Before and after with a suction puller with slide hammer.
Doug,
NICE WORK! Could you post the exact steps and methodology for your repairs? I have read this is pretty much an art as to how you approach a dent and work it. Do you star in center and work to edge, or edge to center....etc.
How small a dent this will work on? Will the suction "pop" out dents say 2" or less. What pressure do yo run on compressor, etc?
Did you work the creased edges with a body dolly or spoon after the suction?
I'm pretty comfortable working with steel panels, but am pretty apprehensive about aluminum.
We have a football sized dent that according to the PO happened the weekend before we bought the AS. Seems it was actually caused by a football! It is right above the "3" in the photo. Don't have an after photo yet.
Since the interior end cap has a crack that I should fix, I thought I'd work the dent out from the inside. The crack in the end cap is about 4" long now and I would expect it will grow over time.
__________________
Lew TAC #WI-6
Nobody can help everybody, but everybody can help somebody.
Ain't no football in the world that caused that dent, unless it was filled with concrete.
It looks like it spans a seam and is "well defined". I doubt suction cubs are going to work here.
Plus the interior endcap is cracked? That is one heck of a hit! Considering you cap is already damaged. I'm wondering if you might consider cutting a hole big enough to get your hand in and push that dent out?
The repair to the plastic could be done very well with the right material and time. It certainly won't disappear, but should look OK.
__________________
DanB
________________________________
Proud Member of the Wally Byam Airstream Club #24260
So...where can I find, buy, rent or borrow one of those snazzy suction pullers with slide hammer? Looks like it has air line connected to it.
I have one dent from falling clump of snow the size & shape of a football in front right corner aft of running lights.
Just one well placed dent.
Thanks,
Walter
Paintless dent removal company came to my home and pulled out several dents using a slide hammer to pull the glued-on tips. Price was VERY good. Almost unbelievable....
Ain't no football in the world that caused that dent, unless it was filled with concrete.
It looks like it spans a seam and is "well defined". I doubt suction cubs are going to work here.
Plus the interior endcap is cracked? That is one heck of a hit! Considering you cap is already damaged. I'm wondering if you might consider cutting a hole big enough to get your hand in and push that dent out?
The repair to the plastic could be done very well with the right material and time. It certainly won't disappear, but should look OK.
Yes the dent does span a seam. I didn't think suction cups would work so that's why I thought it would be better to repair it from the inside. The crack in the endcap is near the bottom street side corner and I don't believe it was the result of the "football" incident.
__________________
Lew TAC #WI-6
Nobody can help everybody, but everybody can help somebody.
The galley vent panel on my 345 M/H was a mess...
I forgot to do a proper "before pic" so here is a zoomed...
It should match the body panel, but it was bent and flattened, and had a deep gouge across the length..
I pulled it off, and decide to try to make it better... it could hardly be worse!
I stripped the sealing foam off the back and set to it with a body hammer and dolly.... gently eased it back into shape..
A few hours of gentle work and I was pretty happy with it... A long way from perfect, but better than before.
I decided to polish it out...
End result...
Back in May I posted my before photo without an after photo. The windows are not back in but this is my after photo. The dents are gone. And here is the after photo
I removed the inside end cap to expose the rear panel dent that came with the trailer. It wasn't near as bad of a job as I had imagined. I got it down by myself with no problems.
I'll take advantage of the opportunity to reseal the inside seams and rivets that I've exposed.
Below, the dent is visible.
I am using two jacks to push a basketball sized tree fall dent out of one end panel.
There was a shadow of a seam that I rolled out with a laminator's end cap roller. It worked pretty well. The roller had a radius side that allowed my rolling to stay soft on the edge. I used heat from a heat gun. My target range was 450 degrees.
The original view of the dent . . .
The dent pushed out with the jacks.
I'm pretty happy with the way it pushed out. A casual observer wouldn't ever know there was a dent there.
__________________
Click on the link to see a picture of the Sioux River falls near my home. https://visitsiouxfalls.com/assets/i...uxfalls-og.jpg
Eastern South Dakota is very pretty with hills, rivers, and trees.
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Hi, when I was a "Mac Tools distributor" we had those for sale. [air powered slide hammer suction cup dent puller]
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