The Unofficial Collision Repair Dictionary
Many terms are used every day at our shops, but their true meanings are often muddled by the craziness of our business. A quick check of the dictionary can get us back on track.
In SOPs We Trust – Standard Operating Procedures
Standard operating procedures could offer a body shop owner more freedom and the ability to attract new insurance business by creating ‘verifiable’ trust.
Make Way for Waterborne
The use of waterborne paint by body shops will soon be mandated in California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District. The technology is likely to reach everyone some day, so here’s what you need to know.
Proprietary Repairs
“Do you think that in the near future, other car manufacturers will follow Jaguar’s lead and require repair shops to be ‘certified’ to fix their vehicles?”
Long Live the Oxyacetylene Torch
Some think the oxyacetylene torch is dead. But more than a few master techs consider it a vital tool in their arsenals, and you may too once you understand its versatility.
Working on Hybrids: A Body Shop Primer
Hybrids account for only 1% of all U.S. light-vehicle sales, which actually presents a dilemma for shops: Because hybrids aren’t all that common (yet), shops aren’t as familiar with the potential hazards as they should be.
Working with Boron Steel
Ultra high-strength steel alloyed with boron is lightweight and hard – really hard! But there are some tradeoffs to its strength and weight savings that repairers need to be aware of.
Working with Tailor-Welded Blanks
It’s important to identify the unique repair-and-replace considerations these new components create to avoid causing additional damage to a component when pulling it.
Heat Shrinking Metal
Lots of controversy surrounds heat shrinking, yet I’ve successfully used this process for 40+ years. It not only makes a damaged panel repairable (and can save a job from totaling out), but it’s also a less invasive repair.
The Heat Is on: Buying My Heat Inductor
I’ve made a lot of misguided tool purlchases through the years, but buying my heat inductor wasn’t one of them.
