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Hot Rods Dent advise

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by woodsnwater, Mar 21, 2019.

  1. small ball peen
    dont be afraid to use some heat if ya need it
    most of the time I fix high crown areas like that without filler
     
  2. oj
    Joined: Jul 27, 2008
    Posts: 6,454

    oj
    Member

    If we're doing show & tell, here's one of my favorite tools and it'd make doing your headlight fun. It's a short piece of railroad track, I bored a 1" hole in one end as a socket. I have a chunk of 1" round and I make tooling for what ever I need for a project, weld the tool to a short piece of the round and stick it into the railroad track. Here's some of the ones I use almost every day.
    001.JPG
     
  3. Right on oj. I was told a long time ago, a poor craftsman will blame his work on his tools. A real craftsman will make his own. As a young kid I still remember my Dad using a rock wrapped in his old Red hanky and a block of wood wrapped in his T shirt to take out a dent in a fellows hood on a 50 Olds. It didn't even damage the paint and he was payed $2.oo. Olds guy was happy and we were in Fat City.
     
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  4. woodsnwater
    Joined: Apr 4, 2016
    Posts: 502

    woodsnwater
    Member
    from North Al.

    That's cool as hell!
     
  5. COCONUTS
    Joined: May 5, 2015
    Posts: 1,161

    COCONUTS

    I wonder what would happen if you took a high speed cutting wheel (very thin) and went right down the middle of the crease. Then with a light and small hammer and a spoon on the other side, bring the dent up to the surface. Switch the hammer and the spoon and bring the outside high surface down to the original surface. Wrapping the whole project up by TIG welding the cut you made with the high speed cutting wheel. Now you would want to use the smallest diameter tungsten rod possible and start off my TIG TACK the cut closed. I think that the metal is thick enough that you would not have to use much filler rod. What do you guys think about that (esp. to those tin-knockers that can take a flat sheet of metal and make a basket ball out of it)
     
    chiro likes this.
  6. That's a good question for sure and it could be done that way however you have just created a lot more work overall for the repair. I'm looking at that crease thinking 45 min and I lay down my file and it's ready to prime. That would include at least one interuption.
     
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  7. patmanta
    Joined: May 10, 2011
    Posts: 3,872

    patmanta
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Woburn, MA
    1. MASSACHUSETTS HAMB

    Just get a hitch ball from the store or pull the one out of your truck, put it in your bench vise and up inside the bucket so you can push the crown of the crease against it and hammer from the outside of the dent inward until the crater and the crown of the crease return to level with the surface of the bucket.

    Don't try to hammer it out from the inside.
     
    Sporty45, woodsnwater and F&J like this.
  8. @woodsnwater ...don't forget to show us how/what method you decided to try...and of course the results. Thanks.
     
  9. woodsnwater
    Joined: Apr 4, 2016
    Posts: 502

    woodsnwater
    Member
    from North Al.

    Man that's a great idea. I have a drop hitch I can put the ball in upside down. It'll be perfect.
    And y'all are crazy if you think I'm showing MY metal work in front of these experts. No way. Thank god for filler!
     
  10. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,828

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    one thing a great many people don't consider is that the dent does not know which is the hammer and which is the dolly. you don't need to hit it from the inside, you DEFINITELY do not need to cut it and weld it back up.

    everyone who owns a hammer and dolly should read "the Key to Metal Bumping" which was put out in the 40's.
    https://www.amazon.com/Bumping-Instructive-Manual-Fender-Practices/dp/B000O3R1OQ
     
    burl, Bugguts, G-son and 2 others like this.
  11. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,222

    F&J
    Member

    You won't need much filler, or none at all, if you use a file to check for low & high spots.

    When you get most of the crease out, a few passes with a file shows the low spots, then place the trailer ball under those and light taps around that low spot. Then repeat on the next low spot. It gets addictive when you see progress, and you'll keep getting more determined to get it near perfect.
     
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  12. A Boner
    Joined: Dec 25, 2004
    Posts: 7,419

    A Boner
    Member

    When you remove the "GUIDE HEADLAMP" tag, grind the rivet flush on the backside (inside the bucket). That will keep the tag in perfect condition. Get some 4/40 brass machine screws and turn the screw slot off and reduce the diameter slightly so it ends up looking like a rivet. If you don't have a lathe, you can use a 1/4" drill and a file and sandpaper! Assemble with a small amount of blue lock-tite, to keep the 4/40 nut from coming loose. Use a flat washer under the nut....if you ever have to remove the tag, the washer will avoid grinding the bucket to get the nut off.
     
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  13. patmanta
    Joined: May 10, 2011
    Posts: 3,872

    patmanta
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Woburn, MA
    1. MASSACHUSETTS HAMB

    Oh I'm certainly no genius, I'm an adept novice and I'm essentially parroting what Norm Campeau taught me.

    But I bet you will be stunned at how effective this is. Also, filler is a part of the process and nothing to be ashamed of. Just get it close enough that the file isn't showing egregious flaws. If you go too far up, bonk at it with a hickory hammer handle (on dolly) to settle it back down until you're satisfied.

    It's less complicated than it may sound here. It's just hitting metal the right way with the right stuff. You'll get the feel for it, which is not something we can easily instruct here. If you're feeling hesitant, find a piece of scrap sheet and smack a crease in it with a hatchet or something and practice the operation.

    THIS ALSO^
     
    woodsnwater likes this.
  14. I prefer to call it Body Man in a Can.
     
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  15. woodsnwater
    Joined: Apr 4, 2016
    Posts: 502

    woodsnwater
    Member
    from North Al.

    I'm sure this is common knowledge to all of you but it was a real eye opener to me. I thought y'all were telling me to use a file to take a high spot down. That never made sense to me and now I know why. Thanks F&J
    I bet if I bought that book I'd really be dangerous.
     
    Hombre likes this.
  16. See that's one of my downfalls. I assume everyone knows what I'm talking about. You wouldn't be using the file to remove anything. Just like using a guide coat and long board when blocking a body in paint prep. It's light touches to read the surface of the metal.
     
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  17. patmanta
    Joined: May 10, 2011
    Posts: 3,872

    patmanta
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Woburn, MA
    1. MASSACHUSETTS HAMB

  18. woodsnwater
    Joined: Apr 4, 2016
    Posts: 502

    woodsnwater
    Member
    from North Al.

    I've worked on it for 20 minute so far using the trailer hitch and ball in the vice (worked great) and a little with the hammer and dolly. I left the crease a little low, better than high right? I'm going to go over it with a file to check for high spots and call it ready for a skim coat of filler. Thanks for the help. Oh, I ordered that bumping metal book from summit. It should be on the porch when I get home.
     
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  19. The37Kid
    Joined: Apr 30, 2004
    Posts: 30,627

    The37Kid
    Member

    Safety cap on a gas bottle is about the right shape in place of a dolly. Bob
     
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  20. Cliff Ramsdell
    Joined: Dec 27, 2004
    Posts: 1,343

    Cliff Ramsdell
    Member

    I thought the same thing as I started the rebuild on my car but I got some good pointers from guys who know stuff and nothing negative.

    Post them up because it’s cool to see how others get stuff fixed.

    Cliff Ramsdell
     
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  21. patmanta
    Joined: May 10, 2011
    Posts: 3,872

    patmanta
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Woburn, MA
    1. MASSACHUSETTS HAMB

    SHOW PICTURES TO US!
     
    Cliff Ramsdell likes this.
  22. HotrodHR
    Joined: Jul 12, 2010
    Posts: 211

    HotrodHR
    Member

    I have a couple of chunks of railroad and I like your idea. How difficult was it to drill that 1" hole for a tool receiver?
     

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