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Any suggestions on repairing dented corners?
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dawerks
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 7:12 pm    Post subject: Any suggestions on repairing dented corners? Reply with quote

I want to save as much of the OG paint as possible (if it's possible). What is a good method/tools to get this big dent out?

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glideking
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 7:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

No problem. Use a heavy slapping spoon covered in tape.
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Ran When Parked
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 8:15 pm    Post subject: what a find Reply with quote

Still my favorite find!
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g3bill
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 9:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What about those guys that use steel ball of all sizes to roll it out and there clam is saving the paint. Might be just for small dents but worth searching and asking IMO.
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55samba
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 10:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Look, never tried it on a dent of this magnitude. I would build some wooden bracing behind the corner to spread out the load leaving a few inches between the dent and the bracing. Then I would inflate a ball to pop out the dent, just like the football trick.

Many use the football trick on the nose. What most don't do is brace the inner kick for the nose to the seat are so they don't bend the inner nose area. I know this is not the nose but I assume you can understand my correlation. Build something to back up the ball, spread the load out, with that dent maybe even a basketball!

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g3bill
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 10:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey, that cheap thin metal, just lay down in back and push it out with your foot with tennies on if theres room, might not be with supports?, The padded paddle sounds good. its the uniform finishing thats going to take time. Just dont hit it with a hammer or the like very hard and stretch the metal. I use a rubber mallot sometimes to get started. You could get that 80% in a few minutes I bet.
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I have Dial-Up an a hole in my pocket:)......Where are the 3 Stooges when we need them:)
'67 Camper PT westfail w/tent, hammock, jump seat. uping the motor to 1900 w/88bore/78crank.
& will be using carb 34 pict 3 ....Someday?
'82 Toyota 4x4 5sp PU lb, daily driver
Many Corvairs /& 4 rag tops
'63 Chevy 20 Truck w/4sp 292
Want, white plastic end pieces for dash grab handle
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dawerks
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 10:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Another that was suggested was a bean/leather bag, and a nylon (?) hammer. Another is to use a Porta power + brace as suggested earlier (like the football trick).

I think a combination of methods is what I will try.

For the 'taped heavy slapping spoon', is that after the dent is pushed out?

Do I use heat? (I see the PDR guys always warm up the area).
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 10:32 pm    Post subject: Re: what a find Reply with quote

Sh*tBird wrote:
Still my favorite find!


Mine too Laughing Wink I'm working on it!

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g3bill
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 11:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think Heat is a No No unless you're a pro. and even then not a great idea imo. The bean bag idea sounds good.

If you're going to restore that bus you might think about a new rear quarter panel, might not be that hard to do if you're skilled??? good luck...
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'67 Camper PT westfail w/tent, hammock, jump seat. uping the motor to 1900 w/88bore/78crank.
& will be using carb 34 pict 3 ....Someday?
'82 Toyota 4x4 5sp PU lb, daily driver
Many Corvairs /& 4 rag tops
'63 Chevy 20 Truck w/4sp 292
Want, white plastic end pieces for dash grab handle
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 7:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you have access to a wood lathe, turn out several sizes of wooden mallets. Make a handle that you can switch them out. A threaded rod inside a 1/2 in diameter tube work great.

Oak or hickory works very well.
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 8:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would pull the dent out with a comealong. drill some holes - install some u bolts or eye bolts, shore the backside with washers and/or wood, then pull the dent out while tapping the panel from behind to release the dent.

Those corners are not like flat areas (noses) that can easily be pushed out with a little football. I really can't imagine kicking that dent out wearing some tennis shoes. I think that dent is going to be much stiffer than you would think.

The good thing is it looks like crap, so you really can't screw it up. Maybe go to the come along as a last result once your legs are all cut up and your football is popped.
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g3bill
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 9:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looking at it again Think I would get a piece of 2X4 and cut it into a circle, on the flat side sand/grind down like a dome so no sharp edges. screw it to a short length of 2X4 , cover it with some rags then get it behind that deep dent where its rusty then use a hydraulic bottle jack braced to transaxle to slowly push out the worst of it. once its more than half way I think the rest will push out pretty easy?????

I wouldn't worry too much of the paint, you've got rust and not just there. Probably need all the trim removed and pre it all for paint, at least spot treat the rusted areas before theres holes everywhere:(
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I have Dial-Up an a hole in my pocket:)......Where are the 3 Stooges when we need them:)
'67 Camper PT westfail w/tent, hammock, jump seat. uping the motor to 1900 w/88bore/78crank.
& will be using carb 34 pict 3 ....Someday?
'82 Toyota 4x4 5sp PU lb, daily driver
Many Corvairs /& 4 rag tops
'63 Chevy 20 Truck w/4sp 292
Want, white plastic end pieces for dash grab handle


Last edited by g3bill on Wed Apr 22, 2015 6:45 pm; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 9:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

push push push.........keep the hammers away from the workspace.....that will push out......as you push you relieve the outside with a wood leatherbacked slapper.......think the football idea but be creative.......dont you dare pull it,thats cavemannery
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 9:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Agreed, and start pushing fom the outer edges and work your way in, you have to undo the dent in the reverse order of how it happened.
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 10:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pushing works better? Good to know! I did the football trick on my bus nose with decent success, but I stud welded and pulled out my corner dent (which was much smaller than the dent shown above). I did try to hammer and dolly it out first, but I had no success - If memory serves me right, I think there was some sheet metal in the way behind the dent (up high on the corner - above the reverse lights).
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 11:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

find an old.......like 50s era autobody manual......they will show you the way.....we used to fix car bodies before we started getting all pimple stud pull

these manuals will show you how to look at a dent and how to bring the metal back to its "memory" shape

i disagree with working your way out slowly.......but read up first before listening to me for your own edification

its my understanding/experience that you start with the deepest point of impact.......what your doing is thinking in exact reverse order of impact

the dents in the pic look very easy and you may not need a slapper at all........throw the hammers away unless your building a shed or something

again think inflatables and if theres no framework to support your inflatable.........create one,be creative and think to yourself "no hammers"
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 12:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

How do you get that dent out????Bring it back to BC of course! Laughing

The 56 wasn't quite as smashed as your deluxe ....drivers was worse than pass but I got it real close and none of the remaining paint was hurt in the process. Cool

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To those who said keep away from it with hammers......I don't know any of those jeti mind trick metal working skills.....not sure how a guy would do that, I'd like to see! What he probably means is don't go smashing on the inside of panel unless you want the corner to look like a fat chicks ass!

Pm me your cell and I'll try and walk u through how I'd tackle it
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 12:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just an idea but what if you took 2x4s and cut them to match the inner curve and glued them together one on top of the other... Then used a porta power to push it out. Anyone ever tried anything like that.
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 2:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It is a lot harder to deal with a bad dent on the corner panel than a side panel or even the nose panel because the curved cornel panel is much stiffer (the sheet metal). I don't know if a spot weld dent puller would work on the deep dent on the left side. You can't work on it on the upper inside of it because of the panel there behind it (that is where a spot weld dent puller would work; no holes drilled). Whatever method you use, remember that you have to tap around the pushed out edges of the dent on the outside as the dent is being pushed or pulled out to relieve the stress and tension on the sheet metal. I agree that you should buy an old book on auto body repair and study it. The section on relieving the tension around the dent on the outside is especially useful.
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 3:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Campy wrote:
I agree that you should buy an old book on auto body repair and study it. The section on relieving the tension around the dent on the outside is especially useful.


This was just discussed in another thread a couple days ago:

http://www.amazon.com/Martin-BFB-Bumping-Manual-Instruction/dp/B001GUZP4O

No replacement for experience, but it helps to atleast read the concepts involved.
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