If you want to repair without painting, we list the basic tools you need to have. These are found in every bag of a dent technician. We sell and ship these tools worldwide through DHL, or we can help you purchase them online if you have a supplier nearby.
Here are the tools you need:
Now we’re going to list each tool one by one with images so you can better identify them. Keep in mind that these tools might vary from supplier to supplier. Here are the tools presented with detailed descriptions. Take your time to read through and don’t rush into purchasing!
Inertia Hammer: This bad boy is used to give a pull to the plastic suction cups. It’s all about inertia – hold it with the hand you’re strongest with (right or left), grip the end where the cup goes, and with the other arm, wield the hammer’s mallet. Two gentle taps first and then a firm third one that delivers the knockout punch to pop out the dent. Always place it perpendicular to the surface of the panel. Typically, there are two types of inertia hammers used: an 800-gram aluminum or lightweight steel one for hail dents, and a beefier 1.8 kg one for collision dents.
These little wonders, also known as plastic “chupetas,” come to the rescue for those small or minor dents. The kit includes several units of various shapes and designs because not all dents are created equal. We’ve got the round ones, the ovals, the pointy pals, those along a line, and perched on a pillar. That’s why we’ve got a bunch of different chupetas to match our needs.
The ones with a curved surface are perfect for little dents like those caused by hail. Now, here’s the thing – dents are measured in grades based on their diameter in centimeters. Grade 1 for dents with a 1cm diameter, grade 2 for 2cm diameter dents, and so on for grade 3 and 4.
Stick the suction cups for a good 20 to 25 seconds max, and then give ’em a pull with the inertia hammer. Letting it sit for too long means the glue will start to crystallize, and your suction cup party won’t be so fun. Oh, and if you’re tackling dents in chilly weather, make sure to use those trusty black glue sticks specifically designed for cooler climates, or give the area a good heat-up with your heat gun before getting to work.
Over in the next photo, you’ll meet the “sopapas” or plastic suction cups, designed for those collision dents. The ones on the left, sporting the WURTH label, come all the way from Germany. Now, the red ones with that curved base? Yep, you guessed it – they’re also up for the hail dent challenge. The rest of the chupetas, like the fluorescent green and purple pals, are your go-tos for those collision dents. And see that one with a line down the middle? That’s the LINEAL, a trusty friend to begin a repair when the nerve of the dent is in on the action.
When we hit the road for some on-the-spot repairs or storm operations, it’s a grand idea to have a hefty stockpile of glue sticks with us. Now, these glue sticks work their magic when melted with the help of an electric glue gun. Melt one end, fill the center of the suction cup, and voila! We’ve got our adhesive base ready. Here’s the thing – we want to go easy on the glue, folks. Aim to fill around 50% of the suction cup’s surface. Oh, and when you’re done, pull the glue gun away from the suction cup in a spiral motion.
Those black glue sticks? They’re your chilly-weather companions. When it’s a bit warmer outside, reach for the yellow or white ones. Now, when it comes to picking your glue sticks, go for the flexible kind – you should be able to tie them in a knot. Those are the real gems. You might recognize some familiar names like WURTH, MOTA, and SUPRABOND.
It is used to lower points that we create when working with steel rods or when working with the inertia hammer and plastic tabs. Sometimes, we apply too much force, so it’s important to measure and control the force to prevent the sheet from being raised too much.
Examples of thick and thin pointed punches, as well as some aluminum ones with interchangeable tips, are very good and practical, although to be honest, they come with 9 or more tips, but you will only use 2 or 3 at most. The material of the punches is Grylon, which doesn’t damage the paint. Teflon or nylon can also be used. Grylon is a harder material, while Teflon tends to be softer and may leave small marks on the paint that can be removed with a cloth.
The metal punch is very important when we want to perform high-quality work. It is used to provide the final detail to a repair. Sometimes, we can’t achieve lifting the smallest 1mm x 1mm pore with the grylon punch, so we accomplish that task with the metal punch. It is used by tapping from under the body of the vehicle, using a simple piece of wood that we should have in our toolkit. It is also used from above the body by tapping to lower any raised area resulting from the ongoing repair.
In the left photo, you can see a VIP 2.0 punch, which originates from the USA. It’s very good and practical as it has a magnet around it and a rubber handle that prevents it from slipping easily from our hands. However, what we don’t like is its price. Here in Argentina, it costs around 100 dollars, perhaps you can find it for a lower price in your country. That’s why we encourage making our own punch using a 3mm screwdriver. If you look at the photo on the right, that used to be a screwdriver, but we worked on it to transform it into a dent removal tool. We removed the tip using a grinder and then smoothed it with 220, 600, 1500, and finally 2500 grit sandpaper, ensuring that it doesn’t leave marks on the paint while working. We lightly sanded the edges with 2500 grit sandpaper to ensure there are no rough edges or imperfections.
In this item, it’s important to highlight that even though the market offers 50 to 60 rods, a professional doesn’t use more than 10 to 12 rods for work. Many rods are manufactured for convenience, and that depends on each person and what one becomes accustomed to, but the essential ones for work are as follows:
Here we have a long rod for roofs, fenders, or car mudguards. Then, there are long left and right rods for working all around, but especially under the supports of a car’s hood. Next, an angled rod for working on fenders or spoilers. Following that, the L-shaped rods or hook-type rods are for the door, used to work on them while placing a protective acrylic and a wedge to create space. Next, you see two smaller rods, one on the left and one on the right, and two more for working beneath reinforcements. Similarly, there’s the famous whale tail rod used to repair supports or reinforcements where entry is otherwise difficult.
More than having many rods, what matters is understanding the techniques and secrets. In this course, we will teach you how to use them, in what positions, and how to work with your arms and hands.
Some people use the hammer directly, while others prefer to use the handle separately because it’s lighter and allows for more accurate strikes on the punch. It’s also used as a support on a vehicle’s hood when you want to hold it at a 45-degree angle to work on it. You can also purchase something more stylized from PDR (Paintless Dent Repair) tool suppliers like CAREPOINT, but it’s up to us whether we want to spend 2 dollars or 70 dollars on something that serves the same purpose.
When you want to work on doors, they usually aren’t disassembled. You insert the rods through any available openings in the bodywork, and a common and easy approach is to utilize the space between the window glass and the door frame. To do this, you carefully remove the black rubber seal that’s commonly present in cars, and then you insert a rubber or plastic wedge. This increases the space by around 5mm, allowing you to work comfortably on a door. Another option is an inflatable pump, but unfortunately, these are prone to puncturing easily.
When working on doors and inserting a steel rod, it’s important to be cautious not to scratch or scrape the glass. Some people use newspaper, while others employ a radiographic plate for this purpose. However, the best option is to buy an ACRYLIC separator that comes with a soft felt lining. This prevents scratching the glass and allows you to work with peace of mind. But we’re providing you with those other two alternatives in case you don’t have the acrylic separator one day.
In certain cases, when dealing with complex dents or working on collision dents that have been fully addressed, it’s advisable to lightly sand the area using 2500 grit wet sandpaper and then polish the section again. For this purpose, round sanding blocks with self-adhesive 3M sandpaper are sold, which are very practical to use.
The most crucial aspect of this paintless repair work is the lamp. Without proper illumination, our accuracy with rods or punches will be compromised. It’s essential to understand how to use the lamp and position it correctly.
The lamp is always positioned about 20cm away from the dent at a -45° angle, as depicted in the photograph. When we want to inspect the work and review any details, we move the lamp about 15cm closer. This way, we can identify shadows indicating depressions or white spots signifying raised areas.
To assemble the basic lamp, an 8-watt T5 light is used, along with a white acrylic sheet measuring 35cm in width by 13cm in height. The thickness should be just 3mm to allow proper light transmission. Many people use a GPS mount or a microphone stand arm, but the best option is to use a LOCLINE FLEXIBLE arm and a Powr Grip VACUUM SUCTION CUP. Both components are from the USA and are used in about 90% of dent removal work worldwide. Alternatively, you can use the LED panel light with three rows of lights that comes with some LED kits. Both types of lighting are effective; the difference is that the LED light panel is gentler on the eyes, offers brightness adjustment, and provides better visibility of the paint’s texture to be worked on.
Here we’ve shown you the tools used in this trade. They might seem like a lot when viewed in photos, but they all fit into a bag measuring 1.20m x 30cm wide by 30cm high, including the lamp, and they wouldn’t weigh more than 10 kilograms altogether. That’s why you can easily transport them, even on a motorcycle, when you’re going to do on-site jobs.
There might be other tools that are complementary to the ones we’ve shown you here. In the current course, we’ll also show you and teach you how to use them. Similarly, we’ll teach you about the 10 most important rods, explaining the purpose of each one during the course.
We hope that you start by making at least the metal punch. That can be done using a screwdriver, or alternatively, the fine and thick Grylon punches. In case we don’t have Grylon, we can easily make the wooden ones, and wood is more forgiving, which means we’ll create fewer dents in the metal when practicing.
If you’ve read this far, we congratulate you. Don’t skip any item in this manual. We’re sharing years of experience with you, along with valuable tricks and tips that will save you a lot of time in this learning process.
In the next module, we’ll look at the tools that aren’t recommended, such as the HOTBOX, and many others that you might see for sale or being offered, but aren’t as necessary. We’ll cover the use of the lamp, how to work with it, how to work at 8 angles, and we’ll also describe each rod in detail with accompanying photos, so you know how to use them correctly. Many already have the tools, but now you’ll have something even more valuable: the right instruction to make the most of them.
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