block sanding sucks !

no kidding on the TMI

wine and cheese huh?
i close my eys and mind starts block sanding UUHHHH let me off of this thing!!!!

 

Call me crazy but I've found that a paint stick is the best block that I have ever used and will ever need. I have to stop when my finger tips start to bleed. 3 of'em anyway. Hang in there, the results will be worth it!

 

paint sticks are really pretty good and ive used them for many years. its pretty hard to get a 6' long bed side flat with a 12'' stick though

 

Well, the best my 48 ever looked is when I painted it 72 Monte Carlo Placer Gold in 1973 after several weeks of sanding on it with a long board and sanding block for about four hours a day before I went to work. No air or electric sanders, just a lot of back and forth and sweat. That was 39 years ago and I'm not sure my body is up to going at it that hard again but I'll get it done pretty close to the way I did it then.

 

Be happy to expound, and sorry it is long winded... Of course everyone has their methods and I'm not saying this is the absolute way but it worked for me once I understood and was taught how, then refined by sense of touch and observing my work. At the level of results most of you wish this is an art.

First principle to leverage is selecting the right sanding grit for the job. I worked with and seen to many guys try to make a surface flat and smooth with too fine of grit. Example; If you are trying to level a surface whether flat or contoured and using 240 or higher, I can see you sanding and sanding until the primer surfacer is almost gone then not happy because you have to apply more surfacer and go again.

Blocking needs to start down deep when you are still at the body filler stage. Seen to many try to make everything flat and blend too late in the game. I'd use 40-60, letting the tool do the job. Then a light few passes with 80 and then surfacer if I thought my contours where basically there.

Then I'd use 80 again (max 120) on the sprayed surfacer. By now you should be not using much pressure and letting the tool do the work. Too much pressure is tiring and it will force your media down into depressions because of foam backing on the board. This should always be done over very dry and cured surfacer. Always with a board or rubber block, rarely by hand held paper. Work slower in the tight spots. This is an art at this point, not something to be rushed on a show car. Get into some Zen and have fun and be proud of your work.

Contours are trickier and on flats you must block really block in multiple directions.

Only after I thought all my surfaces where flat and transitioned like I wanted would I go to a higher number/finer grit. Additional coats of surfacer would now be to remove sanding scratches and refined leveling. What is most critical now is too be patient with drying/cure time on the surfacer before sanding again. Too many folks will rush to sand, the top surface is dry and sands like it should but down deeper it is still wet and swollen. So you sand, looks good, you come back the next or a couple of days later and your sand scratches have magically appear, now you've got more work. Again, sand softly with the right grit, it won;t wear you out as much.

By the time I was using 240 and higher to remove scratches everything was sealed and level as I thought they were going to get aside from a few missed areas. You need to continue blocking at this level but need to be very careful because the block or edge of the paper can introduce scratches and grooves. This level of blocking should be more gentle and longer smooth strokes. Jerky short strokes can introduce voids once again. You can't cheat here with small little strokes to get out a half inch scratch. If you do chances are you'll see it later.

In production jobs it got to the point where we rarely wet sanded any more. But if you are wet sanding, sheet water over your entire panel and watch it closely as the water drains. It will get to a point where is looks like a coat of clear finish and you can see defects by changing your angle from the light and surface.

Too summarize; let the tools do the work and use less pressure. Oh, I know guys that are real good with a DA sander but it is not the tool to use on a show finish late in the process.

Hope this helps!
Dave

 

Be the sandpaper.

 

I feel ya. I painted 4 black one's in a row a few years back--it broke me of the desire to paint mine glossy black--or glossy for that matter.

 

No kidding... Black is the hardest of 'em all to make look real good.
I remember back as a painter when I felt like I worked the hardest. It was in a production environment and when I was handed something where the body work was assumed/declared finished. Bosses would say just do it and not send it back. When I did my own body work it never felt that hard.

 

31Vicky those parts you painted looks great. You are doing a great job keep us updated with your progress.

 

Man that u-pol reface really builds u wont need more than 3 coats!

 

when I do a black job I prime and block at least twice

....but then again I don't mind block sanding hahahaha..but then again I might be nuts

 

I love it it's about the easiest thing I do! but I'm a bit nutty as well!

 

Oh yea that's the key- right grit √ high quality paper √ and right pressure√ for what you are trying to do.

My last black one, you could read a tape measure into it clearly to 72" . My ex old lady would get out and fix her hair in the reflection of the door. It really was perfect and judged and recorded as so by many.

 

I guarantee you Gary, that I can go F*** my self cheaper and quicker than just about anyone else.

I love doing body work, but I'm no pro. I like that I can just sort of lose myself in it, my problems melt away and for a short time I'm not worried about the bills, health, life or death.

 

I dont know what type of car you are sanding but I hope its not a 1959 Olds 98 2 door or convertible as they have the longest quarter panels that were ever made.

 

I will be feeling your pain in about 3 days and I am already dreading it.....I have three days more work of gaping and panel fitment before I become one with the long board.....

I'm estimating 100 hours.....it will likely be more than that seeing as I'm a perfectionist and the work piece I'm started with was rough as a cob.....I'm finishing up blocking all of my door jambs as we speak.....those truly suck elephant eggs.....my shoulder feels like its going to fall out....though I learned to tape up my fingers before I start working so I don't peel my nails off.....it seems to help

Good luck, as we say in the military.......welcome back to the suck!

 

Yesterday I was thinking , you know it would have been cool to have a pedometer on count the strokes for one of these jobs.

You still have three days to find one

 

I have one of those....its a 1 ton long wheel base. Its a billboard with wheels. Not looking forward to that.

 

Ha Ha!

You've got a good sense of humor 31Vic.

Keep up the good work!

Remember, it's winter and you've got all of it to get the job done.

 

All I've got left to sand is the front fenders on the F1 and I'm so sick of it I'm thinking of hiring someone to do it for me. I can't believe the body guys do it all day every day. I guess I'm to damn old for block sanding. I can only do it for about 30 minutes at a time spread over days. There is definitely an art to block sanding and I have not learned that skill. Don't know if my body will last long enough to learn it either. My hat is off to all the body/fender guys.

 

I'm sitting here farting around on the hamb avoiding what i should be doing right now. BLOCK SANDING. Haven't been in the garage for a month avoiding it. But today's the day. ich!!!!!!!
And i've been at it for almost 40 yrs

 

Not really , I wanted it painted before Christmas, so I could put it back together and make the big Cleveland show in March then sell it. Funny thing is I just found or discovered the color about a week ago. I Lost 2 months with my dad having a stroke and passing so the push is on now.

Thank goodness I have a cam sensor on a 2002 Saturn to do this afternoon.

 

I'm in the 50 -60 hour range on my RPU so far. Frame alone took 30 hours of prep and blocking. Working on the bed now (more work than an entire small car body). Yep it's all 9700 black/clear.

I have the great advice of a 30 year restoration guy buddy 'cause it's my first full paint job. He keeps telling me how much pride I'm gonna have when it's finished. I keep reminding him that he's OUT of the restoration business for a reason!

BTW, the "zen/forget your problems" approach is absolutely the best way to complete "that which must be done" - good music and a few beers helps too.

 

Sorry to hear about your father. Not cool.

 

I feel your pain...I spent this past summer blocking out my roadster ...4x's so I could paint it black. My finger tips were so sore that whole summer. Good Luck

 

I agree! Months of body work. This is her as of last night

 

It sucks if you concentrate on what you are actually doing. Focus on what the effort is accomplishing.

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=759196

Thank you ! Its been rough

 

The "zen" of it and loosing yourself in the task works extremely well ; until

You stop to take a piss and your fingers cramp up on your pecker !!

All the zen gives way to reality.
You are full of dust, stuck in the bathroom with your pecker out, can't zip your pants back up, and no way in hell are you going to call for help.

You close your eyes and start sanding instead of sleeping

Your honey wants to hear about your day and all you can say is two words " block sanding"

You are waiting to get the first scratch in your new paint job

 

A slice of cheese to go with all this whine! After several hundred hours of block sanding, its one of those things that I just don't think about. While I'm doing it I can think about ANYTHING ELSE and listen to a little ZZ Top or AC/DC. Pretty soon a couple of hours have passed and its beer thirty. Also a couple hrs a day keep my shoulders and back loosened up.