Got schooled on a hail job in Dallas that changed my dent pulling game

I was working on a truck with over 200 hail dents, trying to use my regular glue pulling kit. An older guy on the crew saw me struggling and said, 'You're fighting the metal, not working with it.' He showed me how to use a slide hammer with a small tip for the deep ones first, then work the shallow ones out. We finished the whole side in two hours instead of the four I would have spent. Now I always map out the deepest damage points before I even touch the glue. What's your go-to method for a panel with mixed dent depths?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_cameron17d ago

Ever think about how the panel's shape changes your plan? On a really curved section, I'll sometimes start at the edges and work toward the center, even if the center has deeper damage. The tension from the curve can help pop the middle out once the edges are loose. It feels backwards but it keeps me from creating new high spots.

wendy2717d ago

Yeah, I've done that on quarter panels, works like a charm.

seanlee12d ago

Reminds me of a guy who used dry ice on a roof panel. Shocked the metal, popped a bunch out at once. Looked like magic.