Choose the Correct Sander to Paint Your Car

With all the options on the market in regard to sanding your vehicle, how are you supposed to know which sander will work the best your project? In this video I will breakdown the different types of sanders used in the autbody field to help educate yourself on which sander will be the best choice for you.
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Products in this video:
Black and Decker Sander: amzn.to/3Q9XTKO
Variable Speed Electric Sander: amzn.to/3q17vgm
5inch Interface Pad: amzn.to/452Yfa7
3M Xtract Dust Extractor: amzn.to/3zFmNIP
3M Xtract Sander Electric: amzn.to/40TvXNR
Kovax 3/16 Sander non vacuum: amzn.to/44KPeCP
Interface Pad 6inch: amzn.to/3KlmS9p
3 Inch Sander: amzn.to/3DvxCii
3/32 Finishing Sander: amzn.to/44GwGUk
Sandpaper:
MaxFilm Ultra Premium 6 inch Sanding Discs, P180, 15 Holes, Hook & Loop, 523-0180, 50 discs amzn.to/3Gxasdp
MaxFilm Ultra Premium 6 inch Sanding Discs, P320, 15 Holes, Hook & Loop, 523-0320, 50 discs amzn.to/3ZMasNu
MaxFilm Ultra Premium 6 inch Sanding Discs, P400, 15 Holes, Hook & Loop, 523-0400, 50 discs amzn.to/3KKmNgS
MaxFilm Ultra Premium 6 inch Sanding Discs, P600, 15 Holes, Hook & Loop, 523-0600, 50 discs amzn.to/3MsZn10
other products used in my videos:
K600 Hand Pad: amzn.to/3U2Vv8w
EZ Edger: amzn.to/3SMmCEg
10mm Trim Tape: amzn.to/3CbxEvL
Foam Tape: amzn.to/3Q3LWEh
3M Plastic: amzn.to/3i7vFl4
FC720 Gallon: amzn.to/3hQ7rM8
FC720 Quart: amzn.to/3vfFBfo
FC710: Gallon: amzn.to/3PVh0pB
FC710 Quart: amzn.to/3WMJaWm
3M Performance Spray Gun: amzn.to/3L5BFqy
DV1 Clearcoat Gun: amzn.to/3BBqL5O
DV1 Basecoat Gun: amzn.to/3RcSQ9j
Clearcoat: amzn.to/3UsNgm1
Blending Additive: amzn.to/3C8GCtQ
Degreaser: amzn.to/3TcndP7
Astro Sunlight: amzn.to/3NrI3HZ
Paint Gun Cleaning Kit: amzn.to/3qZ4dXM
Gloves: amzn.to/3R9C9eW
Gun Cleaner: amzn.to/3LDv2tW
Water Cleaner: amzn.to/3Budv2V
3M Soft Sanding Sponge: amzn.to/3uX6yV0
Prep Cleaner: amzn.to/3fZ2KPn
Tolecut Sanding Dirt Nibs: amzn.to/3PFDcEm
Griots Garage Polisher: amzn.to/3jeim2p
Milwaukee Mini Buffer: amzn.to/3G28ORm

[@jpitt9622]

I restore Willys jeeps and always have to give up some profit and or $ on paint. After a few months of Paint Society I did my first whole vehicle today in a slate green metallic Brian and it went awesome. I wanted to acknowledge the service your teaching style provides subscribers to your channel. I could hear you talking me through it from start to clear coat. Big thanks to you and best regards to you and your fam....the shutting down the Vette video was something we all need a reminder on sometimes. Don’t overwork it, it’s just work👍👍

[@PaintSociety]

Thanks again for being a fan!

[@derekmoore1387]

I appreciate you being honest about what works on a budget and not merely upselling higher-end products. It's good for a newbie to gage how much to invest.

[@ibuildengines]

Thank you for taking time to show the performance of each type sander. Love this channel. I’m planning to paint my Ford F-250 hood due to paint peeling off. I’m a DYIer and plan to use your advice.

[@thevault2317]

2 minutes and 30 seconds in and you already changed the whole outlook of what I got going on over here!🤦‍♂️ I had no idea

[@ourladynd3580]

I purchased a Ingersoll Rand 4152 6 inch, gotta say luv it to death, so much so I bought its little brother the 5 inch. Tools make a beginner better, and the right tool in the better hands makes beutiful outcomes. I am a beginner, buy once and grow with it. Ty ....Your a Master of the Craft ...an Ty for always inspiring.

[@slycam2376]

I’ve been using a husky 6inch DA and it does pretty damn well, thank you for the tips

[@vido4x4]

Thank you for your common sense, economical recommendations based on whether someone is a DIYer or Pro. I decided on a Dewalt variable speed orbital electric sander for my auto resto. I didn’t want to stress my 30 gal. air compressor with a DA sander. I’d rather leave it for jobs where pneumatic tools are ideal. Keep up the great videos!

[@tbm3fan913]

I have had an Air Advantage 5" electric sander for years to color sand. If I remember correctly it was somewhere around $300+. It does work well.

[@rsonweb2060]

I've saved a lot of your videos to watch again. I have new sheet metal (hood, fenders, etc) with EDP. I'll need to learn how to prep these before top coat.

[@MoMue2411]

I did some of those. I used a sander with p320, then i did Spray sealer (i think this ist what it's called, because english is not my mother tongue). After the sealer i sprayed the basecoat and clearcoat. They did really come Out Well. Hope that IS a little Help for you.

[@neogx148]

Theres a Rigid 6 inch sander from home depot with speed settings, dual random orbit 1/8 and 1/4 in and has a port for a shop vacuum. Used this when i did my car and It worked pretty nice and the price wasnt bad

[@maneelna]

Very informative and useful video for us amateurs who want to learn from the experts. Keep them coming.

[@jamesward5721]

Again, Interface pad is vital - whenever I have to work without one, regardless of what sander I am using, it breaks my heart trying to get a smooth finish - the stock baseplates are just too rigid for bodywork. My own version of this - which sander to use - is that I run a cheap as chips pair of electric DA's for roughing in filler & a (tbh) cheap as chips 125mm air DA with interface pad as my finishing sander. I run them all low & slow. I can't see the point of a 500 quid sander, no idea what it would do better than a cheap one - sandpaper spins, stuff gets sanded. The orbit size matters, but my cheapo sander has a 5mm throw as do most of the expensive ones. My cheapo air sander is a "knock off" of your Kovax & it has been spanked daily for the last 2 years without issue. If it dies, who cares, it was 50 quid, I'll go buy another.

[@Carlosoliveira-qe7ew]

You are the best, without a doubt you have the best advice, thank you very much

[@Pittsburgh-412]

I have the black n decker sander. I bought it for a fiberglass speaker pods I made for my doors. It works fantastic for the price

[@user-un5my5bw4j]

For pneumatic QD fittings I switched everything out on both my lines ti Stedman brand. They are orange and black, USA made and going on 2 years of continuous use with no problems.

[@romainsalmon]

Great Video! Can you do one on different size compressors and how capable they are in completing autobody spraying?

[@ksebekos]

Excellent informative video!

[@dredfxcustompaint]

Great video 👍i think the custom sign would look really nice in your home set up 👍

[@petewhite511]

Great imformative video brian 👍. When i sanded my bonet i used an Orzito brand electric sander same as the B&D. Also with an interface pad

[@PaintSociety]

Thanks for the info!

[@visitorfrommars7646]

You are the best of the best I watch your videos and it’s so amazing I leant a lot and I hope I will be a bro like you one day you are amazing man keep the good work😎love bro all the way from uk 🇬🇧

[@PaintSociety]

Thank you so much 😀

[@dan1906]

Another great video, thank you. Are you using an interface pad on the 3" sander?

[@speedokoterefinishnetwork4937]

Very useful video!!! Nice 🎉

[@mellis181]

Great video again. Thanks!! Question about primers...I have my car primered with epoxy and body work is done. I don't have the funds to paint it right now so I'm going to put most of the car back together so I can drive it a bit. My question is can I leave it with epoxy on and no urethane or should I put the urethane on? If I do shoot it with urethane what would I have to do to the urethane before I shoot the color after its been on there for a while?

[@BigBlueMotors]

That Black and Decker is a good deal, but the noise and vibration would be a killer. The noise from the air sander and compressor would point me to an electric sander, like the 3M or Mirka.

[@upptowne]

look forward to the next one.

[@josephsimmons8384]

Once again, Brian, great episode. . Can you polish a windshield for your next video? I know eastwood had a kit they sell. However, there's got to be a cheaper way. Thanks again.

[@PhillyFixed]

It seems difficult to find a reasonably priced corded electric sander with a 3/16" orbit. The power tool brand sanders mostly have 1/8", which I suppose is okay since it sits right between 3/32 and 3/16". Short throw DA polishers are typically 8mm (roughly 5/16), I guess that's probably too aggressive. Thoughts on 1/8" sanders?

[@TheVulaj]

It makes waves on the panel Look the car after clear coats from the side it’s going to look like wavy

[@woj1woj1]

Hej Brian, fantastic job. I have two 5" air sanders and the B&D clone, and found out that the B&D clone helps finish things out, makes the job more 'smooth' if you will. Also there is a huge gap between the cheapest and the pro sand papers in terms of durability and quality of the work (eg. minor scratches caused by the cheapest sand papers). I'm very curios how do you maintain the dust in the shop of yours, do you have or plan to install a filtration system? Thanks!

[@Michigunner]

Been using same hutchins past 15 years. Also dynabrade about 10 years

[@jimfeaster4837]

Good review

[@robhtp3817]

Thanks for this Vid and the other sander referral. I have a good amount of rust on my 95’ Dodge Ram 1500. Will the Hychika sander also help me get rid of the rust? Rust is pretty thick on the roof but the doors are not as bad. What grit for rust & what speed? Thanks again ~ Merry Christmas

[@SteamTrain2639]

Hey Brian do you have any solutions for a mini electric sander? Id love a 3 or even 2 inch. Ive thought about getting the backing plate that goes on a drill for the small work, but id much rather have a dedicated sander

[@Vinothkumgr]

Ur my mastre iam from india..love ur videos🙏🙏🙏

[@sebspeed6403]

excellent video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@WildDigger]

I like that 3in sander. 👍

[@eddystellini2548]

Hi Brian. I’m restoring a 1969 vw beetle and I’m considering painting the red used by Mazda but was told it’s the most difficult color to paint. As an amateur with only 2 full car sprays under my belt should I attempt it could you do a video on it? Am I overthinking it, it’s only paint🤔

[@iamtifosi701]

Thank you for the great content Brian! Will you be doing another turbine sprayer video?

[@andrewybarra2304]

Can't beat the Bauer from harbor freight variable speed fine orbit and it's on sale rn for $20

[@dancadigan1737]

I have a large area of my hood that has lost its clear coat. I want to repair this with the same color paint. Would sanding with the electric sander options and 400 grit be enough to comeback with base coat and no need for a primer sealer, then clear over that ?

[@aaronhogan2371]

I'm trying to find a cheaper equivalent to the 3M/Mirka/Flex/Metabo. I have a dust extractor that works on both air and elec similar to the 3M Xtract.

[@Anis-sb2we]

Hi mate Alex from Australia we been getting lots of dirt in our bonnets manly we go to polish useing trizact starting with 1500 finishing to 5000 no mater how much care I take I keep getting pigtails any help love your work cheers

[@BillyBlaze7]

once again you have helped me, I was thinking of buying a dedicated sander, now I can just use the sander I already have and interface pads I already bought. I am gearing up to paint my Miata in the fall when it cools down, its a lil harder job since I have factory rock guard that will have to be sanded off and reapplied on the lower part of the doors, and front quarter panels, luckily I dont have a ton of body work but this will be a challenging first paint job of my life. I really appreciate your videos for giving me knowledge and the confidence to even try. None of the auto body paint shops would even touch any of this work or even give me a quote so its on me if I want my car repainted.

[@PaintSociety]

Glad it’s helping !

[@mpikas]

You kept saying that the b&d is not really a vacuum sander, but if you pull the filter sock off the outlet and hooked up the hose like the 3m it would be as much as the 3m. There are sanders that have a very good fan built into the back of the pad and will "vacuum" by themselves, but nothing will match just hooking them up to a decent vacuum/shop vac.

[@andre1987eph]

I'm so glad I clicked on this video.

[@edwardbayley1842]

What about hooking up that extraction vac to the kovax air sander

[@andrejstepic1821]

I work with motorcycle plastic what type of sander should i get circular or triangle or the one that moves forward and backward

[@darrellee4953]

I need to remove all paint and rust on the hood. Suggestions for a sander and or grinder please?

[@blakepesina5332]

Where do you get your sand paper from and what’s the difference between p grit and k grit I need help

[@shyamvenky]

Wow - very comprehensive video that covers almost everything that a novice DIYer wonders about! :) One question I still have is that the B&D sander (or similar ones) can be hooked up to a vacuum - and in that case, would the leftover dust be much lesser?

[@Steen_Skov]

It would probably help if he didn't cover the holes with the non-holed parts of the sandpaper. That way, it could actually suck up the dust. But hey, I'm not a craftsman, and have no workexperience with this.

[@24revealer]

You sure can. I recommend the Dewalt as it fits 2 different size hoses.

[@senyokosuda9417]

I'm new to using electric sanders for painting, is 400 sufficient enough for paint or u have to go higher? I got the 320 grit

[@billbliss2500]

Brian I wanted to ask you about What size Air Hose are you using?

[@metime-kw4tx]

I am buying that $500 3m sander. Better to have and not need than need and not have

[@PaintSociety]

It’s a great sander. You’ll have to get the 3m Xtract system though to use the vacuum. Link in the description

[@KingofStreet3]

Me with the 7in harbor freight sander/buffer covering a huge area just to return it ASAP

[@YungflyonDtrakk]

what brand cushion pad and disc do you recommend? I'm a newbie to all of this. purchased an old tractor I'd like to restore and don't want to throw away money on junk.

[@ExtremeRecluse]

Not many DIYers have a 120 gallon high output compressor.

[@GLBrown-dw5sn]

the 5mm stroke (throw) on the 3m is what's cutting material, which is technically a little more than the 3/16ths if the measurements are precise (3/16 ~ 4.75mm). Of course paper clog still matters, but the amount of swirl is what removes material quicker if using the same hardness sanding pad (interface pad). There's another brand festool that also has a 5mm throw sander with dust extraction and other ports that blow air to cool the sanding pads on top of pulling dust. That's another 500$ sander which I'm curious how it compares to the 3m.

[@user-wb7uq2em9x]

God bless you, brother

[@PaintSociety]

Thank you

[@michaelfitzpatrick1241]

I have an unrelated question. Some people say if you spray with a rattle can you should soak the the can in hot water before spraying for a better coat. What do you recommend? Does it really matter?

[@sbr1160]

I paid the same price as your black and decker for an orbital sander with speed control and dust extraction. Guess I'll be getting a interface pad for the few tasks I want to get on with

[@NsskMedia]

What's the ideal OPM to use over primer ?

[@angelmorales220]

Nice video

[@thomasforthe9274]

Do you have a video on what to do with bare metal? How to prep it for primer and what to use?

[@williammclaughlin2606]

I believe so, something on the lines of DTM primer or something

[@jesussierras2909]

Awesome

[@kaelcoronacion363]

What the name of your backing plate sander

[@kaleisgoodforme]

What do you think about straight line sanders?

[@craigmyers5569]

Curious how the Baxter air DA at Harbor Freight compares as a budget sander for someone starting out.

[@ryanmorgan5309]

I have used this sander from the start in my C10 project. Both taking down the original paint and now currently 600 as my finish sand. Haven’t laid paint yet to be 100% sure, but it does a decent job taking out my 220 block sanding scratches using guide coat. I believe it uses a good amount of air so a large compressor is necessary. Running it on approx 1/4 speed, my 80 gallon 2 stage IR compressor kicks on about every two minutes. The vacuum attachment works like a charm, nearly zero dust in the air. Don’t oil mine, but bought the warranty in case that zaps it’s lifespan.

[@alfonsorodea6798]

Can you do a video on calipers

[@koalafan1576]

Before I watch this, since I doubt this question will be answered I’m this comparison video…. I don’t have a polisher but watched various videos. I tried using my Milwaukee orbital sander with a polishing pad for the compound/polish and it made things worse. I ended up having to do my hood by hand. Is it really the pressure that makes a difference? I noticed that my sander couldn’t put enough pressure as it wouldn’t spin the pad if I pressed too hard. My goal was not to sand my paint off. I was trying to fix my paint.

[@PaintSociety]

A sander isn’t meant to polish. You need a rotary polisher. Check out my last video of my how to car painting series. I go over in great details about buffing

[@Another_Alexander]

Home Depot/Lowe’s/AutoZone/ORileys got rentals for any of these that anyone would recommend?

[@jonledgin5614]

The Eastwood 30/60 compressor you got there is nice. Have you shot paint with it too?

[@PaintSociety]

Yes I have

[@Zeppodone1000mg]

So my dewalt with the 6 speed dial should do great

[@mikeperth6670]

how would the cheap black and decker operate if you removed the useless dust bag and added vacuum to the b&d dust port

[@christianmaurer5978]

I have one hooked up to the shop vac. I use sandnet sanding paper and there’s no dust

[@dghenterprises2222]

The holes on the paper needs to be in alignment with holes on sander for vacuum to work

[@claygreen4723]

If my old man was still alive, and wanted to sand a car, I would be running that $40 sander and I 'd be glad I wasn't doing it all by hand! When I wasn't cutting grass or doing other character building activities.

[@chrisvdwesthuizen7396]

Please explain the diffrance between 330 and 316 sanders? Does the numbers mean the speed of the sanders?

[@PaintSociety]

I explained it in the video

[@chrisdoyle567]

How do you determine a 3/16 sander when searchingim not seeing that as part of there description?

[@PaintSociety]

Send me a dm on ig and i will help you

[@allenpearson9716]

Brian is there a huge difference between a 5” sander and 6” for the DIY guy? I noted there are more sandpaper disc options for the 6”.

[@PaintSociety]

I like the 6. Gotta be honest but the 5 will work.

[@jeffallen3382]

You probably could get that vacuum attached to the cheaper Black & Decker sander

[@Dspic09]

The reason the cheap black and decker didn't suck up much dust is because the holes weren't aligned.

[@PaintSociety]

Of course. Lol that would helped

[@Dspic09]

@@PaintSociety it happens. The first time I used it with the interface pad I was wondering why there was so much dust till I realized the pad I bought didn't have holes.

[@jimdrechsel3611]

I cannot find the Kovax 6" sander anywhere. N0 one has it in stock. Do you have a supplier or another recommendation sander around the same cost that has a good reputation?

[@jimdrechsel3611]

So I found the Kovax sander but there are two types. Do you recommend or are you using the Hook and Loop or the Stickon PSA Pad?

[@PaintSociety]

Hook n loop velcro

[@jimdrechsel3611]

Thanks for the reply. There must have been a shortage of supply because of your video lol. Excellent videos. I feel like I'm in Painting College. Hope there isn't a final exam.....@@PaintSociety

[@leadslead521]

Where do you purchase the interference pads?

[@PaintSociety]

Description

[@miceinoz1181]

Never going to collect the dust if you do not align the holes in the interface pad and the Kovaks disk to align with the holes in the pad of the machine Brian. I note that you did align the holes on the 3M.

[@PaintSociety]

The kovax wasn’t a vacuum sander

[@TorgeirFredriksen]

@@PaintSociety Agree with the above, it will never collect dust if the holes are blocked. Some of these cheap sanders actually do, but you have to allow the holes in the bottom plate to suck and not block them.

[@PaintSociety]

Again. If you watched the video. The kovax is not a vacuum sander. Thank you

[@TorgeirFredriksen]

@@PaintSociety It will suck and collect some dust even if no external vacuum is applied, the internal fan and air flow is designed for that. That's why it has a filter attachment. It requires that pads and discs are aligned to let air flow through the holes though

[@PaintSociety]

@@TorgeirFredriksen in regards to the black and decker yes but not the kovax sander

[@spraypainter7953]

Can the black and decker be used as a polisher on a car?

[@PaintSociety]

No

[@AoCarbon]

👍🏻

[@raminnajibi8343]

👍 🏎

[@nickkinney3508]

Stick on or hook and loop?

[@PaintSociety]

Hook and loop

[@gnarly6227]

What about those jitterbug sanders???

[@torowazup1]

👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👌🏼😎

[@ExtremeRecluse]

Wet sanding does not create dust.

[@muffinjones001]

Why don't you do a video on how to properly block a car with a proper blocking technique. It's forty-five degrees, so you're Xing out those scratches, right?

[@PaintSociety]

Yes and I have older videos showing that

[@muffinjones001]

@@PaintSociety cool. thank you. i will check them out.

[@Steinstra-vj7wl]

Air sanders are old fashion. Its Mirka Deros 125 or Festool ETS EC 125/3 , and these are WAY less noisy as the air sanders ! The 3M Xtract is not very well reviewed

[@PaintSociety]

I have a review on the 3m xtract in my video library

[@34639mac]

Brian. Would you like to test Mirka? Let's talk.

[@Steinstra-vj7wl]

@@PaintSociety I know.

[@heathrow1428]

Dude the length??? No fuckin one uses that black and dated

[@davea7297]

You forgot to leave your list of sanders in the description.

[@Munky332]

Meh, just give me a $40 5mm (3/16) air sander

[@WAsmellycat]

Shouldn't title be "Best way to SAND a car?" or "Best way to PREPARE car for paint?" There's not mention of paint/methods/tools for painting ...

[@PaintSociety]

Yes