sandpaper

[h3ae86]

I need to get some sandpaper, and i was wondering what grit sandpaper is best for different jobs like smoothing out bodywork, and fixing paint imperfections.

thanks.

Edited June 30, 2011 by h3ae86

[Boreham]

I need to get some sandpaper, and i was wondering what grit sandpaper is best for different jobs like smoothing out bodywork, and fixing paint imperfections.

thanks.

Also interested in this question..

It's time this ""type"" of question was discussed ,with the input of the experenced guys..

resulting in.. a thread(which is a sticky/pinned)

every so often then possbily updates .

member name ......../ recommendation

other stuff could be.

Primers.

Glue.

final colours.

Cutting tools.

....................... etc etc

each a seperate thread.

this would in turn..

1 allow new members to learn and get advise without having to post the question that's been asked 100 times

2 prevent members ignoring same

3 Premote better practices and cummunication for all

Edited June 30, 2011 by Boreham

[diymirage]

it all depends on what i am doing

when im trying to remove scrips, flashline or anything else before putting down primer i generally use 180 gritt

its a nice agressive sandpaper that will cut through the plastic at a decent speed

if i am sanding down putty i usually start with 180 and work my way up to about 600

the 180 is to get the putty down to a rough shape and by the time i hit 600 the shape is right and im just smoothing out the edge (again, this will still get primered)

if im working on a painted surface i almost exclusively wetsand, starting at 600 and going up to 1200

one more sheet of sandpaper i use is 80 gritt drywall paper

this i use to sand down larger parts that need to stay flush (like rims)

i lay the paper on the table and run the part over it in a circular motion

[MikeMc]

With putty, I will use 220.

For normal bodywork, 400 amd 600 wet /dry....might want 800 for some paints

finishing paint, 1200 and 2000 wet, followed by Novus 2 or Meguires Scratch X

You can get a lot finer grits for polishing....lots more worry and work....Novus 2 will smooth out most fine scratches

[Boreham]

Also interested in this question..

It's time this ""type"" of question was discussed ,with the input of the experenced guys..

resulting in.. a thread(which is a sticky/pinned)

every so often then possbily updates .

member name ......../ recommendation

other stuff could be.

Primers.

Glue.

final colours.

Cutting tools.

....................... etc etc

each a seperate thread.

this would in turn..

1 allow new members to learn and get advise without having to post the question that's been asked 100 times

2 prevent members ignoring same

3 Premote better practices and cummunication for all

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=45715&pid=487469&st=0&#entry487469

I rest my case...

[h3ae86]

thank you everyone for the information. there's both an autozone and a home depot basically down the street. I'll have to stop in some time and see what i find.

[Pete J.]

If you're just getting started Testors sells a pack of wet-or-dry "sanding films" with a bunch of different grits that gives you what you need while you're building the model. I bought a bunch when Wal Mart stopped carrying model kits, and while I normally don't use much Testors finishing supplies, I've always been pleased with them. Also, if you go to a big box home improvement store they often sell 3M wet-or-dry sandpaper in variety packs.

If you want to get into polishing paint, you should invest in a polishing kit. Typically they have grits of polishing cloth between 3600 and 12,000 and come with some compound and a polishing cloth. Most good hobby stores have them or you can find them online.

If you are going to buy specialty kits for sanding and polishing you will find that 90% have micro-mesh abrasives. Having said that, if you are going to buy them, eliminate the middle man and get them a little less expensively direct from the manufacture. Here is their web site. http://micro-surface.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=272_4_75 I buy my stuff from them all the time and they give great service. I just ordered some sanding sticks(they call them nail buffers) and they arrived in 3 days. Good luck.

[my66s55]

Mark, you need to change your attitude. Get one thing in your mind. It's not important what unimportant people think. If someone gives you these lame reasons for not taking your advise, it's their loss. Think of it this way. There are how many people registered on this board? If one person reads your post and takes your advise, you have done that person a service. You probably won't even know you did it. Present example, Pete J's post. I'm in the market for exactly what is referenced to in that post. I read it, checked it out and found it beneficial to me. Thank you very much Pete J.

[sportandmiah]

Bought a Wet Sanding kit from Hobby Lobby yesterday for $9.00. It's located in the model car section, and includes one sheet each of 300, 600, 800, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000. 12,000 grit. I looked at Micromark, but that seems a little too high for my taste.

[Longbox55]

Bought a Wet Sanding kit from Hobby Lobby yesterday for $9.00. It's located in the model car section, and includes one sheet each of 300, 600, 800, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000. 12,000 grit. I looked at Micromark, but that seems a little too high for my taste.

I have a few of those kits as well, sourced from both Hobby Lobby and Hobbytown. They're identical to the sets that Micromark sells.

For the coarser grits, I get the bulk pack from the local hardware store, 3M Sandblaster for any dry sanding (it doesn't clog up like regular sandpaper), and 3M Wet or Dry for the finer grits for finish wet sanding (400-1500 grit). I also keep 2000 and 2500 on hand from the local body supply store, thoguh I use that more on my 1:1 projects than models.

Edited July 1, 2011 by Longbox55