When to sand using circular motions, and when in a single direction?

Illustration for article titled When to sand using circular motions, and when in a single direction?

Just a quick question Oppo. I’m gonna refresh my hubcaps on the Twingo next week and paint them (Gold or black - thoughts?) and I’ve been checking out some tutorials. Sometimes I see people sanding in circular motions and sometimes in a single (or two-way) direction, like in the picture. Which one is correct for what application?

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Is it true that you sand circular when it’s plastic and one way when it’s metal or alumin(i)um? Or do you decide based on the context - if you’re applying primer on the surface later or not, etc.?

Thank you for the advice

- Sandy from Zagreb

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Btw in the near future I’ll get rid of the hubcaps and paint the steelies a dark gold or copper or rose-gold kind of color. But until then I want to just do a quick temporary makeover.