Three years of body work and I just found out I was sanding wrong

I was wet sanding a clear coat repair on a 2018 Accord last Tuesday and finally figured out why my finishes always looked a little hazy after buffing. Turned out I was pressing way too hard with the block, basically digging the grit in instead of letting the paper do the work. My coworker Mike walked over and just watched me for a minute, then said 'man you're trying to murder that paint, not fix it.' He handed me his block and showed me how light the pressure should be, almost like you're just floating it over the surface. The difference was night and day after I tried it on the other fender. Now I feel stupid for wasting so much time and compound on scratch patterns I was causing myself. Has anyone else had a basic technique click for them way later than it should have?

2 comments

2 Comments

max47221d ago

Honestly I felt this in my soul because I did the same thing for like two years on my own projects. I was bearing down on that block like I was trying to sand through the metal, no wonder my clear looked cloudy after buffing. Mike sounds like a real one for calling it out without making you feel dumb about it. It's crazy how something so simple, like literally just lightening your hand, changes everything. Tbh I still catch myself gripping too hard when I get frustrated with a spot.

miller.eva21d ago

My cousin ruined a whole hood that way once, the poor guy couldn't figure out why his arms got so tired.