Super PDR Tools: 2016

Friday, March 4, 2016

How to Fix Dents With a Slide Hammer

Dents can be repaired in multiple ways, but the only sure way to repair any dent, no matter the depth or size, is to use a slide hammer. A slide hammer is also called a dent puller and is used by every body shop to remove dents. The slide hammer can completely repair a dent when used in conjunction with a few other materials, including body filler and primer.

holes in the dent in various places. Drill one hole in the center and more holes a few inches apart, scattered throughout the dent.

Place the tip of the slide hammer in one of the holes. The tip of the slide hammer is threaded and works like a screw. Turn the hammer until it is screwed into the hole.
Hold the slide hammer with two hands, placing one hand on the sliding handle and the other at the end on the solid handle. Slide the weighted handled of the hammer down toward the car and quickly pull it back toward your body. Do this several times until the sheet metal inside the dent is pulled close to surface level of the car.
Unscrew the slide hammer and place it in a different hole and repeat steps 2 and 3. Alternate the holes so that the sheet metal is pulled out as evenly as possible.
Grind the sheet metal in and around the repaired area to remove all paint and primer. Get the area down to the bare metal. The holes drilled into the sheet metal are jagged and need to be grinded flat.
Cover the bare metal with auto body filler to smooth any wrinkles left in the metal. Allow the filler to dry for an hour.
Sand the filler using 80-grit sandpaper. Use a block sander or a dual-action sander to speed the process. Sand until the area is flat and smooth. Go over the area again using 180-grit sandpaper to smooth the deep scratches made by the 80-grit sandpaper.
Spray a coat of primer over all areas of body filler and bare metal. This protects the bare metal from rusting and seals the body filler from moisture. Now the area can be painted or taken to a paint shop.

Friday, February 19, 2016

How to Fix Car Dents: 8 Easy Ways to Remove Dents Yourself Without Ruining the Paint

Only three things in life are certain: death, taxes, and getting a dent in your car or truck. Even if you're as careful as possible, you can't always account for runaway shopping carts, wrongly thrown footballs, out-of-nowhere light posts, and other real-life annoyances.

However you got your dent or ding, the next thing on your mind is, undoubtedly, how to get it out. Sure, you can take it to a body shop or friendly neighborhood mechanic for repair, but their price quotes can be unbelievable, especially if they want to remove the paint first or use body filler. $200 for that tiny dent?! I don't think so.

Instead, save yourself some of that hard-earned money and do it yourself. There are plenty of ways to get a small dent or ding out of a vehicle at home without ruining your paint, and you don't need to be a gearhead to do it.

However, not all of these tricks will work on your particular automobile; your mileage may vary depending on where the dent is exactly, and what your body panel, hood, or bumper is made out of (aluminum, carbon fiber, plastic, fiberglass, steel, etc.). For instance, aluminum has little memory properties, so paintless dent removal is much more difficult.

Method 1: Use a Plunger

Not only can you unclog a drain with a plunger, you can get out small- to medium-sized dents out of your car too. Just splash some water on both the plunger and the dent and start pushing and pulling until it pops out. Make sure to use a cup plunger (for sinks), not a flange one (for toilets).

How to Get a Dent Out of a Car Using Just a Plunger

Method 2: Use Boiling Water

Reversing into an object is one of the easiest ways to get a dent. So for plastic bumpers, even if you attempt to take off the bumper, it might still be difficult to push out the dent because of how stiff the plastic is. Solve this issue by boiling some water in a pot and throwing it on the dent.

How to Remove Dents from a Car Bumper with Boiled Water

As soon as the water has been poured, reach behind the bumper and try to pop the dent back in. Thanks to heat of the water, the plastic should be a bit more flexible, making it easier to put back into place.

Since the heat won't last very long, you'll have to work quickly. If the dent doesn't completely go out, keep dumping boiling water on it until you're finished.

Method 3: Use a Hair Dryer & Compressed Air

Another popular method for removing car dents out of plastic material involves using two popular household products: a hair dryer and compressed air.

Start off by heating the car dent with the hair dryer at its highest temperature, which will expand the plastic of the car. As soon as it's hot enough, grab the can of compressed air, turn it upside down, and begin spraying that same area. Since the cold air will cause the plastic to contract, the dent will pop out.