How to remove a dent – Step by Step video guide – Professional Paintless Dent Removal

Have you ever wondered how to remove a dent? Dents, dings and creases can be removed without the need for filling and painting at a bodyshop!

In this blog article, we use the video above to demonstrate and show the methods and techniques a professional dent removal company like ourselves repairs these types of dents. The video above is from our YouTube channel, so please stop by there to subscribe if you like what you see!

Check the paintwork

First we need to check that the paintwork where dent is located is undamaged. Slight scuffs and scratches don’t stop us removing dents. Once this is checked, we need to see what kind of access to the back of the dent we have. As we push and massage the dent back into shape, we need to be able to get to the back of the dent with our specialist paintless dent removal tools. On the Audi A3 door above, we can gain access by removing a grommet cap on the inside of he door shut – this is perfect access!

Once we know we are in, tessa tape is placed around the opening – this protects the paintwork, and stops the tool marking the paint. Little tips like this fine tune a good repair. The most important tool we use is the LED light. This is placed on the opposite side of the damage to where we are working, so it shows every minute detail of the damage.

Tool choice

Now we are set up and ready to go, choosing the right tool for the dent repair is key. The tool used above is called a caravelle mini, and is manufactured by a company called Stanliner. To remove the dent, we very carefully and accurately push and massage the panel back into shape. This is where we need the light. When the tool is pushing, it will show up very clearly, allowing us to see which area of the dent needs work.

Knocking down

Knocking down is just as important as pushing. When a dent gets pushed in, the displaced metal has to be moved up and outwards elsewhere. It’s like dropping a ball into a bucket of water, the waves or ripples move up and out. Or squeezing and empty can of coke – the edges will pop outwards. These areas need to be put back into place to effectively fill the dent back up!

During the course of the repair, there will be a lot of back and forth, pushing, knocking down, pushing, moving the light for a better view, knocking down, pushing, and so on and so on. We have to view it from all possible angles. It might look good from one angle, but if move around, it might not look perfect from another angle. Only once when we’ve checked it from all angles and the panel is perfectly flat again, we’ll put the tools away.

Polishing 

Once the door dent has been removed, we can then give it a polish. If there are no scuffs or scratches, we can just use a fine polish to remove any hand marks. If there are more considerable marks, we can give it a light flat, then polish it up with a cutting compound, wipe clean, then finish it off with a light glaze or swirl remover.

Conclusion 

Paintless dent repair is a highly trained skill. and art, it may seem tempting to try yourself, but without the right tools, knowledge and experience, a relatively simple dent can turn into a mess really quickly. This often leads to a more expensive repair, correcting the previous attempt and damage.

Paintless dent repair should be your first choice when looking to get a dent removed, and here at Dent Detail PDR, we would be more than happy to help!

Please feel free to get in touch at 07824426591, or use the enquiry form on our home page!

Stop by our dent repair studio based in Leyland, Lancashire, or use our mobile service and we can come to you. We cover Lancashire, Greater Manchester and the North West.