Hi,
I was reading the sand paper thread and the notion of using soap on the wet paper water came up. I thought I would share some of my experience with wet sanding without using a few drops of dishwater soap in the water bath. I use soap for many years and I have been doing it without soap for over a year now and the results of my new procedure have brought my finish to a new level.
I found out from a painting expert that it was the wrong way to go. He told me that by using the soap that particles can stick to the finer paper and scratch the finish in pin point areas. This happens from particles from the lower grit paper sharing the same bath.
Wet sand is an abrasive process and the grit on the paper should not be filtered with a soap film. In fact if you are using automotive clear you should not use tap water because the chlorine and fluorides can effect the chemistry and add a slight clouding effect.
Try this procedure:
1. Fill up you water tray with regular tap water and place your sanding paper in the bath for at least 15 minutes.
2. Fill up a spray bottle with distilled water like you use for a pressing iron. In our shop we now call it Holy Water.
3. Before you wet sand spray the cue while spinning and hold your paper vertical in the air and spray enough shots on the paper with the holy water to replace any of the bath water. This is the cleansing spray which replaces the tap water and possible particles on the paper. Repeat the process over and over with all of your grits.
By not using the soap, the paper has a more uniform surface area and sanding effectiveness on the cue because it is not floating on a layer of soap film and scum with grit particles.
Also by not using the soap you will find that you will not need to spend more than 15 to 30 seconds on each grit because it is a more effective scratch.
Since changing to this process, my finish has become as close to perfect as I could ever imagine. I have been refining my process for over 7 years and this was a sea change in my finish appearance. The tiny random scratches were gone through each grit change. I was getting scratches in my ultra fine wet sanding from cross contamination particles in the bath from the lower grit particles sticking to the soap.
I was trained by another cue maker and the first thing I was told was that you put a few drops of dawn in the water. When you think about it putting soap in the water is an oxymoron, you want to wet sand and scratch the finish but you want to put soap on it so it is less abrasive. I bought into it but when you examine it using soap is a feel good thing. Contradictory to say the least. Over the years I thought this was gospel and I never thought about not using soap in the water. When someone else told me it was not the way to go I was confused because I was still into the gospel I had been taught. I was very surprised after making the change.
If you are using soap, try it without soap and the distilled water and you also may be surprised.
Good Luck,
Rick Geschrey
I was reading the sand paper thread and the notion of using soap on the wet paper water came up. I thought I would share some of my experience with wet sanding without using a few drops of dishwater soap in the water bath. I use soap for many years and I have been doing it without soap for over a year now and the results of my new procedure have brought my finish to a new level.
I found out from a painting expert that it was the wrong way to go. He told me that by using the soap that particles can stick to the finer paper and scratch the finish in pin point areas. This happens from particles from the lower grit paper sharing the same bath.
Wet sand is an abrasive process and the grit on the paper should not be filtered with a soap film. In fact if you are using automotive clear you should not use tap water because the chlorine and fluorides can effect the chemistry and add a slight clouding effect.
Try this procedure:
1. Fill up you water tray with regular tap water and place your sanding paper in the bath for at least 15 minutes.
2. Fill up a spray bottle with distilled water like you use for a pressing iron. In our shop we now call it Holy Water.
3. Before you wet sand spray the cue while spinning and hold your paper vertical in the air and spray enough shots on the paper with the holy water to replace any of the bath water. This is the cleansing spray which replaces the tap water and possible particles on the paper. Repeat the process over and over with all of your grits.
By not using the soap, the paper has a more uniform surface area and sanding effectiveness on the cue because it is not floating on a layer of soap film and scum with grit particles.
Also by not using the soap you will find that you will not need to spend more than 15 to 30 seconds on each grit because it is a more effective scratch.
Since changing to this process, my finish has become as close to perfect as I could ever imagine. I have been refining my process for over 7 years and this was a sea change in my finish appearance. The tiny random scratches were gone through each grit change. I was getting scratches in my ultra fine wet sanding from cross contamination particles in the bath from the lower grit particles sticking to the soap.
I was trained by another cue maker and the first thing I was told was that you put a few drops of dawn in the water. When you think about it putting soap in the water is an oxymoron, you want to wet sand and scratch the finish but you want to put soap on it so it is less abrasive. I bought into it but when you examine it using soap is a feel good thing. Contradictory to say the least. Over the years I thought this was gospel and I never thought about not using soap in the water. When someone else told me it was not the way to go I was confused because I was still into the gospel I had been taught. I was very surprised after making the change.
If you are using soap, try it without soap and the distilled water and you also may be surprised.
Good Luck,
Rick Geschrey
Last edited:
