You also have to grasp the fact that you can reduce the area of sheet metal by thickening it.
How to use dollys to straighten out sheet metal.
Understanding how metal deforms is the first step toward straightening it.
Body files are usually used after another age old process has been used to straighten or shrink sheetmetal.
Fabricators generally use locksmith hammers light metal hammers mallets streaming hammers and rubber hammers to straighten the metal.
Working quickly bump the high area down with the hammer while supporting the neighboring low area with the dolly fig.
This will tighten up that specific spot.
They place the metal on either an anvil or a straightening plate.
Fabricators heat metal so it does not have as much tension when the fabricator uses force to straighten out the metal.
Matt goes over the differences in the shapes of the fairmount hammers dollies.
Mark simpson explains the process of using a hammer and dolly set to remove dents and straighten metal.
Very important do not let the dolly rebound onto the metal.
This technique stretches the metal.
Any time you hit sheet metal with steel hammer against a steel dolly it stretches.
Working on the dolly is the use of a back up block directly behind the point you are hammering on.
The best is to use heat a wood hammer and a dolly.
It may result in too much shrinkage but we know how to deal with that.
Plus tips and tricks for using them.
Using wood you eliminate one of those hard points so the metal can move without stretching.
George just barely touched on a key concept.
Work it on dolly until it is straight.
Heating localized areas and then using a hammer and dolly to.
Put your dolly behind the metal use your shrinking hammer and smack the metal using the dolly to absorb the impact and accept the rebound.
A wood hammer is a good way to go but sometimes you need a wood dolly or buck.