My painter told me to stop sanding at 320 and I finally tried it last month
I was blocking out a fender on a 2019 Civic that had a run in the clear from the factory gun. My painter Ray, who has been spraying for 26 years, watched me for a minute and told me I was wasting my time going past 320 before sealer. I said the grit scratches would show and he just shook his head and told me to test it on a spare panel. I tried it on a door skin I had sitting around from a Silverado job, went 320 then straight to sealer, and the base laid down flat with no scratch pull. Did a side by side with my usual 600 finish and honestly could not see a difference under the booth lights. Now I save about 25 minutes a panel and my paper bill went down too. Any of you guys still finishing at 600 out of habit or did you switch over?
Wait, 26 years spraying and Ray is just now telling you to stop at 320? That blows my mind. I feel like half the old school guys I know would slap you for even thinking about sealer over 320 scratches. The fact that base laid down flat over it with zero scratch pull is wild to me, I would have bet money on seeing pigtails under the lights. The side by side with your 600 finish being a wash is the part I really can't get over. Makes me wonder how much paper I've burned over the years just because that's how I was taught.