When Should I Wet Sand or Sand While Painting?Updated a minute ago
Wet sanding helps achieve a smooth surface and professional-looking results. However, it's not always required. Here’s when and how to use wet sanding in your painting project.
What Types of Projects Require Sanding?
Use sanding for:
- Fixing large areas with an Aerosol Spray Can
- Repainting parts or accessories
- Small scratches (optional) — requires skill and experience
- Do not sand small touch-up projects like chips or nicks
Surface Preparation
- Use 400-grit sandpaper, dry or wet, to smooth out uneven surfaces or scratches.
- The goal is to create an even surface before applying paint.
When to Use Putty
- Use Putty to fill deep, indented scratches.
- After the Putty cures, wet sand it smooth using 800-grit sandpaper before applying Primer.
Sanding & Primer
- Always wet sand the Primer to achieve a smooth surface before painting.
- Only wet sand Primer (Use 800-grit sandpaper) after all coats are fully dry—you do not need to wet sand between Primer coats.
Colorcoat (Basecoat or Midcoat)
- Never wet sand Colorcoat (Basecoat or Midcoat).
- If your prep work is correct, the Colorcoat should lay smoothly.
- If the Colorcoat is uneven, remove it and redo your surface prep. Do not try to fix it by wet sanding.
Clearcoat
- Wet sanding Clearcoat is optional and only done after it is fully cured (at least 48 hours after the last coat).
- Wet sanding can enhance the shine on glossy finishes.
- We recommend using our Polishing Kit to bring out the best finish.