Sanding is quite an advanced detailing skill, but one that’s easy to pick up once you know the basics and rules. The key, as always, is practice and more practice. With regular group days and one-to-one sessions available, we look at why sanding has become a key skill for high-end detailers.
Why is it an important skill to learn?
Efficiency. Just because you can wet sand by machine or block, doesn’t mean you’re going to be spending your time doing full mirror-finish orange peel removals on new cars.
a) – Because they’re mostly pointless on OEM finishes, usually completed by those without the knowledge of why OEM peel removal is usually a bad idea, and;
b) – Because there is SO much more you can achieve with sanding without cutting that far!
A P3000g cutting disc on a 3-5mm orbital sanding machine will cut through the damage which would take several steps to achieve with heavy cutting, requiring only a moderate refinement if completed correctly. It does this with a combination of faster media removal, lower temperatures and even levelling on a tight orbit. That doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily be removing any more paint; just the same, more efficiently with a faster and easier method – when approached with knowledge and care.
The 1 day wet sanding course runs through all the choices, equipment, knowledge and skills you will need to tackle any wet sanding job big or small, with practical instructor-led sessions coupled with our standard guidebook-accompanied theory knowledge.
By the end of the day you will be refining and correcting defects in a fraction of the time and we hope, will leave with the confidence to apply this skill to your business services.
Wetsanding adds efficiency, options and a high degree of knowledge of paint tolerances, all essential to the successful detailer. It gives you an option to turn to when heavy cutting doesn’t cut it and will allow you to level post-body shop work, blend textures, and refine heavier damage quickly and efficiently. If you’ve already spent time hand-sanding, this will take you to the next echelon. We cover small area work with machines such as the PXE and iBrid, and larger surfaces using FLEX ORE 3mm machines, though pneumatic Skorpio machines are also demonstrated and available to trial.
We do insist that every attendee be confident with machine correction in advance, as there is an assumption of prior knowledge to refine. If you’re still not sure though, you can always follow up, or complete in advance, one of our Machine Polisher skill courses to ensure you’re up to speed before tackling anything live.
Check out the course description here, and whether you want to book a 1-1 session or take part in one of our group days, it’s a skill you’ll wonder how you did without.
