# Wet sanding...why didn't I try this before?



## GouletPens (Nov 16, 2009)

It wansn't until I tried my first Trustone last week that I even considered wet sanding, and I have to say I'm pretty impressed! It's about as fast as my previous method, but produces a little better results. Before I would dry sand with MM1500-3200, then buff on Beall. It looks great and 98% of people could never tell the difference b/w my dry method and the wet sanding method, but on PR and Trustone, the wetsanding appears to really be superior. PLUS, since wet sanding keeps the dust down, I can shut off the DC from sucking the warm air out of my shop, and give my ears a little break (well, at least from the DC noise, I still have my classic rock BLARING in the background!:RockOn. 

So yeah, I was never really open to wet sanding before trying Trustone, now I've found it has other good applications. Still not convinced it works so well on my CA finishes b/c I've had mixed results, but I'll keep trying. So if you've never tried wet sanding, give it a shot! You just might like it:biggrin:


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## maxwell_smart007 (Nov 16, 2009)

Wet sanding was the first true epiphany I had in regards to pen-turning...makes all the difference for me...(esp. on CA finishes, Brian! ) 

But, as with all things, each person develops their own method that works best for them.


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## hewunch (Nov 16, 2009)

I wet sand nearly everything. I love it.


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## dustmaker (Nov 16, 2009)

Interesting timing...I just started wet sanding my CA finishes this weekend...I guess great minds think alike. :wink:   I have to agree, it definitely improves the results.  I think my MM will last longer this way as well.


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## glycerine (Nov 16, 2009)

Do you ever use plastic polish?  I don't see how anything could give more of a gloss than that...


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## dustmaker (Nov 16, 2009)

glycerine said:


> Do you ever use plastic polish?  I don't see how anything could give more of a gloss than that...



Yeah, lots of ways to achieve the same end.  I sometimes use HUT High Gloss plastic polish or hit it with a mild buff of white diamond.  Tends to smooth out the very fine scratches (that you can only see under magnification, but I tend to look anyway, must be the perfectionist in me ).

I am interested to know, how fine to you sand before using plastic polish?


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## glycerine (Nov 16, 2009)

dustmaker said:


> Yeah, lots of ways to achieve the same end. I sometimes use HUT High Gloss plastic polish or hit it with a mild buff of white diamond. Tends to smooth out the very fine scratches (that you can only see under magnification, but I tend to look anyway, must be the perfectionist in me ).
> 
> I am interested to know, how fine to you sand before using plastic polish?


 
Well, at first I would use the micromesh all the way to the finest one (don't remember which grit) and then do the plastic polish, but lately I've been just sanding to 600 with regular sandpaper and then doing the plastic polish 2 or 3 times to make sure I get all the scratches.  Both seem to work fine, of course just sanding to 600 is faster.  I believe the bottle of polish that I have says to sand to about 800 grit and then apply...


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## cnirenberg (Nov 16, 2009)

I'm a big fan of wet sanding, especially on acrylics.  It keeps the heat down and the material from gobbing up the sandpaper.


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## george (Nov 16, 2009)

At my start I used to wet sand everything, including wood treated with CA. It helped to achive the finish without sanding marks - specialy CA. But with time I came to drop wet sanding on wood (CA) due to fact that I achive same result with dry sanding ... and the possbility that water would somehow find any mistake in CA and make ugly stain on wood is much smaller.
On corain, celuloid and similar wet sanding rules.


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## NewLondon88 (Nov 16, 2009)

I wet sand all finishes .. it stops the micromesh from melting!

Glycerine .. see if you can do your 12,000 finish and 600 +polish finish on the
same material and check them side by side. Even though you might not see
scratches, sometimes there is a difference in appearance even though it is
caused by something you can't easily see. Might try good magnification, too.

If you can't tell side by side .. well then good enough! :biggrin:


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## GouletPens (Nov 16, 2009)

On most everything I have been dry sanding to 400, then 1500-3200 MM, tripoli and white diamond. Doing that will get an awesome shine and I'll still continue to do this. But the advantages to wet sanding are low dust, quieter shop (no DC required), longer lasting MM, and cooler sanding (less potential for cracking woods???). I just did some more Trustone and they rock!!! I'm still having a bit of an issue with wet sanding CA, maybe because I'm doing the CA and immediately sanding it. Do you need to wait? I use thing with accelerant every other coat. Dry sanding immediately has never been a problem, but would it be the same for wet sanding? Dunno.


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## BigguyZ (Nov 16, 2009)

I've done CA and sanded right afterwards, no issues.  (I use accelerator).


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## dustmaker (Nov 16, 2009)

GouletPens said:


> On most everything I have been dry sanding to 400, then 1500-3200 MM, tripoli and white diamond. Doing that will get an awesome shine and I'll still continue to do this. But the advantages to wet sanding are low dust, quieter shop (no DC required), longer lasting MM, and cooler sanding (less potential for cracking woods???). I just did some more Trustone and they rock!!! I'm still having a bit of an issue with wet sanding CA, maybe because I'm doing the CA and immediately sanding it. Do you need to wait? I use thing with accelerant every other coat. Dry sanding immediately has never been a problem, but would it be the same for wet sanding? Dunno.



Brian, I am doing like you, thin CA with accelerant every other coat.  I have been building up 3 or 4 coats before sanding.  If I have kept things smooth (insert personal skill here), I can start wet sanding with 1500, without waiting.  Seems to be working for me, maybe you should give it another try...but then again, if you have a process that works, don't fix it!


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## GouletPens (Nov 16, 2009)

dustmaker said:


> Brian, I am doing like you, thin CA with accelerant every other coat. I have been building up 3 or 4 coats before sanding. If I have kept things smooth (insert personal skill here), I can start wet sanding with 1500, without waiting. Seems to be working for me, maybe you should give it another try...but then again, if you have a process that works, don't fix it!


 Hmmm...must be something else I have going on. I'll have to figure it out. Overall though, I'm a wet sanding convert! Hallelujah!!!!!:good:


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## RAdams (Nov 16, 2009)

Another handy wetsanding tip.

Put a little dish soap in the water. wet soapy 600 grit will cut like 320 grit AT LEAST. In fact, it is so aggressive, I start with 600 grit on everything i wet sand. I have 5 plastic coffee cans with 2 pieces of MM in each. 600 grit paper, and 1500 MM in the first, then MM all the way to 12k. If you soapy wetsand through 12k, and then plastic polish on your acrylics, you will be amazed!


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## NewLondon88 (Nov 16, 2009)

Brian .. if anything, wet sanding would tend to 'kick' any uncured CA faster.


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## bgibb42 (Nov 20, 2009)

RAdams said:


> Another handy wetsanding tip.
> 
> Put a little dish soap in the water. wet soapy 600 grit will cut like 320 grit AT LEAST. In fact, it is so aggressive, I start with 600 grit on everything i wet sand. I have 5 plastic coffee cans with 2 pieces of MM in each. 600 grit paper, and 1500 MM in the first, then MM all the way to 12k. If you soapy wetsand through 12k, and then plastic polish on your acrylics, you will be amazed!



Really?  I wet sand everything as well, but I had not heard this tip before.  I'm gonna have to try this out...


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## NewLondon88 (Nov 20, 2009)

Yep.. it acts as a lubricant and stops the micromesh (or sandpaper) from loading as
quickly, so it is more effective.  Great for wet sanding varnishes, too.


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## Darrin (Nov 20, 2009)

My first wet sanding experience was unintentional as I was crying over a blank I screwed up while sanding it down.


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## dontheturner (Nov 28, 2009)

Wet sanding works better for me, if I use wet & dry car body papers - they last longer. and come in very fine grades too.  dontheturner


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## Daniel (Nov 28, 2009)

A lot of people have ran into issues with the Auto sandpapers. Mainly the black getting transferred to the pen blank. Micro Mesh does not do this (but can melt). Also a 1" X 3" piece of MM consistently lasts for well over 100 pens for me.


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## Mack C. (Nov 28, 2009)

GouletPens said:


> So yeah, I was never really open to wet sanding before trying Trustone, now I've found it has other good applications. Still not convinced it works so well on my CA finishes b/c I've had mixed results, but I'll keep trying.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## islandturner (Nov 28, 2009)

*Using CA as wetting agent?*

Do any of you use CA instead of water when wet sanding? I've never tried it but recall reading posts of folks who do....


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## Druid (Nov 28, 2009)

NewLondon88 said:


> I wet sand all finishes .. it stops the micromesh from melting!
> 
> Glycerine .. see if you can do your 12,000 finish and 600 +polish finish on the
> same material and check them side by side. Even though you might not see
> ...


 

Same here Charlie, it keeps the material cool & gives a great finish.

I've been ordering bulk quantities on a 3 x 3 pad for w while now.


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## Jon-wx5nco (Dec 2, 2009)

Ok, dumb question time.  I don't do a CA finish, yet, on my pens.  I just use HUTS Crystal Coat and Renaissance Wax.  Here is my question.  Do you sand with regular sand paper to.. lets say 600.. then wet sand with MM to 12K on bare wood?  So far I have just sanded to 600.  But if wet sanding with MM will give me better results, then I will give it a try.
Jon


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## NewLondon88 (Dec 2, 2009)

Wet sanding will likely raise the grain of the wood. And dry sanding on bare wood
might melt the micromesh if you're not careful.

Some say that sanding beyond a certain point won't gain you anything ,and some say
that sanding finer brings out the depth or clarity of the figuring in the wood. It really
depends on what you're working with and what you're trying to achieve. There isn't
one answer for all woods or all resins.

But on bare wood, I would probably use dry sandpaper most of the time. And I go up
to about 2000 because I have it. If I'm doing a CA finish, I'll probably go up to 600 or
800 .. maybe 1000 or 1200 before applying the CA.. it all depends on what the wood
looks and feels like.


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## JBCustomPens (Dec 6, 2009)

I wet sand too only after I apply CA on woods or exclusively on plastics. It seems to work good for me.


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