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PDQ Paintless Dent Puller Remove Small Dents and Dings With a Quick Flick of the Wrist
by Jim Richardson-reprinted from The Hawkeye Classic Thunderbird Club Newsletter, "Thunderbird Times"
THIS KIT IS a bit pricey at $275, but it is the greatest thing since Bondo. It can pullout door dings and small dents with no damage to the paint at all, and it is easy to use.
It works by sticking a small pull-rod to the surface of the dent with hot glue just enough to pop out the dent, but not so firmly that it might damage the paint. Here's how to use it:
Work outdoors in a cool or shaded area. If the dented panel gets too hot, it will affect the adhesion of the system's glue. Also, to prevent damage to your car's finish from cracking, the ambient temperature needs to be between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Start by cleaning the dent thoroughly with silicone remover or alcohol. Ordinary rubbing alcohol will do the job. Use a clean cloth and let the area dry before proceeding.
Now, take the pull-rod from the kit and sand its tip lightly with So-grit sandpaper so as to help the hot glue bond better. New pull-rods still have a residue of release agent on them from when they were manufactured, and you need to get that off so the hot glue will bond
sufficiently to it. Otherwise, the rod and glue will separate prematurely and not exert sufficient pull.
If you have a portable fluorescent light source such as a trouble light, position it at a low angle to the dent for maximum contrast so you can easily see what you are doing. Plug in the glue gun, put a glue stick in it and let it heat up. Next, apply a small gob of the glue to the plastic tip of the pull-rod. Immediately press the rod onto the exact center of the dent. If you wait too long, the glue will cure and the system won't work. Don't press hard because you will spread the glue over too large an area if you do.
Let the glue dry for one to two minutes. If you want to hasten the drying time, a blast of compressed air will help. It is very important to stay within the one to two minute curing time, though, because if you pop the puller too soon the dent won't come out, and if you pop it too late, you could lose some paint in the process.
Put the jig with the suction cups attached over the pull-rod and install the big wing nut. Turn it down
until you feel tension, then turn the wing nut quickly until the pull-rod pops the panel. It is important to shock the metal and not allow it to resist the pull. Depending on the circumstances, the suction cups on the jig can be moved in toward the dent for more pull, or out on the jig to give a little more cushion.
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