Surface preparation prior to applying epoxy wiping with acetone what does every on here do ?

[Restoration man]

I’ve always wiped down first with acetone then sanded and re wiped with acetone prior to doing epoxy work on my polyester boat , I’ve always thought this was the correct thing to do but I’ve since seen some videos and literature from west system saying they don’t recommend doing the final wipe over the sanded surface with acertone or anything other than damp rag, ??? Something about re spreading contaminants over the surface , ???

 

[Chris1956]

You don't need to wipe before sanding, unless the surface has oil, grease or wax, which would contaminate the sandpaper. You can use most any solvent for this. You do want to wipe with acetone after sanding to make sure the surface is clean and free of dust.