Dent Repairs Don't Always Go As Planned

As they say, "you wins some and you loose some." Today I lost a battle to the big dent or big crown. I was working on a Lexus RX330 and the rear door was crushed in with a super deep crown.

I learned something today I want to pass onto you or anyone interested. It always is amazing to me that I can always continue to learn from my failures. The word "failure may seem a little harsh but some may call it a challenge or obstacle.

What happened was that I used glue tabs to release the pressure underneath the crown. Problem was, I released it too well... the paint cracked. I should have used a heat gun. Was it cold out? Nope. Quite warm and 78 degrees to be exact.

The cause was that I pulled the crown up so fast from right below, the paint inside the deep crown split. So moral of the story, it would have not cracked if I used heat first. I talked to other dent guys and they said it happened to them as well. So I don't feel too bad but I was still really disappointed it happened.

I wish I could say every dent I do comes out perfect or always successful. Truth is, they don't. It will continue to be like this because I like the challenge. But the good thing is that the odds are usually in my favor. I hope my challenges help lead you other pdr techs with easier ones.