2 You
can usually
gain access behind a
dent without having
to get too creative,
but for this crease,
a small hole needed
to be drilled under-
neath the door's
weatherstripping.
3 Cleavenger slid
one of these special
tools through the
hole to reach the area
behind the dent.
4 After a few
minutes of messaging,
the dent is beginning
to disappear. This
is possible because
the method relieves
stress from the ding,
and because the
metal "remembers"
to return to it
original shape.
5 To relieve any
stress from the
dented area,
Cleavenger gently
works around the
top area by tapping
a hard plastic stick
onto the surface.
If any high spots
are present, he
gently taps them
back in, too.
6 These are only a
few of the special
tools of the trade.
Most importantly is
understanding how to
use them and feel the
communication back
through the tool as
each ding is being
worked back out.
7 To fill the access
hole after the ding is
removed, Cleavenger
uses on of these
factory-looking
plastic plugs.
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of the paint, and the ability
to gain
access from behind the damaged
area will affect the complexity
of
the work. For most repairs,
inner
door panels, fenderwells,
trunks, or
window openings can be used
to
route the special dent-removing
tools. For the more difficult
areas,
small access holes can be
drilled in
inconspicuous areas behind
inner
panels or in doorjambs.
We spent an afternoon
watching
how this amazing process
works
with Carl Cleavenger, who's
had
years of experience repairing
dents
and dings. The subject of
this
demonstration had a 3-inch
crease
in the upper portion of
the driver-
side rear door. After a
short visual
appraisal, Cleavenger showed
us
how he methodically removes
a
dent and returns the sheetmetal
to
its original smooth shape.
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To gain access to
this ding,
Cleavenger had to drill
a small hole
behind the door's weatherstrip.
(Later this hole would be
plugged
and hidden.) With access
gained,
Cleavenger positioned a
special
metal rod and worked out
the dent
by starting around the outside
and
spiraling into the middle
in a bal-
anced manner. Since the
metal has
a memory of its original
shape, it
will move back into position
by
relieving stress from the
dent.
Key to this process
is constantly
monitoring how the ding
is working
out. The work environment
is
important too. Controlled
lighting
helps Cleavenger read the
sing and
understand how to remove
it.
Performing this work outdoors
is
not recommended because
of vari-
ations in light and shadow.
For the
best results, dings should
be
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removed indoors under controlled
conditions.
For sharper dents
or dings near
an edge, he sometimes reverses
the process and pushes the
ding
out from the middle. For
some
repairs, the ding needs
to be initial-
ly pushed out above the
original
shape so the metal can regain
its
memory before Cleavenger
taps it
back down with a special
plastic
tool. But as with all craftsmanship,
the quality of the repair
depends on
the tools, methods, and
experience
of the person performing
the work.
Cleavenger spent less than
an hour
removing this door ding,
and now
the panel looks pristine
and
untouched. That's just what
we
wanted to see.
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