A minor dent in the bodywork of your car doesn't have to be a nightmare. Expensive repairs can be avoided without lowering the resale value of your vehicle with a few simple tools, patience, and some elbow grease.
Dents need to be repaired to prevent rust from invading the site where the paint and rustproof seal has been disturbed. Repairing the dent will also require at least a touch-up paint job, so make sure you have the time required to do the job well before you begin. When choosing your touch-up paint, it's best to pick out one that goes on with a roller or brush rather than a spray, because spray finishes are difficult to do well when concentrating only on a small area.
A
dent-pulling tool uses suction to pull the dent back to its normal shape. These tools are available at auto shops and hardware stores, and can be purchased for as little as $30 for a good-quality tool. If you know anyone who has such a tool, or someone who work in an auto body shop, consider asking to borrow the dent-puller to save even more money.
What You'll Need:
- Dent-puller
- Drill
- 1/8-inch drill bit
- Drill sander or attachment
- Body filler
- Sandpaper (various grits)
- Paint primer for vehicles
- Paint rollers or brushes
- Car paint
Repairing the Dent:
- Drill a hole into the center of the dent, taking care not to puncture anything else on the vehicle that may be near the dent site, using the 1/8-inch drill bit.
- Screw the tip of the dent-puller into the hole, and pull the dent by steadily but forcefully pulling the weight back up the handle. This pressure causes suction, which in turn pulls out the dent.
- Since the body filler won't adhere to paint, you must now remove the paint surrounding the hole and dent site with a sander or attachment disk for your drill. When finished, clean away any debris or dust carefully so it doesn't end up in your new paint job.
- Mix the filler according to package directions. Working quickly, apply a thin coat of filler to the entire dent site, making sure the drill hole is well covered. Allow to dry and apply a second coat if needed.
- Once the filler is completely dry, sand the surface down beginning with coarse sandpaper working down to very fine sandpaper, until the surface is as smooth as possible and follows the car's contour.
- Working very carefully, spray the paint primer on the sanded area. Avoid getting primer on the painted areas surrounding the dent site. You'll need to apply about six coats of primer, allowing each coat to dry before the next one is applied.
- Sand the primed area down with very fine wet/dry sandpaper, making sure that any scratches or imperfections in the finish are smoothed away. Pay special attention to the outer edges of the dent site.
- Apply touch-up paint where needed. If, after the paint is dry, there are still rough patches, sand and prime the area again and repaint.
Tip: If the dent is large or very deep, you may need to get under the dent site and tap some of surface back into place with a metalworking hammer. Try this before drilling a second hole for the dent-puller.
tweet this!