughts.


Thinking of more effecient methods and thats when the sanding and polishing come into play.


Do you hit it with your DA or Rotary with your pad of choice and compound of choice and have at it? Or do you 3k sand and polish out to make less heat.

I know there are people that straight up 3k and polish call it done, also putting much less stress on the paint and panel.

[Rsurfer]

I've seen this talked about before and just wondering on people thoughts.


Thinking of more effecient methods and thats when the sanding and polishing come into play.


Do you hit it with your DA or Rotary with your pad of choice and compound of choice and have at it? Or do you 3k sand and polish out to make less heat.

I know there are people that straight up 3k and polish call it done, also putting much less stress on the paint and panel.

I would never wet sand todays oem paint unless absolutely necessary. Don't let the 3k grit fool you..you can remove a lot of clear with 3k paper.

[Mike Phillips]

I've seen this talked about before and just wondering on people thoughts.


Thinking of more effecient methods and thats when the sanding and polishing come into play.


Do you hit it with your DA or Rotary with your pad of choice and compound of choice and have at it? Or do you 3k sand and polish out to make less heat.

I know there are people that straight up 3k and polish call it done, also putting much less stress on the paint and panel.

I teach a class I call,

Scuff & Buff

That's where you use #3000 Trizact or another disc to lightly sand or "scuff" the major portions of the major panels and then buff.

As long as you're really careful you can do it without sanding and buffing through the clear layer.

It helps to know that if you're working on FACTORY clear - that no one else has messed with the paint in the past. For example, if you purchase the car new and have never buffed on it, chances are, all of the factory applied clearcoat is still intact.

If you bought the car used, hard to say what's happened in the past.

[Every_detail]

I would never wet sand todays oem paint unless absolutely necessary. Don't let the 3k grit fool you..you can remove a lot of clear with 3k paper.

and from a lot ive read and watched you can remove more with a rotary, wool and m100.

[Mike Phillips]

I would never wet sand todays oem paint unless absolutely necessary. Don't let the 3k grit fool you..you can remove a lot of clear with 3k paper.

Ron has a point. Making already thin paint thinner is risky. Especially if the car is parked outside all of the time.

Another option is the 3M Trizact #5000 or the new 3M Trizact #8000

[Mike Phillips]

See these,

Clearcoats are thin by Mike Phillips

Damp-Sanding Tools, Tips and Techniques by Mike Phillips

[Mike Phillips]

Here's Scuff & Buff

1956 Chevy Bel-Air - Dampsanding, Cut & Polish





Scuff & Buff - Wet Sanding Single Stage Metallic Paint - 1948 Willys Jeepster





Links have all the pictures and the full story.

[Rsurfer]

and from a lot ive read and watched you can remove more with a rotary, wool and m100.

You don't need a wool pad and compound to burn through clear coat. Buffing with a foam pad and polish with a rotary can cause dull paint in a hurry.

[Every_detail]

You don't need a wool pad and compound to burn through clear coat. Buffing with a foam pad and polish with a rotary can cause dull paint in a hurry.

I get this, but Im wondering are there any major differences from sanding 3k versus long passes with a MF pad and say, m100.

[tomsteve]

I get this, but Im wondering are there any major differences from sanding 3k versus long passes with a MF pad and say, m100.

yes. sanding with 3000 is doing more work than necessary.