How To Repair Dents
Overview
Small dents can ruin the overall look of a vehicle but are often not worth the inconvenience and expense of a trip to the panel beater. With the right tools and a bit of patience, you can repair minor dings yourself and the overall result will be well worth it.
Items
Materials
- Wax & Grease Remover
- Grinding Discs or Sandpaper
- Glass Fibre or Metal Filler
- Plastic Mixing Applicator
- Car Filler
- Safety Glasses
- Mask
- Gloves
Tools
- Panel Hammer
- Dent Puller Kit
- Angle Grinder
- Sanding Block
Steps
Before You Start
It’s important to start with a clean surface. Using one clean dry cloth, apply a wax and grease remover and wipe clean with another. This ensures that any bitumen, car polish and other contaminants are completely removed.
Remove Paint From Repair Surface
Remove paint from the dented area and 50mm of the surrounding area by machine or hand sanding with a 24-36 grit sandpaper. Then clean with wax and grease remover again.
Apply Glass Fibre Filler or Metal Tech
Mix the required amount of fibre filler or metal tech – use a one part hardener to fifty part filler ratio and ensure the tone is visibly continuous before proceeding. Immediately apply a thin layer to the repair surface and gradually apply remaining filler until it’s slightly higher than the surrounding edge of the repair.
Sand Repair Surface
Once the product has fully cured or hardened (if mixed correctly, this should take 20-30 minutes), it will be ready to be dry sanded by hand or machine using 40-80 grit sandpaper. If necessary, you can reapply car filler if further filling is required.
Finish The Surface
Finally, feather sand the repair surface with 120-180 grit sandpaper to achieve a smooth finish. You have now repaired the dent and it is ready for the paint repair stage.
Tips
- Ensure you wear the correct safety gear including a dust mask, safety glasses and ear muffs
- Take care when mixing hardeners with fillers because a mixture with too much or too little hardener, will remain soft and will have to be removed
- When applying the mixture, use firm pressure on the applicator to force product into all crevasses and eliminate any air pockets
- Note that fillers should not be applied to painted metal as the mixture will not dry and will have to be removed
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