What Grit Sandpaper to Use When Painting a Car with Ease?
Actually, we have to do the job when we want to fix some damaged areas on the car.
On the other hand, someone has a hobby of DIY things, and he or she wants to change his or her car appearance.
Before coming to use spray to paint the car, you need to remove any unpolished particles on the surface.
That means we will need the help of sandpaper.
To help you get an easy selection in finding a suitable grit of sandpaper for car painting, we decided to write this topic.
What is the Point You Need to Know About Sandpaper?
Before getting to know how to choose a suitable sander, you need to know some facts about this tool.
The Definition
We can find sandpaper among a lot of construction tools.
It is a combination of a strong backing paper and the abrasive substance (mostly sand or abrasive mineral).
People use the tool for many purposes as smoothing, rust removal, paint removal, as well as sanding.
Sandpaper is a sheet which is coated with sand or another abrasive particle.
People use it to smooth the surface or remove rust on the surface.
Kinds of Grit Sandpaper
Since we have various purposes if using sandpaper, we can find different types of the tool on the market.
The variety of sandpaper brings both a good and a bad side.
The good point is that we can choose from numerous grit sizes to get the most suitable one.
Because there is a wide variety of grit sizes so it’s easy to choose one that matches your current needs.
Numerically, we can rate sandpaper relying on the size of the grit particles on the surface of the sheet.
Therefore, we have a wide range of available grit sandpaper that can be offered to consumers for the best satisfaction.
According to the size of the grit factor, we have two main types of grit sandpaper which are the coarse one and the fine one.
The Reason Why We Need to Use Sandpaper Before Spraying Paint
Why do we have to start our painting DIY with sandpaper?
The main reason is for a smooth working surface.
It is important that you prepare the work area well before painting it.
That can bring you the smoothest and the most flawless finish than that of which we do not use.
When scrubbing sandpaper on a surface, the paper removes imperfections (also called pimples) so that the surface becomes smoother.
Plus, doing that also creates small rough ridges which help the paint to stick well.
What Grit Sandpaper to Use When Painting a Car With Ease?
Painting a car is a task that demands persistent and carefulness so when you do it make sure you pour your heart to it.
But when you decide to try, you should pick up an appropriate sander for a better outcome.
Even if you are in a rush, never skip this step, or you will regret it.
When discussing what grit sandpaper fits for a painting car, we recommend that you use the auto body sandpaper to get the best result.
The Auto Body Sandpaper Grit Chart
But, it is a challenge of finding the proper one for your project, right?
Here is the auto body sandpaper grit chart for you.
Looking at the chart will bring you an overall view of several common types of grit sandpapers.
| Paper Grits Size | Character | Purposes |
|---|---|---|
| 30 – 36 grits | Very coarse sandpaper | Remove rust on rough-finished metal |
| 40 – 80 grits | Coarse grit sandpaper | Use for shaping and making a clean affected surface |
| 100 – 150 grits | Medium grit sandpaper | Remove scratches on the surface made by using 80-grit sandpaper. Clean old vanishes on the working surface. |
| 180 – 220 grits | Finer grit sandpaper | Remove scratches on the surface made by coarse grit sandpaper. |
| 320 – 360 grits | Very fine grit sandpaper | Lightly sand bare metal surface or other hard surfaces. |
| 1200, 1500 or 2000 grits | Ultra-fine grit sandpaper | Make the surface smooth and clear. |
Here are the most common types of sandpapers which we found on the market.
As you can see, according to different purposes, we will pick up various paper types.
Therefore, if you want to create a great painting, you should take notice of the chart carefully.
How Should We Use Grit Sandpaper to Paint a Car?
To reverse and bring back the beautiful state that your car once has you should take note of a few things that might become helpful in the future.
As a result, you will end up with a better look of your car, even better than it was.
Does painting a car with grit sandpaper require a lot of experiences?
It is a simple job and you need to practice several times before attempting to do the project in reality so that the result will be able to satisfy you.
Do not worry too much and keep reading our easy-to-follow introduction.
According to an experienced painting professor, you have steps to follow in order to get the best final result.
1. First of all, you need to grasp 80-grit sandpaper to shape the outer coat of affected areas.
Besides 80-grit one, you also can use a notorious 36-grit sheet to do the job, but that is not necessary.
Since the 36-grit type supplies sharp cuts, the sandpaper will leave deep unnecessary scratches on the surface so we should avoid this type altogether in order to perfect your car.
2. Afterward, use 150 – 220-grit sander to smooth the rough ridges made by the initial step.
You may think that there is no need to scrub the area with 80-grit paper, right?
Well, for the clear coat, we highly recommend you not to skip the step.
Without it, your final result will not be as good as expected.
Sanding your car surface with 150 – 220-grit paper sets the surface as a primer or a guide coat.
Afterward, the paint will stick to the areas better.
3. Next, use sandpaper with 320 – 360 grits to finish the surface.
If you want to paint directly on a primer base, you will need to do this step.
4. Then, you can use a sprayer to cover up working areas with enamel paint.
5. Last but not least, if you are a scrupulous one, you may want your masterpiece to be better.
This is the color sanding and buffing stage.
6. In step, you have to use 1200, 1500 or 2000-grit sander to scrub the surface.
According to many experiences, we think that the dry 1500-grit one is the best choice for you to start doing the step.
Then, after creating flat surfaces, you will switch to sandpaper of 2000 grits to wash the surface in a wet sanding way.
Finally, you are done with all the steps from an experienced professor. You will be surprised by the smooth and shining final result thanks to the detailed introduction.
How do We Know that We Sand Enough?
Well, if you are a beginner in this job we will try to explain it as clearly as possible for better understanding.
Sanding requires you to take a closer look at the working surface so the quality and the detail can be spotted more clearly to make your work precise and accurate.
Hence, you can see when your sanding progress is made.
We highly recommend that you have to ask for help from experienced people for some knowledge and experiences.
When you understand how it works, you will be able to do the project yourself.
Anyway, we have two testing methods for you, try one of them and you will see the result shortly with this information you can further support your work better.
The first one is a dry method.
You need to look at the body of the affected area after removing the dust.
The looking angle must be low enough so that you can see how much smooth the surface is.
Another way is a wet method.
You need to dampen the surface with clean water.
That will help wipe away the dust, and you can see the surface clearly.
Into a reflected light, you have to change several dimensions to see if the job is completed or not.
You will find your sanding job is done by checking the working surface.
If it is shining and flawless, you have done a good job.
Otherwise, if it still has rough scratches or dull imperfections, you will have to scrub more.
Tips to Protect Clear Coat of Our Car
After hard work, we are proud that we can create a new look in our car.
It is time you need to know pro tips to extend the age of the clear coat.
Do not Clean Your Car at Automated Car Washes
Since it has tough brushes which rotate at high speeds can scratch your car badly and the car wash products may be so strong to damage the clear coat so for better cleaning you should do it manually.
The great alternative is using an Eco car wash service.
They include car-paint-friendly products and methods.
Hence, your coat can be cleaned up in a gentle way.
In other words, you can reduce the risk of peeling coats with the Eco car wash option.
Stay Away from Generic or Abrasive Car Wash Products
Many people think that we can use normal detergent to wash their car.
That leads to peeling the car easily.
o you know that we should not use regular car wash products for a clear coat?
Regular detergent contains many harmful chemicals which cause the coat to come off faster.
Plus, some low-quality products with harsh ingredients will accelerate the process of coat peeling.
In short, you should never use a regular car wash product to clean your car.
Instead of using common detergents, you should try to wash it with a gentle product to keep the coat longer.
Clean Your Car Regularly
The cleaner your car is, the more chances you will have to have a clear coat.
We highly recommend that you wash your car at regular intervals.
Due to many outside factors like dust, grime, as well as dirt, the clear coat may get scratched inevitably so having them clean daily will help out a lot.
You should remove those bad factors as soon as possible.
Therefore, you will keep the coat from being embedded and peeled.
Common FAQs You May Need to Know
There are many questions which we have been receiving from you guys all over the world.
In this article, we will answer some of them since we think you may have the same wonder.
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