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Showerthought: I always thought those cheap plastic dent pullers were junk until a guy in the shop showed me his trick
He heated the dent area with a heat gun for about 30 seconds first, then used the puller on his own truck's tailgate. It came out smooth with almost no filler needed. What's your go-to method for small dents when paintless repair is an option?
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maxw346mo ago
Honestly my go-to method is just staring at the dent and hoping it fixes itself. It hasn't worked yet. But that heat gun trick is smart, makes total sense to soften the metal up first. For small stuff I've had okay luck with the glue-on tabs and a slide hammer, but you gotta be real careful not to pull too hard. Otherwise you just make a new bump right next to the old one.
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elliot_hall5mo ago
Ever tried using dry ice on a dent after heating it? The quick cold shock can help the metal snap back into shape even better. It's a cool combo that really locks in the repair.
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adams.pat5mo ago
Heat guns are a great way to ruin factory paint in a hurry. That clear coat isn't meant for those temps. You might get the dent out but you'll be left with a cloudy, baked finish that needs a full respray. Those plastic pullers work fine on cold metal if you just work slowly from the edges. Rushing it with heat just trades one problem for another.
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