How To Shrink Sheet Metal With A Torch

This takes away some of the stretch.

How to shrink sheet metal with a torch.

I use a jack stand with a trim panel pry tool clamped to it to hold my torch. Heating up metal and throwing cold water on it may shrink it a tiny bit but it makes distortion and hard steel. Heat to blue only and shrink that much. If you ve done it right this action will cause the metal to pucker on the edge and give you a little ripple or ridge.

A common recommended fix is to use oxy acetylene heat to create a localized hot spot that bulges the metal above the mean surface of the panel. The bulge can then be tapped down flat with a hammer and dolly to thicken the metal in that spot. Get used to this idea and your abilities will grow. Then take your teardrop mallet and make one hard blow on the metal driving down and towards the outside of the bowl.

Once red hot quickly work the area with hammer and dolly to gather the metal into the centre of the cherry then deliver a swift blow to the centre of the heat shrink to push the metal back into itself. Device to hold your torch safely while you re doing the hammering operation. Do not over heat the steel. Propane can do the same thing although it is a much more.

Although dent shrinking can be achieved with a shrinking disc or a spitzenagle stud nailer gun in order to shrink a bead you will need a heat source that produces a flame.