Dry sanding

Done for the same reason as wet-sanding, we occasionally use very fine grit sandpaper dry. This will usually be done to remove sags and runs, which are very high spots on the paint and require considerable work to flatten before the panel can be polished.

The advantage of dry sanding over wet sanding is you can better see what you are doing in. It is a technique we have sometimes had to resort to when removing contamination such as overspray and splatter from products that cannot be removed with chemicals, such as epoxy paint.

What it means

Dry sanding is sanding carried out without water or liquid lubricant. In bodyshops it usually means using abrasive paper on a sanding block or fitted to a dual action (DA) or orbital sander to shape body filler, level primer and knock down texture in paint. Dust extraction is often used to control the sanding dust. Once the panel is flat and the main defects are removed, it may then be wet sanded and/or machine polished to refine the finish.

Why it matters

• Fast material removal: Dry sanding cuts quickly, making it ideal for shaping filler, levelling high spots and knocking back heavy texture or overspray.
• Shows panel shape clearly: Without water on the surface, guide coats and sanding marks are easy to read, helping technicians see highs, lows and remaining defects.
• Key stage before refinement: Good dry sanding sets up everything that follows – wet sanding, priming, painting and polishing all depend on the panel being flat and properly keyed.

Where you’ll see it

You’ll see dry sanding mentioned on bodyshop job sheets, smart repair procedures and refinishing guides, especially around filler work, primer flatting and panel preparation. Detailers may refer to dry sanding when talking about more serious defect removal and re-levelling panels prior to wet sanding and machine polishing.

Context

Dry sanding is part of the heavier preparation and correction side of paintwork, sitting alongside wet sanding, flat and polish and machine compounding. Coarser grits are used for shaping filler and rough primer, while finer dry sanding discs can be used on certain paint systems before moving to wet sanding or straight to polishing. Because it generates dust and removes material quickly, it is usually confined to repair and correction work rather than routine valeting or detailing.

Common mistakes

• Using too coarse a grit on paint or primer and leaving deep scratches that are hard or unsafe to polish out later.
• Dry sanding edges, swage lines and thin areas aggressively without checking thickness, risking sanding through to primer or bare metal.
• Sanding without dust extraction or proper masking so dust spreads throughout the workshop and contaminates nearby paintwork.
• Not stepping down through finer grits or following with wet sanding and polishing, leaving visible sanding marks or a dull, textured finish.

Written by Danny Argent. Last updated 18/11/2025 17:27