"wet shaping".... what gives?

I received from Jack Aldrich a link to Greenough and “Terminal Velocity” TSJ article.  In the article, Greenough talks about ‘wet shaping’ - any ideas on what’s going on with that?  I generally try to keep my blanks dry.

 

 

I think he does it to keep the mess to a minimum. From the article…

“I wet-shaped the board. No dust. I glassed it with three layers of six-ounce, top and bottom, with a big deck patch.”

I would think that if this were something(a method etc.) that really made since every shaper on the West Coast would be on it.  The name Greenough doestn’t mean “ be all, end all”.