Technical Metal shaping a low spot with no access to back of panel with available tools.

Hi All. Back onto more metal work and the spot I'm at is not accessible as the glass is in place and the spot is tough to get a dolly to hammer on by myself without an extra person holding or hammering. Trying to avoid taking out glass as I need truck to stay together for a move that might mean some outside storage. I don't have a cutting torch so my heat source would be a yellow bottle propane mix. No fast cherry red option. Every video I've seen shows heating and quenching with water or airline but, access is possible to both sides. Trying to learn something here so the visible filler behind paint obviously allows me to cover it up with no drama during a spot repair. I want to dial up my metal skills so hoping I can learn how to get this thing flat. No shrinking disk, no slapper or shrinking dolly. List of available tools - stubbornness. Is this a heat/slow cool thing or a heat/fast cool or given the size should I just suck it up and fill the low.

 

If its a ding (I really cannot tell) a pro body man would fill it. If it deeper than just a ding I would drill it and use a slide hammer and sheet meal screw or several. You'll still end up filling it but that is body work.

 

It's a low not a ding. Suspect it was there before I filled the hole but, maybe made worse by welding next to it. Looking at the rest of the truck, most would wonder why I would care - fill it and move on. It's the Voodoo trick I was looking for that would make all my metalwork look good. I want to heat it and see if I can make it come up as a learning exercise but, looking for the best practices route then see if I can actually do it.

 

Maybe it's my eyes, but, it looks like you did that repair with a self shielded wire. Brave of you if you did, but, also a bit of a mistake. Not that you can't, cause you did maybe, but it isn't your best bet for reduced heat input and minimizing distortion and shrinkage. It could also be your tacks display a shielding gas contamination issue or a appearance of so from the look of the tacks. That could be from surface contamination or from the back side. Hard to say not being there looking over your shoulder.

As to how to fix it, fill it, smooth it out and with a shot coat of primer call it done. From what I hear your getting snow so that should keep you house bound with some time on your hands.

 

I'm not a pro by any means but I think you already know what needs to be done. I don't think there is a "magic trick" that will get you the results you are looking for by only working the one side. Without some hammer and dolly and shrinking you may make things worse by just heating and cooling one side. From your photos I can't really see the low spot. That said it looks pretty close to me . It's the finesse of metal finishing that show the skill of a good bodyman.

 

Tack a welding rod, or three, to it and pull it up.

 

Every time you heat metal up and allow it to cool, it shrinks. That is heading you in the wrong direction. What you need to be doing is stretching the metal by hammering on dolly. There are some dolls that are made with long handles and there are spoons, etc. that you can slip up in there, but the bottom line is you have to access it from the rear unless you want to do as porknbeaner suggested.

 

Thanks guys, got the answer I needed. I'll fill it. Our truck Is/Was a bit of a bondo buggy already. I intend to repair and spot paint these kinds of spots on the truck while retaining it's "Experience".

I use a mig with sheilded wire to do everything. Heat turned to lowest setting and wire wheeling every few tacks. It's a bit exasperating but, I will be on the lookout for a better setup soon. For now Ignorance and Resources are the words of the day here - Abundance of one and little of the other.

 

I guess I'm late to the party, but I just went out and looked at one of my f100 doors. I think you could use a solid bar like this to bump it up from behind the window. This particular piece is almost 16 inches long, and has enough heft to it to push a dent up from the underside.


Whenever I need a special dolly, I go to my drawer of stuff that I've made over the years for inspiration first, then modify or make whatever I need. I have most of the commercial dollies but I have made many more for specific purposes.

 

Perspective is everything. I'd be putting all my efforts inside with the dolly or whatever suits to back it up. The hammering is less technical than the dolly in this case. So you inside, hammer outside, that's it. The other factor is those windows are not a major deal to R&R. Sometimes an hour in and out saves 2 or 3 making polyester flour.

 

stud welder

 

I always metal finish damage before welding.
Then ya know what caused any thing that pops up due to welding

 

I bought one for my daughters car,,she knew a guy to do the work on it, but he didn’t have his own. So HF to the rescue. Very little filler when he was done. Dent was in a place that was in front of a wide support brace.
I’ve seen guys weld rod (like shown before) to a dent, and attach a pair of vise grips on a slide hammer to pull the dent.
Better than punching holes for screws, etc to pull a inaccessible dent, IMO.

 

Get some more tools.

 

Many times funds are not available, I’ve been in that situation to just use what I have on hand and not purchase what’s needed.

 

These shrink the metal, as well. Just in a smaller spot. You can make it less bad but you're not going to make it not need filler with a stud welder. Guaranteed.

 

With the above suggestions even a 1 swipe fill is a win. Always better than cave n pave.