Dents can happen easily on cars and if we are lucky enough, there are only manageable scratches and dents on our car. One big question is how we properly deal with these dents. It is generally not a wise option to take our car to body shops each time we have a minor dent. This will be both time consuming and costly. It is actually possible for us to repair some of the dents ourselves. The first thing that we need to do is to measure the extent of the damage. In many cases, we can tap out or pop the dent. We could check the dent carefully to check whether there are ripples or bumps that seem to be partially folded. However, if the surface is creased or draped up, it would be more reasonable to change the panels entirely. For better result, we should wash the dented portion completely to make sure that dirt and dust won’t interfere with our work. Average car owners could often get decent results by using the suction method. This can be achieved if the surface is completely dry. A good tool that we can use at the house is a common plunger.
Apply the plunger on the dented area and depress it slowly. We should make sure that we have a completely tight seal on the surface. It is a good thing if the head of the plunger is slightly moist, so we will get a tighter seal between the rubber head and the panel. After we are sure that we have a good seal, try to apply a solid gasp by applying a stable pull. However, we should be aware that the tapping method can be used more effectively on flat and large surfaces. As an example, the procedure should work well on surfaces like hood and trunk area. Other method that we can use is by using a block of solid, real wood and a rubber mallet. The size of the wood block could depend on the dimension of the dent. It is also important to make sure that the block can be held pleasantly in one hand. It is also a good idea to wrap towel around the block of wood to avoid scratching the interior lining of the surface or the external paint. Lightly place the towel-wrapped block against the dented surface and tap it with a rubber mallet. The wood should be able to evenly distribute the force of the blow.