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Shoutout to the old-timer who showed me the ice trick for dented aluminum panels
I was working on a 2019 Silverado bed side in our Tacoma shop last month, a big shallow dent from a parking lot hit. Aluminum, so you know how it fights you. I was about an hour into heat and working it with the spoon, getting frustrated. This retired guy who comes by sometimes, Frank, walks over and tells me to grab a bag of ice from the break room fridge. I thought he was messing with me. He had me hold the ice cube right on the high spot of the dent for like 30 seconds, then quickly hit the area around it with the heat gun on low. The metal actually snapped back about 80% of the way on its own. He said the quick shrink from the cold does something the heat can't. Saved me another hour of mud work. Anyone else use weird tricks like that on modern aluminum bodywork?
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gavin_hill276mo ago
Has anyone tried this on a panel that's already been filled with body filler? I'd worry the sudden temperature change could crack the repair, especially with some of the newer lightweight fillers. That might be the one case where the old heat-and-hammer way is still safer.
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mila_flores86mo ago
That cold trick is a lifesaver for aluminum. My buddy does the same thing with a can of compressed air held upside down to spot-cool a high spot. It's wild how much easier it makes the final finish work.
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