Aluminum Dent Repair – with a Stud Welder
Aluminum is not a new metal to the collision industry. The Model T Ford had an aluminum hood. The 1925 Pierce-Arrow was all aluminum. And many classic cars of the 1930s had aluminum parts on them. Why? Because aluminum allowed low-production automobile manufacturers to hand-form parts without the use of the costly stamping process. The
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.
Bullied No More: Learn How to Counter Intimidating Negotiation Techniques
“My way or the highway” negotiation techniques have intimidated the repair industry long enough. Learn how to counter them.
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.
Debunking the Myth of ‘Pre-Accident Condition’
You may have the best collision repair facility this side of the Mississippi, but you still shouldn’t use the term ‘pre-accident condition’ to describe your repairs. It just isn’t accurate.
UV Coatings: Curing at Light-Speed
Increase productivity and boost your bottom line. UV curable coatings reach full cure in two to three minutes – and that’s with no mixing, virtually no VOCs and no heat.
Inside an Old-Timer’s Toolbox
In the early days when a bodyman faced a repair problem, he couldn’t just buy what he needed. He had to conceive a tool that would repair the problem- and then forge it himself.
Finding Flaws Before the Booth: Prep Procedures
Time wasted in the booth and on redos doesn’t pay the bills. Save time and money by establishing proper prep procedures.
Letters
Dear Georgina: I enjoyed reading your article on paint judgment times [Editor’s Notes, March, pg. 6]. I see more and more insurance adjusters’ estimates calling for blend within the panels on repaired panels. Allstate and Farmers have been the worst for taking advantage of this. Once Allstate wanted to repair a quarter panel for 12
The Cynic’s Guide to Structural Repairs
After 30 years of working on critically wounded vehicles, I can safely say I’ve pretty much done it all when it comes to surgical frame and structure repairs. I can also safely say that timely, quality repairs can still be done in our time-and-labor-hostile environment.
