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Profit in the Paint Shop Series (2 of 6)

Sanding Fundamentals
By Carl Wilson
2/4/2014
A proper grasp of the fundamentals of sanding will lend itself to the development of
techniques.
On the surface, sanding appears to be an elementary task, so
much so that we put sandpaper in the hands of greenhorns
and let them go at it. We veterans of the paint wars ourselves
are often too busy and valuable to be bothered by such a
menial task. Sanding? Come on! We should be engaged in the
act of making money. Were painters, after all, and therefore
we ought to be painting. However, as with most anything you
can think of, from the universe to the paint job, there is a
beginning.
A Proper Repair
No, were not going to examine the big bang theory or intelligent design, but we will be taking
an in-depth look at what it takes to perform a proper paint job.
In my area of expertise in collision repair, when we say proper repair, its the culmination of
an incredible quantity of tasks and knowledge that ultimately results in what we refer to as
pre-accident condition. The lions share of those tasks are prepping, much of which is
sanding.
So, back to sanding. It isnt a haphazard application of various pieces
of grit-impregnated parchment paper we drag across a surface in
order to scratch it up. Nope. Not haphazard at all, but very deliberate
and fundamental to the refinish process. Crucial in most every case,
save for a very few such as raw plastic components (which I will not
venture into in this article), sanding is fundamental.
Don't be the guy who runs his DA so fast that he burns through the
sandpaper and shortens the tool's life.
The Fundamentals
Let us consider the fundamentals of sanding. I believe its prudent to point out that while
techniques are many, the fundamentals are few. A proper grasp of the fundamentals will lend
itself to the development and application of techniques. This helps explain why there seems to
be as many ways to skin a cat as there are painters. Yet few, I believe, could articulate the
fundamentals. Why? Well, back to the opening paragraph, its so elementary, you justyou
knowsand.
OK, fair enough. To understand the fundamentals, we need to know the task were performing
and what were asking the sandpaper to do. For example, sandpaper for the rapid removal of
material, such as that which a body tech would do as he grinds through the paint film down to
bare metal, will generally not be found in the paint shop. Unless were dry stripping material to
the substrate, which is a topic for another day, we dont even touch anything in the 40- to 80-
grit range of any sandpaper product.
I know the panel has been cleaned properly before we start, yes? Relax, I wont belabor that
point again, but I will offer a simple test you can perform to ascertain the panels cleanliness.
This isnt for every job, but if you want to spot-check the effectiveness of your cleaning
technique from time to time, then apply this test to a white or silver vehicle blend panel thats
factory paint.
Clean the panel(s) as you would normally. When youre satisfied its clean, prior to sanding,
spray the panel with a little lacquer thinner and observe the results. Miniscule streaks of road
tar and contaminants will reveal themselves if the panel isnt clean. Lets be certain we have a
clean surface prior to sanding it.
Three Functions
In a nutshell, we basically have three functions of sandpaper: cutting, smoothing and simply
abrading a surface for adhesion purposes also known in the vernacular as rough sanding,
finish sanding and scuffing. Techniques such as hand sanding, machine sanding, dry sanding and
wet sanding, or equipment choices in the way of rigid pads, interface pads, vacuum pads or
even homemade blocks and pads as well as sandpaper options of open coat, closed coat,
aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, linen mesh screens, sanding sponges and scuff pads, etc., all
have application considerations specific to technique. Yet they must all conform to the basic
fundamentals in order to be productively profitable. For an extreme example, you wouldnt
block sand primer surfacer with 800- or 1,000-grit paper because you wouldnt be able to cut
and level the primer...you would only succeed in making it wavy smooth.
In the paint shop, our cutting or block sanding of primer surfacer is generally done in the 180 to
240 range on a rigid block using a crosshatch sanding pattern for the most rapid removal of
material. You shouldnt apply too much pressure because you want the grit of the sandpaper or
mesh to do the work, not your muscles. Too much pressure and you sand a distortion into the
panel rather than level it.
Furthermore, you must leave enough material for the ensuing grits of paper to do their job. This
is where powdered guidecoat really shines as you can use it between each grit change to
ensure youre removing the scratches youre after step by step until youve reached your final
grit and sand scratch pattern.
A spot sanding pen.
No Change
Whether youre sanding for primer application, sanding primer,
final sanding prior to sealing and painting, preparing a panel for a
blend or even nib sanding prior to buff and polish, the
fundamentals dont change. For example, if youre nib sanding a
speck of dirt prior to buffing and you fail to cut it flat, youll see the
ghost by way of a tiny pitchers mound where the dirt was. You
must level it, then smooth and polish it. Of course, there are situations where cutting and
leveling arent needed where you simply need to abrade the surface for adhesion purposes, or
scuff sand. Or, smooth out the scratches left by a body tech
surrounding the repair (featheredging).
The products you choose to use largely determine the techniques
youll employ. I dont want to get into the weeds with every
technique known to man because, frankly, I dont know every
technique and we dont need to know every technique. We need
to know whats pertinent to the products were using and the
task at hand.
Sanding blocks and DAs.
You may experience a need to change technique due to a decision to change products made,
above our pay grade, by the office and suppliers. No problem; were professionals and we can
adapt and overcome any obstacle we face, including a change of technique brought about by a
change in material or supplies because we understand the fundamentals.
ANSI-CAMI-FEPA
Im aware that, at times, I babble on about the challenges of yesteryear the proverbial uphill
walk to and from school. I hear you. Notwithstanding, one example in particular decades ago
comes to mind.
Ever hear of ANSI, CAMI or FEPA? They are, respectively, the American National Standards
Institute, Coated Abrasives Manufacturers Institute and the Federation of European Producers
of Abrasives. You may say, Who cares? Well, we had to care because ANSI established a
numbering system to indicate grit size: 80, 120, 220, etc.
That was all well and good until FEPA abrasives became widely
available in our country. The FEPA rating system and the ANSI
rating system did not correspond to one another. Furthermore,
they were confusing. For instance, grit designations of about 180
and below (120, 80, 36, etc.) were similar enough to cross
over from ANSI to FEPA. But north of 220, the grit designations
parted ways. For example, 320 ANSI is more like 500 FEPA, and
500 ANSI is more like 1,000 FEPA. See the problem? The
numbering systems are not interchangeable.
Razor, vixen file, sanding block
If you had European paper, you needed to know, and that was easy enough if you knew that
FEPA abrasives were indicated by the letter P. P paper, we called it. Simple enough. But, of
course, it didnt stay simple. One of the major American abrasives manufacturers also started
making a P-designated abrasive. However, American P paper and European P paper were not
interchangeable, but the American P paper and the old ANSI stuff were. Phew!
These days, it appears that FEPA P paper has gone the way of nitrocellulose lacquer. Its around,
but its not mainstream, at least not in the markets where Ive worked. P paper today seems to
mirror ANSI
paper 220 is 220, 400 is 400, 800 is 800 and so on. You can pretty much order the grit size you
know and want and thats what you get.
The Heat Is On
One thing that was consistent between the grading systems is how heat shortens the life of the
paper. When machine sanding, too many RPMs of the tool generates heat between the
substrate and the sandpaper and the sandpaper dies early. Youve seen that guy running his DA
so fast that you know hes not only burning through the sandpaper, hes also shortening the life
of the tool.
The other extreme is too slow an RPM, which results in poor sandpaper performance and
increased labor inputs. The sweet spot is a balance that results in good production and paper
life. Experiment! Theres no need to run the tool wide open.
Back to the fundamentals: cut, smooth and polish. I can illustrate the techniques I utilize, but
please understand that these are not the only techniques that work. My techniques are based
on the materials and supplies I use. Your approach may be different, and thats perfectly fine.
Im not attempting to convince you that my way is best, or convert you over to it. I have no idea
what your specific situation is. Take from it what you will your choice. But apply the
fundamentals.
Starting with a panel that has been body worked and primed (and yes, there are priming
fundamentals that ensure success), I apply dry guidecoat to the area Im going to sand. I put
220 paper on the longest block I have that is proper for the job at hand. Every time, I use the
longest block practical, using a crosshatch sanding pattern until the panel has been cut level.
Reapply the dry guidecoat and block again with 400 Im cutting out the 220 scratches here.
Reapply the guide coat and sand with 400 on a DA with an interface pad, stopping short of total
guidecoat removal. Then switch to 600 on the interface pad to finish removing the scratches
and guidecoat. The entire process is dry. A mesh screen produces fantastic results with a dry
sanding technique, and you have the option of using a vacuum system for dust control.
Dont let anyone tell you that you shouldnt use the DA in this process for fear of destroying the
body work. You cannot destroy the body work with 600 grit on an interface pad any more than
you could straighten out body work with 600 grit on an interface pad. That is the wrong grit and
the wrong pad to cut with. Still, keep your tool flat and pay attention to edges and body lines.
Nib and Polish
Another example of the fundamentals can be found in the labor operation nib and polish.
Were not talking flat sanding a panel prior to buffing, just chicken pecking the dirt. I do use
water for this operation but no bucket, just a spray bottle.
With either a 1,000 or 1,200 sanding stone, or even a piece of wet sanding paper wrapped
around a short length of paint paddle, cut the dirt out, keeping it small. Some guys like to use a
razor blade with the corners taped or a 1-inch section of a vixen file to do the cutting. The
important thing is to cut it flat, then, with a 3-inch DA and 1,500- to 2,000-grit paper, smooth
the cut marks out. I then use a 3,000-grit sponge pad on the baby DA and sand out the 2,000-
grit scratches. Finish it off with a spot buff and polish, easy and fast. All my DA paper is hook
and loop, aka Velcro, so switching paper doesnt mean wasting paper.
The fundamentals dont change techniques do. When you separate the techniques that are as
seemingly vast as the stars in the solar system from the fundamentals, its easy to see that
sanding is indeed elementary.
Carl Wilson has been painting for nearly 30 years, with formal training from the GM Training
Center, ASE, I-CAR and multiple product and color courses. He currently works as a technical
rep for Hi-Line Distributors in Oahu, Hawaii. He can be reached at carl@refinishexpert.com.

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