Is it better to wet sand or dry sand?

Wet sanding, which is sanding with the addition of water to act as a lubricant, is less abrasive than dry sanding, and results in a smoother finish. It's best to wet-sand the final finish of a project. Dry sanding removes more material, and smooths rough material quickly.
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Is it better to wet sand or dry sand drywall?

Wet sanding also creates less dust, making it easier to clean up after the job is done. However, this method tends to result in finish that is less smooth than dry sanding. Dry sanding offers a more even and smooth finish. This is a great option for covering larger surface areas and whole walls in bigger rooms.
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What's the point of wet sanding?

Wet sanding is a process where we use special sandpaper that is supposed to be wet with water. Very wet. The water acts like a lubricant plus helps remove tiny particles so that the sandpaper does not get clogged and create deep scratches. Granted, the act of sanding does create small scratches.
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Should I wet sand or dry sand clear coat?

Scratches that don't extend through to the base coat can usually be removed by sanding, but you must take care not to remove too much of the clear coat, or you'll compromise its ability to block UV rays. You need to wet sand clear coats with very fine sandpaper.
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Does wet and dry sandpaper scratch?

The wet part of wet sanding refers to the use of water or some other liquid as lubrication to help carry away grit particles that are removed. Without the liquid, material can build up in the sandpaper and leave behind scratches that are larger than the particle size, ruining your finish.
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The 3 Ways to SAND: Wet Sanding VS Dry Sanding Plastic Parts - The Pros and Cons!



Should I wet sand after painting?

Two stage paints require a base coat which is a color and finally a clear coat which provides the final shine and protection to the base color. Wet sanding is a great way to improve a good paint job and can even be used to help improve the quality of a poorly laid paid layer.
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What grit should I wet sand with?

What Grit Sandpaper Should I Use? When you're first beginning to wet sand your material, you'll want to start with a grit between 600 and 1,200. Once you choose your starting grit, you'll follow dry sanding standards to increase the by 200 to 500 grits per pass to get the finish you want.
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When should you wet sand a car?

If the clear coat on the paint has scuffing and scratches, however, wet sanding may be the right solution for you.
  1. Scratches that are deep enough to expose metal cannot be resolved through wet sanding alone.
  2. Wet sanding primarily repairs damage to the top layers of paint and clear coat.
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Can you clear over 600 grit?

600 grit is aggressive enough to sand it flat without doing any damage to the clear coat. Remember, it is plastic, so too coarse of sandpaper can get very difficult to remove scratches from. Everything must be flat with 600!!
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Do you have to wet sand before buffing?

When you wet sand to 800-grit, then you should start buffing with a coarse polishing compound. If wet sanded to 1200-1500 grit start, with medium compound. (In both cases proceed through all buffing stages.) Use 1500 and 2000-grits for ultra-delicate sanding.
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Can you wet sand with an electric sander?

You can use an orbital sander to wet sand, but should take safety precautions to ensure that neither your tools nor you get hurt. Additionally, wet sanding normally makes fine adjustments to a surface, something an orbital sander may not help you with.
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Should I wet sand after clear coat?

Begin to wet-sand the clear coat. The clear coat should be wet-sanded with 400 grit sandpaper. This is to replace the orange peel with finer and finer scratches, which will eventually be filled in with polish. The sanding steps help diminish the clear coat until the entire surface is smooth.
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Is it better to sand or sponge joint compound?

Time, Labor and Effectiveness

However, sanding drywall provides a smooth finish even when the compound has a lot of bumps and grooves. Using the sponge method is most effective when you have a relatively smooth surface to work on. The sponge method doesn't work on quick-setting joint compounds.
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Do you need to compound after wet sanding?

Compound is used remove moderate clear coat damage, and hazing left behind by wet sanding. Polishing removes very minor surface defects to refine the finish after compounding to give a mirror finish.
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Can orange peel be buffed out?

Pick up a fast cut compound designed for vehicles to buff the bumps out. The best way to remove orange peel without sanding is to use fast cutting compound. Cutting compound is an abrasive paste that will erode an extremely thin layer of paint and wear away the orange peel in the process.
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What is wet sand called?

Quicksand is a colloid consisting of fine granular material (such as sand, silt or clay) and water. It forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. When water in the sand cannot escape, it creates a liquefied soil that loses strength and cannot support weight.
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What grit sandpaper should I use before painting car?

Dry sand using 180-grit sandpaper to remove rust or surface damage before moving on to a 320-grit paper to remove your previous 180-grit scratches. Whichever method that you decide, follow it up using 400- to 600-grit sandpaper to sand the paint to prep the existing paint surface for the new coatings to be applied.
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