Old timer at the shop said I was sanding clear coat wrong. He was dead on.

Guy named Dave who's been doing this since the 80s watched me wet sand a bumper and just shook his head. He told me I was going too slow with too much pressure, said I was burning through the clear before I even hit the final grit. Tried his method of lighter passes and faster strokes on a Toyota Camry last Wednesday and the finish came out way smoother. Anyone else had an old pro call them out on something they thought they had down?

2 comments

2 Comments

margaret_flores1715d ago

Wait you said you wet sanded and burned through clear? I did the exact same thing on my first BMW bumper and I thought I was being so careful. That old timer must have saved you hours of repaint work because burning through clear is like the worst feeling when you realize you just created a whole new problem. I still catch myself going too slow when I get nervous about a panel and have to remind myself to trust the process. The lighter faster method sounds backwards until you actually try it and see the difference in how much material you keep on the part. Glad you listened to him because some of those old guys gatekeep their secrets too hard.

julia_burns915d ago

That old timer thing reminds me of how my dad taught me to sharpen kitchen knives. He kept saying "let the stone do the work" and I kept pressing down hard thinking more force equals sharper. First few times I wrecked the edge completely. It's the same pattern everywhere I notice. People think harder and slower and more pressure equals better results when really it's about finesse and trusting the tool. Ever notice how the most experienced people always seem to be doing less work than everyone else?