Tools of the trade: Collision repair

[Rickster]

This is a really great thread! ... and I just ordered that book!

 

[afazz]

What's the "pocket" on the side of your cart there?

I made it from a sheet of aluminum. It sandwiches in between the side brace and the drawer section.

 

[JSBriggs]

Goes to show you don't need the best of everything to do good work! Here's one of my favourite bumping dolly's:

Looks like a 50mm towing hitch from the UK with the mounting plate cut off.

-Jeff

 

[ZRX61]

@ZRX61, finally some Vixen files.

I have about 10 of them, just no pic of them all for some strange reason. Quite a few other body tools missing from my pics too, thought I had pics of everything, but apparently not

 

[ZRX61]

Do you body shop guys have any materials you'd recommend to us newbies on how to reshape and repair metal? I've read 'The Key to metal bumping' (believe that's the title) that's considered the Bible of your field.

Any good videos or sites that show better how to do this, and which hammers / dollies are appropriate for which types of dents? Every time I try bumping with my 7 pc Eastwood set I don't seem to get anything straightened out, but I'm great at making noise.

http://www.lazzemetalshaping.com/

https://www.tinmantech.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/tinmantech

There are loads of books out there by several popular authors

 

[mik641]

Guys, using a sykes pickavant body hammer at present although i find the face of the hammer gets marked, marred or dinged up fairly regularly. Any thoughts here?

What are Martin tools like in terms of hammers?

 

[Modifieddriver]

The Fairmount/Martin book is a bit dated, but isn't a bad book. To be honest it's the only book I've read on the subject. I learned by doing with the guidance of a mentor and trial and error. Have you checked youtube for videos?

That is THE book. The Key to Metal Bumping by Frank Sargent.

The process, as described in the book, is exactly the same as taught to me by my Dad. He was a body repairman before WWII. Back when they really did bodywork.


Someone mentioned Vixen files here. I recently bought an old stash of these. Have about 30-35 Nicholson brand Superior milled curved tooth files. New and still in the boxes, each in an orange envelope with a clear window. More than I'll ever use in the rest of my life.

 

[ZRX61]

Guys, using a sykes pickavant body hammer at present although i find the face of the hammer gets marked, marred or dinged up fairly regularly. Any thoughts here?

What are Martin tools like in terms of hammers?

They're great, used to be called Fairmount.. so if you find Fairmount tools, buy em.

As for the hammers getting dinged up, I have 3 or 4 Horrible Fright hammers I use for *rough bludgeoning* I use the good ones to finish it up. It they get marked I just buzz them on my fiber deburring wheel &/or buffing wheel (this is why I have a mirror polished sledge hammer, but lets not go there...)

 

[KLG73]

Paint guns

Body working stuff.

Air tools, and power tools

Misc.

 

[oneandgone]

This guy has one hell of a collection with lots of great pics and info on old body tools...

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=457105

 

[jfdestree]

Here are most of my bodywork tools.
This is a hobby,I don't have a lot but the essential to do bodywork.
Porter Ferguson GD-4 discussed there http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=185108

First hammer is a Sykes Pykavant.
Second is a shrinking hammer from KS tools.
Third is a Facom wooden mallet that I use a lot.
Fourth is an antique copper hammer from unknown brand or origin. Well beaten!

Shrinking spoon (Not very useful actually)
Facom spoon.
Tama hole puncher and joggler
Hazet adjustable rasp.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-pzHw_G1DJ4w/UQbTYc_yWHI/AAAAAAAABD0/G_pIue2EVLs/s640/****.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-vfEJ7RcMizw/UQbTXkOgQNI/AAAAAAAABDs/EcoJXiQikRA/s640/****%25202.jpg
Old heavy dolly

Old and heavier dolly. It really weight a lot! I think it is more to shape metal rather than flatten a dent.

Another old dolly.

My first hammers and dolly from a cheap set.The metal is a bit soft.

Sykes Pykavant dolly

 

[oneandgone]

Since I initially posted in this thread I've picked up a lot of tools, and fixed up a lot of tools as well. I've also re-arranged my box quite a bit so I thought I'd post up a couple fresh pics. There are still more changes coming, as you will notice there are some restored hammer heads awaiting new handles as well as some new SO handles waiting to be put on hammers that have crappy ones. I have some tools I still need to restore as well.

 

[Hammer1963]

Since I initially posted in this thread I've picked up a lot of tools, and fixed up a lot of tools as well. I've also re-arranged my box quite a bit so I thought I'd post up a couple fresh pics. There are still more changes coming, as you will notice there are some restored hammer heads awaiting new handles as well as some new SO handles waiting to be put on hammers that have crappy ones. I have some tools I still need to restore as well.

Yeah, yeah, yeah ........................ show off. But seriously, the PF stuff turned out great and I'm starting to develope a severe case of jealousy

 

[jeffmoss26]

Interesting stuff guys! Thanks for sharing!

 

[ZRX61]

Here are most of my bodywork tools.
This is a hobby,I don't have a lot but the essential to do bodywork.
Porter Ferguson GD-4 discussed there http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=185108

Mine, before & after..

https://sphotos-a.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/540188_3702837022287_531212507_n.jpg

https://sphotos-b.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/560401_3702852862683_245657278_n.jpg

 

[BradTx]

I'm just getting into body repair and picked up this new Martin set last year. Got a great price. I also have a vintage Fairmount 158-G and an unknown dinging hammer. I've got a loooong way to go to get near some of the other collections here.

 

[purevl]

Can anyone comment on the quality of the older Craftsman Professional body hammers? Who was the manufacturer? I picked up a couple recently in a lot of other tools. The forgings are ROUGH but I thought they could be handy for re-shaping into special purpose tools. I have a few such hammers that I know are made in the US but the manufacturer wasn't proud enough to mark anything but the handle which has since worn away; makes them hard to pick out from a pile of Taiwanese hammers and I'm never quite sure what to do with them.

 

[oneandgone]

I believe Streamline made the Craftsman hammers.

 

[mncountrydoc]

For those of you not body men by trade where do you get your sand paper on the roll from.

 

[afazz]

I buy 3M adhesive backed rolls from two local Autobody supply shops. I can make it to one during my lunch hour, and another one has Saturday hours for hobbyists and guys doing work in the side.

 

[metaleltr]

You can get it from the local body shop supplier. If you want to order online you can also get it from autobody toolmart. http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/3m-stikit-gold-sheet-2-34-sandpaper-rolls-p-11340.aspx

 

[mncountrydoc]

Never realized sandpaper cost so much. For a hobby what grips should I have onhand for basic body repairs. I need cab corners on my truck. So plan on doing it myself. Truck will get vinyl wrapped when all done so good practice

 

[ZRX61]

You can get it from the local body shop supplier. If you want to order online you can also get it from autobody toolmart. http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/3m-stikit-gold-sheet-2-34-sandpaper-rolls-p-11340.aspx

Great place to buy from & their local warehouse is about 50 miles away so I get orders on the doorstep the next day

 

[metaleltr]

Never realized sandpaper cost so much. For a hobby what grips should I have onhand for basic body repairs. I need cab corners on my truck. So plan on doing it myself. Truck will get vinyl wrapped when all done so good practice

Yeah the good stuff is expensive, but the cheap stuff from the hardware store is a waste of money.

 

[jfdestree]

Mine, before & after..

https://sphotos-a.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/540188_3702837022287_531212507_n.jpg

https://sphotos-b.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/560401_3702852862683_245657278_n.jpg

Nice job

 

[purevl]

I believe Streamline made the Craftsman hammers.

Thanks for the info. I looked at a bunch of photos of streamline hammers and this seems like a very reasonable guess. I have another that I'm fairly certain was sold as a Dunlap that looks like it could have the same OEM as well. Any thoughts? I have a few mystery hammers that I'll have to take pictures of and see if anyone can help me identify them, but they're at work at the moment. I'll never understand tool manufacturers that don't mark their tools in a durable fashion.

 

[nti06]

If you have one nearby, go to an O'Reilly auto parts and ask for a Refinishers guide. They carry a lot of body supplies and tools.

 

[NYBODYMAN]

Great thread. Not sure how I missed this one.