The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Dent Puller

Anyone ever used one of these models or a similar tool?
I have a bunch of cab dings in my 66.
Should be cheaper and faster than bando.
stud welder

Billybolt,

I used one very similar to that on my AD cab...big dent...worked very well. Don't get your fingers mashed in the slide hammer..very common and very painful.

Stuart

Thanks Automarc.
How did you remove the studs? Die grinder?

It seems like a good way to go, and its on sale for $79.00. Way better than striping filling with bondo and sanding and bondo and sanding. I'm sue It will need some filler to smooth it all in after the stud removal.

Billybolt,

If you grab the studs the proper way, and they weren't stuck on too hard, they twist right off.

I used a high speed air grinder with a 36 grit disc to buzz the stubborn ones off...they're quite soft and disappear in a hurry.

Stuart

The stud welder is my next tool addition. I have talked to a few local bodymen that live and die by theirs. I like removing dents instead filling, especially on my old iron. The studs break off with a few back-and-forth motions and the remainder is ground smooth with a die grinder and abrasive wheel.

Excellent tool. Funny how long it took to invent. Probably a lot of old timers did this in shadetree fashion, but plenty of "professional" jobs have left many holes in many fenders! I have a 69 camaro fender laying around somewhere that is now perfectly straight (bare metal) but has probably 50 holes in it! Somebody got it straight though.

you could pick up a set of body hammers... any local parts store should carry them

Blake, this tool is for areas that you can't access from the backside. Anything with access to the back can easily be knocked out with body tools.

I am doing a 49 5 window cab repair and contemplating getting one of these. I have never used one. Heard about them. How do they actually work?

They work just like the old school, drill and slide hammer dent pullers, the exception being you don't have to drill holes anymore. Just attach a small "stud" of metal that the slide hammer attaches to, then you can essentially "tap" out the dent from the outside using the slide hammer. When finished you simply twist off the stud used to pull with then grind any left overs off which are usually very minimal. Just like any dent removal, you may find yourself doing it several times per dent, placing another stud at an opportune location to work the dent out in sections. I would leave all studs on until the dent is fully out so you can use them again if necessary. Hope that helps.

Oh, and the stud you are affixing to the metal uses a quick, light weld.

I borrowed my neighbor's when I did my 2 ton cab and fenders. Heck, I even used it in the places where I did have access to the back side of the panel. It was just so much easier to do the majority of the work with the slide hammer, and then fine tune with the hammer and dollies. Tomcoe is right, leave the studs in place until you're finished so you can reuse them if nescesary. I doubt you'll be disappointed with this purchase.

Something else to remember, is to work the dent out in the reverse direction from which it was created. This mostly applies to dents that are created from other objects like fence posts, cars, etc. I watched a bodyshop friend of mine once, and he was using a tool like the one you're looking at. He explained that dents stretch the metal so you have to work it out backwards from the way it happens. Otherwise you will spend way too much time on each dent.

I wonder if you could get by with tack welding some # 8 nails to a panel and do the same thing? I know heat is the problem, but if your quick enough to tack and move on....?

Or am I off my rocker?

I hope I spelled everything right this time.

No, that should be fine. Careful of heat and make sure your slide hammer will grab whatever you tack on....'course the tool is less than 100 bucks

Can you guys explain how this works, I am not much of a body repair person but I do like to play with new tools and this looks interesting.

Thanks

Ed

Well, it is a little gun...well, I guess a big gun, but little or "light" to welding standards that tac welds a stud where you desire...quick, light tac. You can then grab on to that stud with a slid hammer and tap out your dent. This is opposed to the old method of drilling a hole and twisting a body bit into the hole, grabing it with the slide hammer and pulling it out. Both are ways to grab the metal to pull out the dent, just the tac weld method doesn't require drilling to perform the task.

cool, I may have to purchase one of these, I don't own one and may need it someday. I am a tool junkie and if I don't have it I gotta get it. . Thanks for the info.

Ed