Used to block sand with the paper dry now I keep a spray bottle handy

I had this job on an old Chevy Silverado fender last month. Like 3 hours of block sanding and I kept loading up the paper and getting scratches. Guy next to me in the shop just laughs and hands me a spray bottle. Wet sanding changed everything. Smoother finish way less dust and I actually finished that job in 2 hours instead of 3. I dont know why I resisted it for so long. I guess I figured wet sanding was just for final finish stuff. Anyone else have a basic technique they ignored forever that turned out way better?

3 comments

3 Comments

lewis.terry1mo ago

Try wet sanding on a car that's already been painted and you'll get a different story.

piper_kim1mo ago

Man that Silverado fender story hit home hard lol. I had basically the same thing happen with some old shop guys years ago. I was fighting with 220 grit on a hood getting all those pigtails and one of them just walked over misted it and said "try that dumbass" all nice like. Changed my whole approach too. The dust reduction alone is worth it my lungs thank me now. Its funny how we get stuck in our ways even when the better way is right there in front of us.

olivia_moore1mo ago

Jumped into wet sanding about a year ago and man I felt so dumb for not trying it sooner. Did a whole '67 Mustang quarter panel dry with 400 grit and it took forever and I kept burning through the paper every 10 minutes. Spray bottle trick cut that time in half and the scratches just melted away. I still see guys in forums swearing by dry sanding for primer and I get it but idk once you feel how smooth a wet sanded surface is its hard to go back.