Tried wet sanding with 3000 grit before buffing and got visible scratches in the sun

Ruby Craig · 2026-09-30T18:05:06.290249+00:00

Last month I did a hood respray on a customer's silver Civic and decided to try stepping up to 3000 grit wet sanding before hitting it with the buffer, thinking it would save me a polish step. I blocked it out with 1500, then 3000, then went straight to a wool pad with compound. Under the shop lights it looked perfect and I called the guy to come get it. He picked it up on a Tuesday afternoon and called me two days later saying the hood looked like it had swirl marks all over it in direct sunlight. I pulled it back in and hit it with the DA and a foam pad with a finer polish, and that cleaned it up, but I lost about an hour and a half on a job I thought I was speeding up. Turns out the 3000 grit left its own scratch pattern that the compound alone was not cutting through. Has anyone else run into the 3000 grit trap where the shop light lies to you?

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Tried wet sanding with 3000 grit before buffing and got visible scratches in the sun | Auto Body Repairers - Discusd