Question about a weird dent repair I saw at a show in Sacramento

I was at the big car show in Sacramento last weekend and saw something that really stuck with me. One of the custom shops had a display where they were fixing a deep crease in a quarter panel. Instead of using a stud welder or a slide hammer, the guy was using a tool I've never seen before. It looked like a small suction cup with a handle, but he was heating the metal with a heat gun first. He pulled the dent out smooth in about 15 minutes with almost no filler needed. I asked him about it after, and he just said it was a 'glue pull system' and that it works better on newer, thinner metals. I've been doing this for 12 years and that was a first for me. Has anyone here actually used one of those systems on a daily basis? I'm curious if it's worth the investment for a regular shop or if it's just a show trick.

3 comments

3 Comments

beth_butler753mo ago

Actually saw that same demo, but the results looked a bit wavy up close.

lilyfisher3mo agoMost Upvoted

Yeah @beth_butler75, totally noticed that wavy thing too. I was standing right by the display and the edges of the text looked all rippled, like it was printed on wet paper. Kinda ruined the whole effect for me.

troy97729d ago

Honestly I've dealt with that wavy thing before on similar demos and it's usually a tension issue with the fabric or the rollers. If you @lilyfisher adjust the take-up spool tension just a bit it can flatten out those ripples. Took me a few tries at a show last year to get it smooth but once you find that sweet spot the results look way cleaner.