The sparkling body of a vehicle is a reason for the pride of every motorist, therefore, if the slightest defects are found, the question arises of how to remove a dent on a car. A minor accident (traffic accident), an accidental knock on the door of a badly parked car nearby, children's ball games, and even fruit falling from a tree can lead to dents. Insurance payments cover part of the costs, but the cost body repair much higher. You can fix a dent on a car without painting with your own hands, taking into account the recommendations of experts.
In order to remove an insignificant dent from the door, hood or roof of a car, you should arm yourself with a device that supplies a strong jet of hot air, a cylinder of compressed air and soft textiles. If the above is not at hand, it is allowed to replace the building hair dryer with a household one, and compressed air with dry ice.
The method is based on the principle of changing the physical properties of the metal when exposed to elevated temperatures. Before handling, it is recommended to equip yourself with protective equipment, such as heavy-duty protective gloves, and assess the size and location of the defect. If the car was damaged as a result of a serious accident, it would be irrational to clean the dent with your own hands.
The alignment sequence must be as follows:
- the surface is thoroughly cleaned of dirt and dust, degreasers are used;
- for optimal results, it is recommended to provide free access to both sides of the damaged area;
- a stream of hot air is directed to the place where the dent is located, the exposure time is 2-3 minutes;
- one of the most important steps is to determine the ductility of the metal, for this, pressure is applied to the bulge or its edges, determining the degree of softness. It is important to remember that this action is performed only with heavy-duty gloves;
- if the metal is malleable enough, a jet of compressed air is directed at it until the dent straightens out.
The same sequence of actions applies when using dry ice. The difference between the methods is that a sheet of aluminum foil is laid between the paintwork and the package with solid carbon dioxide.
When deciding how to remove such damage on a car without painting, you can pay attention to such a device as a plunger. When choosing a fixture, it is important to consider that the diameter of the suction cup must match the size of the dent. In addition, the room in which the manipulations are performed must have good lighting and heating. In order for the plunger to fit as tightly as possible to the metal, its suction cup must be made of soft rubber.
The device is applied to the dent and pulled towards itself with a carefully calibrated force. If the movement is too sharp, a bulge may form on the surface of the body, which will require the help of specialists to eliminate.
The sequence of actions when working with this device is as follows:- The glue is heated with a special gun and applied to the surface of the suction cup.
- Attach the device to the dent and wait for the glue to dry.
- Using bolts located on a special bridge, pull out the dent until the defect is completely eliminated.
- Remove adhesive residue from the paint surface with a spatula.
Thus, it is possible to secure not only the body of the car, but its coating. This method is used to eliminate any irregularities found on vehicle.
If the defect is deep enough or has sharp edges, it is allowed to use an ordinary hammer and mallet. It should be remembered that for the following manipulations it is necessary to provide full access to the dent. If damage is found on the car door, it should be dismantled and the trim removed.
The convex side of the dent is leveled with light blows of a hammer with a rubber head. The strength of the blows should be monitored, as the paintwork may crack and crumble. In this case, after the defect is eliminated, the body will have to be puttied, primed and the coating restored.
If the use of a mallet is ineffective, it is worth applying to the convex part of the dent wooden block wrapped in cloth.
In this case, alternate blows of a rubber and metal hammer should fall on the bar.
It is possible to observe situations when it is possible to remove a dent only by straightening. To do the work yourself, it is worth preparing special equipment. However, specific skills are required to perform the work, so it makes sense to turn to specialists.
Even the most careful drivers sometimes get into unpleasant situations. If you're pulling out of a grocery store parking lot in reverse, collided with a pole, someone parked too close to your car and slammed the door on it, it does not change the fact that you have an unsightly dent as a result. Very often, repairs of such minor or more than minor damage are easily covered by the warranty, however, it costs more than you are willing to pay out of your own pocket. In many cases, it is possible to remove a dent without resorting to the help of an auto repairman.
For repairs, you can use improvised means, such as a regular hair dryer, a can of compressed air, a plunger, or suction cups. In this article, we will analyze 2 main ways body repair and minor damage.
Using a hair dryer to remove damage
Of course, with only a hair dryer and a few other tools at hand, you can’t hang a specialist sign at the entrance. body work, but by trying to repair it yourself, you can save an impressive amount of money. The principle is quite simple: the hair dryer produces heat, and at a certain temperature, the metal, as you know, becomes pliable. This means that metal, including metal body components, can be shaped if it is sufficiently heated.
Item 1 of 3: assessment of the nature of the damage
It is clear that repairing dents using a blow dryer on a car that has been in a serious accident is useless, but it makes sense in the case of small dents and indentations in certain areas of the car body. To determine whether a particular dent can be repaired in this way, it is first necessary to analyze its location.
Step 1: Analyzing the location of the dent. Easily enough to remove dents on smooth surfaces such as trunk or hood lid, roof, doors and fenders. It is much more difficult, but possible, to deal with dents in curved and embossed areas.
Step 2: Determine the size and depth of the dent. If the dent is three inches or more in diameter and therefore shallow, and there are obvious signs of damage paintwork are missing, you will most likely be able to remove this dent without problems.
In fact, there are two ways to remove dents with a hair dryer. In the first case, compressed air is used in combination with the heat produced by a hair dryer, in the second case, dry ice is used. Both of these dent repair methods are quite effective, but many people prefer the one that uses compressed air rather than dry ice. In addition, in some regions, it may be difficult to obtain dry ice. In any case, protective gloves, preferably insulating rubber-coated gloves, should be worn when carrying out such work.
Item 2 of 3: compressed air
Necessary materials:
* Net soft cloth;
* Canister with compressed air;
* Heavy duty rubber coated insulating gloves.
Procedure:
1. Providing free access to the area with a dent. If possible, provide free access to the dent on both sides. For example, if the dent is on the hood cover, open the lid.
2. Heating up the area with the dent. Turn on the hair dryer, set it to medium power, and direct the jet of air at the dent, holding the hair dryer 5 to 7 inches away from it. Depending on the size of the dent, you can move the hair dryer back and forth, as well as up and down, to more thoroughly heat the area.
3. Determination of the degree of ductility of the metal. After two minutes of warming up the surface, put on gloves and check the degree of pliability of the metal by gently pressing on the inside of the dent or along its outer edge. Feeling a certain softness of the metal, you can proceed to the next step of the procedure. Otherwise, additionally heat the surface for a minute and check the degree of ductility of the metal again.
4. Impact on the dent with a jet of compressed air. Shake the can of compressed air and direct the jet of air at the dent, holding the can upside down, remembering to put on heavy-duty protective gloves first. Continue to spray air into the dent until the metal straightens out (usually 30-50 seconds is sufficient).
5. Cleaning. Using a clean, soft cloth, gently wipe any remaining liquid from the treated surface.
Item 3 of 3: dry ice
Necessary materials:
* Aluminium foil;
* Dry ice pack;
* Heavy duty insulating rubber coated gloves;
* Insulating tape.
Step 1: heating the area with a dent. As in the previous procedure, it is desirable to access both sides of the dent and heat the dent area with a hair dryer until the metal can be reshaped.
Step 2: placing aluminum foil over the dent. Cover the dent with a piece of aluminum foil, securing it around the corners with duct tape. This will prevent damage to the paintwork from dry ice.
Step 3: use of dry ice. Protecting your hands with heavy-duty gloves, apply a pack of dry ice and run it over the aluminum foil until you hear a pop. This step usually takes less than one minute.
Step 4: cleaning. Remove aluminum foil and discard.
Many people understand the purpose of using a hair dryer - it is to soften the metal in the area of the dent to straighten it, but for some it is not immediately clear how compressed air or dry ice affects the metal. Both of these products have a very low temperature, so after heating the metal with a hairdryer and, accordingly, its expansion under the influence of heat, abrupt change downward temperature causes the metal to shrink and return to its original shape.
* Recommendation. If, as a result of using one of the described repair methods, the dent has become significantly smaller, but the surface has not become completely even, you can repeat the procedure. Wait at least one day before repeating this procedure. This is because the sudden temperature fluctuations that the dented area is exposed to can cause damage to the vehicle's paintwork.
Using a suction cup or plunger
The technology of this method is very simple and it does not make sense to consider it thoroughly. Using a suction cup, you can quickly and easily remove a dent without painting the car.
To repair a damaged area, you may need:
Plunger or suction cup.
Detergent for surface cleaning.
LDS or bright flashlight.
Gloves.
It is better to carry out the procedure in a bright room so that the metal bending area is clearly visible without additional equipment. If this is not possible, then you can use a bright flashlight. When illuminating bumps on the body, roughnesses visible to any eye will be visible.
Procedure:
1. Thoroughly clean the damaged area of the body from dust and dirt. Wash the part and dry the dent stain well.
2. Fasten the plunger in place of the dent. For better contact with metal, it is necessary to use a suction cup made of soft rubber and preferably at warm air temperature.
3. With a vigorous movement, pull the plunger towards you. It is important to calculate the force that is commensurate with pulling the dent. If the force is large, an external “bubble” may form on the body, which will already be much more difficult to remove.
4. If the first time, it was not possible to completely stretch the concavity, the procedure can be repeated until the desired result is achieved.
* This method is very suitable for removing small dents, with even stretching of the metal, preferably in a round shape. The use of household suction cups approaches this method in the same way as a plunger. It will be important to take into account the ratio of the diameter of the area of the suction cup to the area of damage, these surfaces should be as proportional as possible.
Even the most careful drivers sometimes get into unpleasant situations. If you're backing out of a grocery store parking lot and hit a pole, someone parked too close to your car and slammed the door into it, it doesn't change the fact that you end up with an unsightly dent. Very often, repairs of such minor or more than minor damage are easily covered by the warranty, however, it costs more than you are willing to pay out of your own pocket. In many cases, it is possible to remove a dent without resorting to the help of an auto repairman.
For repairs, you can use improvised means, such as a regular hair dryer, a can of compressed air, a plunger, or suction cups. In this article, we will analyze 2 main ways body repair and minor damage.
Using a hair dryer to remove damage
Of course, with only a hair dryer and a few other tools at hand, you can't put up a bodybuilder sign at the entrance, but by trying to do the repair yourself, you can save an impressive amount of money. The principle is quite simple: the hair dryer produces heat, and at a certain temperature, the metal, as you know, becomes pliable. This means that metal, including metal body components, can be shaped if it is sufficiently heated.
Item 1 of 3: assessment of the nature of the damage
It is clear that repairing dents using a blow dryer on a car that has been in a serious accident is useless, but it makes sense in the case of small dents and indentations in certain areas of the car body. To determine whether a particular dent can be repaired in this way, it is first necessary to analyze its location.
Step 1: Analyzing the location of the dent. It is easy enough to remove dents on smooth surfaces such as the trunk or hood lid, roof, doors and fenders. It is much more difficult, but possible, to deal with dents in curved and embossed areas.
Step 2: Determine the size and depth of the dent. If the dent is three inches or larger in diameter and therefore shallow, and there are no obvious signs of paint damage, you will most likely be able to remove the dent without any problems.
In fact, there are two ways to remove dents with a hair dryer. In the first case, compressed air is used in combination with the heat produced by a hair dryer, in the second case, dry ice is used. Both of these dent repair methods are quite effective, but many people prefer the one that uses compressed air rather than dry ice. In addition, in some regions, it may be difficult to obtain dry ice. In any case, protective gloves, preferably insulating rubber-coated gloves, should be worn when carrying out such work.
Item 2 of 3: compressed air
Necessary materials:
* Net soft cloth;
* Canister with compressed air;
* Heavy duty rubber coated insulating gloves.
Procedure:
1. Providing free access to the area with a dent. If possible, provide free access to the dent on both sides. For example, if the dent is on the hood cover, open the lid.
2. Heating up the area with the dent. Turn on the hair dryer, set it to medium power, and direct the jet of air at the dent, holding the hair dryer 5 to 7 inches away from it. Depending on the size of the dent, you can move the hair dryer back and forth, as well as up and down, to more thoroughly heat the area.
3. Determination of the degree of ductility of the metal. After two minutes of warming up the surface, put on gloves and check the degree of pliability of the metal by gently pressing on the inside of the dent or along its outer edge. Feeling a certain softness of the metal, you can proceed to the next step of the procedure. Otherwise, additionally heat the surface for a minute and check the degree of ductility of the metal again.
4. Impact on the dent with a jet of compressed air. Shake the can of compressed air and direct the jet of air at the dent, holding the can upside down, remembering to put on heavy-duty protective gloves first. Continue to spray air into the dent until the metal straightens out (usually 30-50 seconds is sufficient).
5. Cleaning. Using a clean, soft cloth, gently wipe any remaining liquid from the treated surface.
Item 3 of 3: dry ice
Necessary materials:
* Aluminium foil;
* Dry ice pack;
* Heavy duty insulating rubber coated gloves;
* Insulating tape.
Step 1: heating the area with a dent. As in the previous procedure, it is desirable to access both sides of the dent and heat the dent area with a hair dryer until the metal can be reshaped.
Step 2: placing aluminum foil over the dent. Cover the dent with a piece of aluminum foil, securing it around the corners with duct tape. This will prevent damage to the paintwork from dry ice.
Step 3: use of dry ice. Protecting your hands with heavy-duty gloves, apply a pack of dry ice and run it over the aluminum foil until you hear a pop. This step usually takes less than one minute.
Step 4: cleaning. Remove aluminum foil and discard.
Many people understand the purpose of using a hair dryer - it is to soften the metal in the area of the dent to straighten it, but for some it is not immediately clear how compressed air or dry ice affects the metal. Both of these products have a very low temperature, so after heating the metal with a hair dryer and, accordingly, its expansion under the influence of heat, a sharp decrease in temperature causes the metal to shrink and return to its original shape.
* Recommendation. If, as a result of using one of the described repair methods, the dent has become significantly smaller, but the surface has not become completely even, you can repeat the procedure. Wait at least one day before repeating this procedure. This is because the sudden temperature fluctuations that the dented area is exposed to can cause damage to the vehicle's paintwork.
Using a suction cup or plunger
The technology of this method is very simple and it does not make sense to consider it thoroughly. Using a suction cup, you can quickly and easily remove a dent without painting the car.
To repair a damaged area, you may need:
Plunger or suction cup.
Detergent for surface cleaning.
LDS or bright flashlight.
Gloves.
The procedure is best carried out in a bright room so that the area of \u200b\u200bthe bend of the metal is clearly visible without additional equipment. If this is not possible, then you can use a bright flashlight. When illuminating bumps on the body, roughnesses visible to any eye will be visible.
Procedure:
1. Thoroughly clean the damaged area of the body from dust and dirt. Wash the part and dry the dent stain well.
2. Fasten the plunger in place of the dent. For better contact with metal, it is necessary to use a suction cup made of soft rubber and preferably at warm air temperature.
3. With a vigorous movement, pull the plunger towards you. It is important to calculate the force that is commensurate with pulling the dent. If the force is large, an external “bubble” may form on the body, which will already be much more difficult to remove.
4. If the first time, it was not possible to completely stretch the concavity, the procedure can be repeated until the desired result is achieved.
* This method is very suitable for removing small dents, with even stretching of the metal, preferably in a round shape. The use of household suction cups approaches this method in the same way as a plunger. It will be important to take into account the ratio of the diameter of the area of the suction cup to the area of damage, these surfaces should be as proportional as possible.
Both a novice and a fairly experienced driver at least once while driving were interested in the question of how to quickly and easily fix a dent on their favorite car. Especially if the damage is small, you can do it yourself.
To solve the problem on their own, it is necessary to pay attention to a number of points.
Determining the degree of damage
To know exactly when the help of a professional is required, and when you can handle it alone, you should pay attention to the depth and size of the defect.
A deep dent will be considered one with a thickness of 10 mm or more. Serious damage suggests that you will not be able to cope with the problem on your own. It is worth seeking professional help.
Minor damage has a depth of up to 5 mm, it will be easy enough even for an inexperienced driver to cope with such damage.
How to fix the problem yourself
There are several ways in which you can easily deal with a dent on your own. The use of improvised means will help to forget about the problem forever:
It should be understood that independent measures can have a rather unexpected effect. It is possible that during the repair process the paint will burst or a scratch will form.