By Josef Alex

There are a number of ways in which you can remove a dent or a number of dents from your car. However, before you either opt for paintless dent repair or conventional repair the first thing is to take a good look at the dent. Once you’ve determined what method you’re going to use for the dent the car needs to be prepared prior to removing it. There are a number of steps you need to follow prior to being able to remove a dent in the most efficient manner. Below we take a look at a few tips which should help to make dents of all types easier to remove.

Tip no. 1: washing the car

The first thing you should do is to wash the car. However, make sure to use dish washing soap as opposed to regular car soap. The reason for this is the fact that most car soaps available leave behind some wax and silicone. This can make removing a dent difficult. The idea is to strip all that wax off so that whatever technique you use your tools do not slip.

Tip no. 2: Remove grease and wax

Wax and grease can be removed from the spot using a standard grease remover. There are numerous grease removers you can use. Alternatively some lemon juice and warm water should also help to remove grease.

Tip no. 3: Finding the right tools

Before you can repair a dent you will need to find the right tools. If both sides of the dent can be accessed you can use a dolly and hammer. If you can only access one side then use a stud welder gun. Most hardware stores sell this.

Tip no. 4: The golden rule of removing dents

Use the first in last out type rule. This means first repair the dent which happened last and work your way up to the first dent. So primarily you need to reverse the sequence in which your car took damage.

Tip no. 5: Heat shrinking

Heat shrinking is used to mainly shrink the metal slightly. You can shrink any metal by using a few ice cubes with a shrinking hammer. That said in most cases you will need to use the heat method which expands the metal first by using a torch and then shrink it immediately using ice to pop out small dents. However, applying the blow torch for longer than needed may damage the paint and the metal.

Tip no. 6: Filler

Once you have straightened the metal the next step is to apply some body filler. Body filler needs to be directly applied on the steel or metal and so the old coating needs to be removed. You will either need to sand or grind the surface using 50 grit sandpaper. However, special care should be taken not to remove too much of the metal. Grind at around 4 niches of the damaged area, this will ensure that the filler is not applied on top of the paint. Once done simply blow the area using compressed air.

In addition to traditional dent removal there are other ways of removing smaller dents which do not damage the paint. However, always visit an expert prior to opting for paintless dent removal.

At Hail and Dent Eraiser, we specialize in paintless dent removal. Our services are currently available in both Sydney and Wollongong. Visit: www.hailanddenteraiser.com.au to find out more.

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