When you’re wet sanding your car, it’s important to know how long to wait before re-wetting the surface. Once you have finished roughing up your car with a wet and dry paper, you need to prep it for wet sanding. Wet sanding is a process that involves using fine grit sandpaper and water to remove any remaining defects on the painted surface of your car. Because water is used instead of conventional oils, this process can be messy. However, if you follow these steps and tips, you can avoid getting sprayed with water when wet sanding your car. These are some general rules when it comes to how long your paint needs to dry before you start wet sanding. If it’s humid outside or if you live in an area where there is constant rainfall throughout the year, then these times will be longer than usual:
How to dry car paint before wet sanding
The first step towards ensuring that your paint is ready for wet sanding is to clean the surface properly. You can do this with an Orange Cleaner, like P21S Car Cleaning Products, or a Clay Bar, like Meguiars Deep Crystal Car Clay Bar. Depending on how bad the paint on your car is, you may need to wash it with a car wash soap and then switch to a cleaner to get rid of any contamination before you start sanding. Once you’re finished prepping the surface, allow it to dry completely. This is especially important if you are working indoors and the season is wet. If you try to wet sand the paint before it is dry, the water can seep into the porous surface and cause more defects than you’re trying to remove.
2 hours to dry
As mentioned earlier, if the weather is humid or if you’re working in a rainy environment, this may take longer, so be patient. It’s best to let your paint dry for 2 hours before you start wet sanding. However, if you’re in a dry environment with low humidity, such as in a paint booth, it may only take you 30 minutes. If you’re using a DA (dual action) sander, it’s best to wait another 15 minutes after your paint has dried before you start sanding. If you’re using a rotary sander, it’s best to wait another 10 minutes after your paint has dried before you start sanding.
30 minutes to dry
This is generally the time recommended for paints that have a lower solvent content and have been applied with a HVLP (high volume low pressure) or a spray gun. This is because it takes less solvent to evaporate from these paints, so they are easier to dry. Since these paints are easier to dry and are applied with a different application method, it’s best to wait only 30 minutes before you start sanding.
10 minutes to dry
This is generally the time recommended for paints that have a higher solvent content and have been applied with a gravity feed gun. These paints are applied with a different application method, so they are harder to dry. Since these paints are harder to dry and are applied with a different application method, it’s best to wait 10 minutes before you start sanding.
Conclusion
When you’re wet sanding your car, it’s important to know how long before you start the paint needs to be completely dry. This will prevent you from getting sprayed with water and help you minimize defects in the surface of your car. When the surface is ready for wet sanding, you can use different grit sandpaper and water to remove the defects and achieve a smooth surface.