reshaping metal

[ncass11]

This is probably gonna sound stupid,

I am getting all the dents and welds out of my engine bay and in front of the r/h strut tower next to the factory dent in my vk there is another dent that came from in the wheel well some how

i have hammered it in but it is all wrinkly and to hard to shape it properly, i want to use as less bog as possible, so could i heat it up to make it soft then reshape it best i can or is this a bad idea.

dumb question but i want to do it best i can,
help much appreciated

This is before i started beating the crap out of it

 

[Sabbath']

Grind the welds flat and use a hammer and dolly to smooth out the panels.

 

[ncass11]

i have but the panel is wrinkling and hard to shape

Edit: ill try and take a picture in the morning of what it looks like now

 

[Dan355]

You need to grind or wire wheel the paint off both sides of the dent then try to beat it into shape. Your problem is the metal has no where to go. You will most probably need to try to heat it to shrink it but you can only go so far with the shrink method.. Or cut x or T through it to get it perfect then weld it up, grind it then finish the shape with light hammer and dolly work. Heres mine

 

[ncass11]

with the shrinking method do i have to heat it up with an oxy then put some could liquid on it?

 

[Dan355]

Yep heat with oxy not too close wet rag or sponge and wet it down. Search on youtube easier watching it then reading how to do it.

 

[hi_ryder]

with the shrinking method do i have to heat it up with an oxy then put some could liquid on it?

yup, heat and beat then wet rag for shrinking...

 

[ari666]

shrinking is bloody impossible on the towers itll be easy enough but try and get a 1/4 to sit flat once youve over cooked it. lol, i gave up in the end and just used bog.


im really digging your X process dan355! that'd be the way id do it i reckon. the tower steel is thick as fk so welding it back up would be easy as, then grind flat and its done

 

[ncass11]

i would like to try the X but i dont have a welder, unless i buy one from SCA for $150 but my brother (he does welding) told me not to

I think i can get a small handheld $30 oxy and give it a try

its not too bad but i would like it to be a bit neater

I could have don a bit better with the bog but i seems to be holding strong

 

[ari666]

get yourself:

angle grinder
wire wheel
3mm grinding wheel
120 grit flap disc.
bigger hammer

wire wheel off BOTH sides of the dent. both. dolly is no good to you if the inner isnt flat. hamer down more that you have. a ball pene hammer would be useful for getting the edges to "tuck in" so you are left with these kinda veins or ribs of steel.
hit the top of the veins with the grinding wheel and take off a nice amount of material without going through, now before it has cooled down, smash it round with the hammer/dolly. the thinner material + heat from the grinder will make it loads easier.

but dont grind through the metal... or youll need that welder.