PAINTLESS DENT REPAIR BASICS

There are many tools available from numerous suppliers to perform Paintless Dent Removal. The visual process necessary to accomplish it is the same for all PDR technicians. In years past, most PDR techs used a "two bulb" system, while others use only one. In recent years most technicians use LED lights that have been specifically manufactured for Paintless Dent Repair. A few technicians may seldom use lights, but choose to work with reflection boards. Nonetheless the technician is using the reflected light as a point of reference.

The hood or roof with no dent shows the reflected bulb as a straight line. The hood with a dent shows the beam of light skewed to the shape of the dent. The process is simple enough, which is to bring the reflected light with the shape of a dent back to the natural shape of the light, of a reflected light as a straight line across a hood with no dents or imperfections. Note the tap down, or "pecker" and the panel remover tool in the picture. It is common for a PDR technician to keep a tap down, knockdown hammer, or blending hammer with them at all times while working dents from vehicles. There are a number of available blending hammers (many available will be presented later) which most technicians will find it necessary try out before making one a personal staple.

Choosing your first light is an important decision. If you are limited by your budget and do not want to immediately purchase specialty lights for hail you may purchase a small portable light for mobility, then it is best to purchase an everyday multipurpose light that is durable, yet allows you to be the most productive for most any kind of dent removal situation you encounter. A 36 inch LED, curved light or a fluorescent with fade background and a mobile stand, can provide a light that will work reasonably well. Typically, one fluorescent soft bulb light with a stand will run $350-500, while a three strip LED with stand would run $700 to $1000. New lights come out every year with new features and improvements, but the basic concepts stay the same. If you want to spend less to begin practicing and performing PDR then use a portable light with suction cup or even a line board. However, I find that some newly trained technicians, who pay five to fifteen thousand dollars for training, might start out with a light that is inadequate and really limits their ability to perform the required tasks as quickly and easily as techs who have better lighting systems.

New portable LED lights, some small, big, curved, straight thin and fat show deeper grainier shadows of the light allowing the technician to see the highs and lows of an entire dent. This provides for a more precise, as well as easier to learn dent removal process, especially for a beginning PDR technician.

The first step in learning to do paintless dent repair work is to know where the location of the tip of the tool underneath the panel at all times, as well to understand the reflection of the light to precisely remove a dent with glue or blending.

The most common learning method is to place a car or truck hood on a hood stand to allow the apprentice technician to practice observing his PDR tool each time it pushes against the metal hood from the underside of the hood. (Placing a golf ball or two in a sock and slamming it on the hood is a good way to place a practice dent on vehicle hood or door.)

Hoods can then be placed on a hood rack and tied down with bungee cords or a rope ratchet, as shown in Figure A. (Most body shops will give or loan you a slightly damaged hood to use for practice upon request.) There are several different options when setting up a hood stand or hood rack. Many hood stands now offer a variety of additional options other than the ones shown. Aluminum hood stands from companies like Dar-A-Con Industries (www.dar-a-con.com) are much lighter and, therefore, more portable while additional options and features such as rollers, tool trays, and carrying cases are available with racks from ProPDRsolutions (propdrsolutions.com/ hoodstands), Dentcrafttools (www/dentcrafttools.com/hood-stand-pdr.html) or Ultra Dent Tools (Ultradenttools.com). A hood rack is essential for a new technician, especially if you will be immediately involved with hail damage removal or have damage where the size, shape and location of the dent require the hood to be removed for it to be properly repaired.

Please note that when removing a hood, it is good to have two people present, if this is not possible you should properly pad the outer fenders to avoid scratching a painted surface or window.

If you do not want to purchase a hood rack immediately, but would like to practice at home, it is very easy to construct one using 2x4 constructions. It is important that the four corners of your rack be about 3'5".

Depending upon the size of the practice hood, you will want to measure the width and length of the hood rack to fit your specification. Typically, they will be from 3 to 3 1/2 ft. with one to two boards per side. Remember to leave at least a six-inch gap from the top of your 3'5" posts and the connecting boards. Connect with either nails or screws.

The Visual Process

The process of removing a dent varies from company to company and from individual to individual. This visual process is used for all hand tools, wire tools, extended rods and glue pulling (using tabs of different sizes and shapes) techniques.

Blending a panel (literally taking out a light dent or crease) without using any other tools is sometimes a possibility on dents in difficult to access areas along rails or contours of panels. Many new technicians may use their blending hammer as a knockdown hammer as well. The visual process allows the technician to manipulate the metal in a way to eliminate the dent so that it cannot be seen. Most technicians develop their own unique methods of massaging a dent in a vehicle. A typical approach to dent removal is to start from the middle with the tool behind or underneath the panel where the dent is located and gently massage in a clockwise or counter clockwise manner, using concentric circles from center to outside, as in the "bull's eye" type shape below.

A majority of technicians eventually take a much more random approach to a dent concentrating on highs and lows, with less regard for the circular motion. The primary reason to use such a technique is that beginning technicians do not see the bottom of a dent with their tool as clearly, and need a process to insure a more concise dent repair. It is important to note that the deeper the dent, the more often it must be pushed up and tapped back down. Keep in mind that the crowns of deeper or larger dents must be weakened by tapping down with a knockdown to allow the dent to come out with ease. Ideally, as in the magnified example of a very deep dent, a technician would follow the paths of the blue dots, then the red dots and then the orange dots when pushing, pressing, and massaging a very deep dent. The technician's pressure on the metal slightly weakens the metal, but does not stretch it as the dent is completely massaged out to perfection. Pushing underneath a panel in this method assures uniformity and that the dent will be removed from all lines of sight. Tapping down the highs of a dent between each path requires using a knockdown tool commonly referred to as a "pecker". Some technicians will choose to use a blending hammer for much of this process without the use of a "pecker". When working on a deep dent, a new technician should step back often and observe to make sure the dent is advancing properly. Tapping down the highs allows the light to again be reflected to better observe the remaining lows in the dent. I briefly describe the process for removing a common slightly deep dent, but it must be practiced by a new technician to eventually be performed to perfection. Below is a picture of some " knockdowns" and " peckers" and interchangeable tips.

One of the most important things to remember is that a knockdown is without a doubt the item that a technician will always have with them. For this reason they are easier to lose, so its advantageous to use knockdowns with interchangeable tips allowing the tech to have a large number of knockdowns with each connector. The aluminum Red, Blue and Orange knockdowns in Figure D are standard, and seem to stand the test of time as they are still very popular today. This doesn't mean you won't want to try other knockdowns, as there are probably twenty to thirty popular ones available.

Lighting

One of the most important aspects to removing a dent from a car body is lighting. There are too many types of lights and reflective devices to mention them all in this book. I will give you a description of some of the most common lights and reflective devices for removing dents. It is common for technicians to experiment and modify devices to get the best possible views of a dent. The objective in viewing a dent is to completely remove a dent so it cannot be detected from any angle and the body panel will look as if it is in perfect condition. The technician needs to be able to see the bottom of a dent to insure that they are removing the center and deepest part of the dent. Moving a light higher above or away from the panel is many times the solution to seeing deeper into the dent. This is one of the first and most difficult tasks for a new technician to learn. Shadow devices and lights, like those on the PROPDRSolutions website, or reflective boards many times help the technician to see the areas that are low more clearly.

Many technicians make modifications to their lighting devices to meet their personal preferences. For instance, using combinations of colored lights may provide better lighting for lighter colored vehicles. Reflective boards and shadow board covers are available for purchase. Some variations have been made from personal computers or made with colored tape to attain the most perfect fit for your personal preferences. Sometimes as a technician, you might find it necessary to take out a dent in direct sunlight. (This should be especially avoided for top panels of light colored vehicles.) This may require special lighting, such as black lights, brighter led lights of different colors, different colored reflective boards, or going to a brighter old style conventional light. Another option is to shade your dents with an umbrella such as those sold by mobile tech shades at www.mobiletechshades.com. On difficult occasions, to avoid direct sunlight and get a better view in a wide open parking lot, I have used my Fathead lights that I would normally only use for hail damage as shade, because of the ability to extend the board high and far above the dent location.

It is always necessary to be able to see the dent completely, as well as know where your tool is behind the dent at all times! Most beginners will occasionally find it very difficult to know where their tool is behind the dent. To avoid making costly mistakes and pushing metal to high, an apprentice technician must practice and refine the art before soliciting their services to car dealers and retail customers. This is why having a good practice hood with a stand is a necessity to understand how to leverage your tool or use a tool between braces, and gain confidence at seeing the tip of the tool underneath the panel. Most new technicians need to be accompanied by an experienced technician or trainer for several months, or practice for several months in order to be confident and skilled enough to work on retail vehicles. This is also a downfall of many schools that train a technician for a few weeks, then leave the tech to fend on their own. If you are going to select a school or training program, it is a good idea to find out what kind of help will be provided after the initial training. Apprenticeship type training is extremely advantageous and eliminates many on the job mistakes, although longer term contractual obligations must also be taken into account when learning Paintless Dent Repair.

Figure D -A- This is the old school Anson four foot light which is especially useful for hail damage. It can be set up over the top of a vehicle which allows the dent craftsmen to work well over half of a panel without having to move the light as often while working a dent. This light is similar to using overhead fluorescent lights preinstalled in a garage with the ability to move the light for convenience. Although I seldom use a fluorescent based light as the primary light, I do use them occasionally in coordination with LED light systems. In fact, this is sometimes an advantage as the difference in shadows and reflections may sometimes provide an even more precise dent removal.

Many experienced technicians started with a light like this one, which can also be adjusted to use for side panel work. This particular Anson light has been modified many times, primarily because the light mechanisms eventually become inoperable or need repairs. I supplemented this light with different backgrounds and tape that can be placed between the bulb and the back of the light mechanism. The changes in backgrounds can provide a better line of site, shadow effects, or just a variety of views. Today there are several companies like Pro PDR Solutions that provide better lighting systems with HD, colored LED's dimmers and even shades. Since PDR has only been seriously advancing for the past thirty years, it is almost certain that newer innovations come about each year. These innovations typically make lights more portable and help the technician produce higher quality results. At the 2015 Mobile Tech Expo, Dent Technology Inc. (Denttechnologyinc.com) presented a curved LED light with the ability to add or replace LED strips. In 2012 at MTE, one of the first remote operated light stand was displayed. Often, these innovations must go through stages which allow them to work out the kinks which make them less prone to malfunction in later years.

Figure D -B- Note this light with a suction cup that is powered with a car cigarette lighter/car battery power adapter. The most up to date lights are now often powered with modifications for their 18-20amp lithium battery packs from major companies like Dewalt, Mikita, Black and Decker. Some lights now come with battery packs and have no wires or adapters or extension cords to get in the way. I personally have used conventional car batteries for the past several years while prior to that in previous years I had a vehicle pre-wired with an electric outlet. Unfortunately, the downside to using specific brands for batteries is that if replacement or wiring becomes an issue then your light must be repaired or repurchased. This particular light has a Ultradent HD LED light to allow the reflected dent to be more easily viewed and repaired.

Figure D -C- This is a Dent Time reflector board with suction cup. A few technicians use these boards exclusively for most repairs. Reflector boards now come in a variety of colors. Sometimes a reflector board with the bright yellow will provide a better reflection, especially on light colored or white vehicles in brighter sunlight. Magnetic holders, instead of suction cups, are also available, however, they are more problematic because metal particles may get attached and possibly scratch a vehicle. These suction cup or magnetic base lights are very handy when a technician is in a hurry and does not want to set up a lot of equipment. It is a good idea to place a cloth between the panel and a magnetic base. There are also a number of Line boards from companies like A-1 tool, Ultra Dent, or Dent Time that allow the user to use the fade lines and colors with just a board or with a light to better focus on the dent being removed. Dent Time has recently innovated to a more flexible board to combat the difficulty of accidentally breaking a board.

There are a number of colors and sizes of reflector boards available especially from A-1 tool, Dentcraft and many other dent suppliers.

Figure D -D- This fourth light is called a LT36 (although there is the TS1 from A-1 Tool that looks identical.) The curvature channel for the light allows the user to see different shades and see deeper into the dent with less effort. I purchased several of these at a reasonable price primarily for the stands and the affordability at the time, but have been able to use the stands to adapt to newer lighting systems, as well as use the light as a supplement and to see more clearly outside if needed. It is now possible to get something similar from A-1 Tool (www.pdrtool.com) The TS-1 light also has the ability to be adjusted easily to almost any angle high or low. Combining light stands such as these has also allowed me to increase the height of the stand to accommodate very high trucks. This PDR light weighs only 26 pounds with the floor stand, which makes it much easier to move than the older Shadow Master or Anson lights with bulkier bases. This older box style base with 3 inch casters allows the light to be easily maneuvered around the tires of any vehicle. There are a number of Led lights from numerous manufacturers which now weigh less and are even easier and quicker to set up and take down, although these bases may still often work with newer LED light systems.

The four lights systems in Figure D1 have been around for a while, and there are now many variations and available lights. For the most up to date lights, most beginning technicians would want use these lights as a supplement to LED light systems, which have created a more efficient, more enriched line of site for completing a dent. Most technicians become more proficient and can use a variety of light options to see a dent clearly. New technicians are fortunate that in today's marketplace they can quickly obtain lights and boards that make the visual process easier to learn.

When purchasing a light for everyday use to remove one dent on a vehicle or dents from multiple vehicles where you must frequently move your light it is important to have portable light equipment.