How a Skilled Panel Beater Can Salvage Your Smashed Car

Posted on: 26 December 2019

If you're unfortunate enough to be involved in a car accident, the first thing that you want to do is to get out and survey the damage. You may be shocked at what you see as, unfortunately, the modern-day vehicle is designed to crumple to a great extent so that the occupants do not feel as much of the impact as they would have otherwise. At this point, you may be wondering whether the vehicle can be fixed, but you'd be surprised at what a skilled technician can do. So long as there is still good value in the vehicle and the insurance company is happy with the bill, they can get to work. How will these experts approach the job, however?

Skilled Technicians at Work

Panel beaters spend many years learning and refining their practice and have a variety of different tools to help them ply their trade. Often, they will want to repair a damaged panel rather than to replace it and, in this case, they'll use a set of different hammers with another specific tool that's known as a "dolly."

Hammers and Dollies

In fact, these technicians may have a separate set of dollies that can be paired up with those individual hammers depending on the specific challenge ahead. This means they will employ a different technique based on how the metal has been deformed and the most effective way of bringing it all back together.

Professional Approach

Somebody who was trying to do it for themselves might try and fix the main part of the dent first, but this would be counterproductive. A professional will begin at the periphery and will work inwards toward the centre of the damage so that they do not stretch the metal in other areas and cause even more damage. Usually, they will place the dolly behind the panel and then tap on the raised part with their hammer. They will choose a dolly that generally fits the contour of the dent itself and will only use a minimal amount of force to achieve the desired result.

Time to Get to Work

If you ever get the chance, have a look at one of these experts at work and you will be amazed at what they're able to achieve. Happy with this knowledge, take your vehicle into an experienced panel beater and they will be able to effect repairs as soon as possible. To learn more about panel beating, contact a panel beater in your area that offers services like Volvo smash repairs.

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