ok,here is what i did: i was finishing up a gloss (cheater) coat on a 7’7" egg. there were some zits, which i’m getting used to because they always appear. i wetsanded with 320. it felt like it was taking the zits down. next i did 400 then 600. i polished and noticed all the little bumps everywhere. i am assuming that the 320 only took down the tops of the zits. should i have started out with a 220/240 first? or should the first step involve a power polisher and some 220?
I start out with 240 on the hard pad with a polisher.The hard pad flattens out any zits.If you keep it moving and have a neat even method you can sand the bottom and deck this way.I then go over it with 320 on the soft pad I do the rails at this stage after the 320 has bluntened.then wet sand through the grades etc
Teddy,you might try to eliminate the zit problem first. Zits are caused by small dust particles that settle on the board. Try this on your next gloss,1)wipe the surface clean with your hands first then use masking tape to collect the rest. Make sure you are clean too(dust free).2)Filter your resin with a paint strainer.3)Make sure your room is clean and air current free. You can never be too clean. If your gloss is clean,you can skip the 220 and the 320 steps. A 400 & 600 plus a polishing compound should do the job.
I no longer wet sand (on Rob Brown’s advice) and I’m getting great results in half the time.
If the room is a bit dusty you can get one of those bug sprayers, fill it with water and mist the walls before starting. That will catch most of your dust. It also catches fumes.
I dry sand…320 with medium pad…500 super soft pad.Run slow RPMs.Clean paper with a rubber sanding belt cleaner every few minutes.Compound with Sureluster compound…wool pad.I do use water when wet sanding the rails by hand.Remove tape bead with a razor blade in a scraping motion.Pro polishing is quite difficult…there is an article in the new Longboard Magazine stating this fact…Sure is nice too see Doug Hout around…a real pro.) R.B.