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Learning how to fix a dent yourself will save you a great deal of money from not having to take your car to a body shop. Here are some tips on how to fix a car dent:
Go to an auto supplies/home improvement store get the following materials: a screw gun, a 1/8” machine drill bit (goes through metal), surface conditioning disc (medium), dent puller (much like a slide hammer), hand dolly (used to smooth out the dent), and a metal working hammer. If you want to spend a little extra money you can buy a dent removal tool set that provides a wide variety dent removing tools (although you might not need to use every one). You will also need sandpaper of varying grit-type (extra fine-extra course).
Drill a hole through the center of the dent. Slide the dent puller through the hole and pull the dent out. Hold the hand dolly against the back of the dent and flatten the front of the dent with the metal working hammer. Finding the backside of the dent might require you to get under the car or open the hood.
Grind the paint in the dented area down to the metal using a surface-conditioning disc (can be attached to your drill). Make sure to cover an area that goes out 1” from the dented area. Apply body filler to the grinded area.
After the body filler dries, sand it down with various grit-sizes of sand paper starting with the coarsest first. Once you have thoroughly sanded the area, apply spray primer that is specifically made for cars. Spray on 6 coats and make sure to let the primer dry before applying the next coat. When the last coat of primer is dry, sand down the area with extra fine wet/dry sandpaper. Clean the area and spray on the matching paint color to finish the job.
If your car dent is small there are some less labor-intensive methods you can use. One of them is to hold dry ice over the dent for 1 minute or until the dent pops out. Another method is to hold a hair dryer on high heat over the dent for 1 minute and blow an air duster over the dent shortly after until the dent pops out.
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