Looking to get some pdr tools to fix some hail damage on my pickup. I only think I'll need a longer one with a bend at the end and maybe a short straight one. The sets I found off of google are master sets that cost up to $1000. The ones on ebay and Amazon don't look that great and they are only in sets. Anyone know of a company that sells individual tools that are good quality and won't hurt the bank too much. Only looking to spend about $50 on these since I'll only do a few cars. Thanks
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Pdr tools?
- Thread starter jmill97
- Start date
FigureItOut
Well-known member
I hate this question, and I've seen it pop up a couple times. I think you're mistaken in thinking that you can pick up a couple PDR tools and use them effectively without a much, much larger investment of time than you seem to be contemplating. You WILL do more harm than good to the first panel that you touch.
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Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
Bill Bowman
Well-known member
^^^This
I hate this question, and I've seen it pop up a couple times. I think you're mistaken in thinking that you can pick up a couple PDR tools and use them effectively without a much, much larger investment of time than you seem to be contemplating. You WILL do more harm than good to the first panel that you touch.
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Well thanks for your response I guess. I'm not sure how you know the amount of experience I have but I wouldn't say I'm novice. I already started doing the hood with a few tools that I have and those spots came out great. I'm not a pro but I know how metal works and what it likes and doesn't like. I was just asking a simple question about buying some tools and apparently it's my fault that this site is against that now.
FigureItOut
Well-known member
Well it's possible that you're just a PDR prodigy. If you've gotten good results and haven't spent more than $50 in tools, I suggest you consider PDR as a career choice. The best guys are making well into mid $150k range and they don't work very hard.
I didn't mean to be snarky, but I know what it takes to get even a passable result with PDR, and I think it likely that someone who won't spend over $50 on tools has a comparable amount of time invested in learning the skill.
Me, I tried and failed. I sat under a light at a hood stand for 3-4 hours every night for six months and couldn't get it. I went through many scrap hoods and deck lids. Now just because I couldn't do it doesn't mean that you can't, but guys that do get it to even a hack level put in significant time to get there.
My brother is well known as one of the best in the industry. He started back when there was only a few hundred guys in the US doing PDR, and he's been invited to Germany, Australia, Tangiers and all over North America to ply his craft. I know for a fact he didn't touch anything that wasn't scrap in his first six months.
What you're asking, in my opinion, is akin to asking where you might find a good cheap scalpel because you'd like to try your hand at surgery.
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I didn't mean to be snarky, but I know what it takes to get even a passable result with PDR, and I think it likely that someone who won't spend over $50 on tools has a comparable amount of time invested in learning the skill.
Me, I tried and failed. I sat under a light at a hood stand for 3-4 hours every night for six months and couldn't get it. I went through many scrap hoods and deck lids. Now just because I couldn't do it doesn't mean that you can't, but guys that do get it to even a hack level put in significant time to get there.
My brother is well known as one of the best in the industry. He started back when there was only a few hundred guys in the US doing PDR, and he's been invited to Germany, Australia, Tangiers and all over North America to ply his craft. I know for a fact he didn't touch anything that wasn't scrap in his first six months.
What you're asking, in my opinion, is akin to asking where you might find a good cheap scalpel because you'd like to try your hand at surgery.
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PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
The guy who took the door dings out of my pickup 10 years ago made most of his own tools out of polished stainless round bar. Had a big old Rodney Dangerfield golf bag (on a pull cart) that he stored them all in. He told me that understanding how metal moves (yield, tensile and elongation) was important, but being able to read the movement by watching the light with the black stripes was the key to getting an invisible repair- when all the distortion in the black lines was completely gone in a relaxed condition he know he could move on to the next ding.
He'd been doing it for about 10 years, and said he was still learning....
Many times shallow hail dents will come out with dry ice and a heat gun-(stretch and shrink) Have you looked into that?...
He'd been doing it for about 10 years, and said he was still learning....
Many times shallow hail dents will come out with dry ice and a heat gun-(stretch and shrink) Have you looked into that?...
MDK22
Well-known member
The place i go to get my body work done for my family and most of the area I saw a banner for in there office.
http://www.pdrtool.com/collections/pdr-tool-sets/products/50-piece-company-set-made-in-usa
They sell individual and small sets, are made in usa, and look good to me from a mechanics standpoint. But, I am not a body guy and my friend who is works on big rigs so its all fiberglass.
The trick to doing PDR is pretty simple you want to pull back out at the same angle the impact occurred within about 5lbs of the force needed to cause the dent. You want to use the appropriate sized suction cup and make sure the surface is very clean and then use something that will help seal the suction cup if you need it. IE water based lubricant that will not damage the clear coat or paint. Always look over the spot from every angle with a good flashlight for slight cracks in the paint and hit with a filler clear coat if needed make sure to get uv resistant and try to match manufacturer paints if you can.
Using a stripe light is also a really good idea. I heard you can make one cheap with a table lamp, sharpie, ruler, wax paper and a coat hanger. No idea the line spacing or distance from the car though. I assume it depends on the dent. Dusk is the best time to look for imperfections.
It takes a talent though and if you are as good as you say you are you can make good money doing it.
http://www.pdrtool.com/collections/pdr-tool-sets/products/50-piece-company-set-made-in-usa
They sell individual and small sets, are made in usa, and look good to me from a mechanics standpoint. But, I am not a body guy and my friend who is works on big rigs so its all fiberglass.
The trick to doing PDR is pretty simple you want to pull back out at the same angle the impact occurred within about 5lbs of the force needed to cause the dent. You want to use the appropriate sized suction cup and make sure the surface is very clean and then use something that will help seal the suction cup if you need it. IE water based lubricant that will not damage the clear coat or paint. Always look over the spot from every angle with a good flashlight for slight cracks in the paint and hit with a filler clear coat if needed make sure to get uv resistant and try to match manufacturer paints if you can.
Using a stripe light is also a really good idea. I heard you can make one cheap with a table lamp, sharpie, ruler, wax paper and a coat hanger. No idea the line spacing or distance from the car though. I assume it depends on the dent. Dusk is the best time to look for imperfections.
It takes a talent though and if you are as good as you say you are you can make good money doing it.