Paintless Dent Removal - PDR Tools

Paintless dent removal (PDR) refers to the various techniques used for correcting the dents from the body of motor vehicles. It is also referred to as paintless dent repair. Paintless dent removal is an ideal solution for repairing minor damages, non-collision dents, door dings, hail damage, bumper indentation or creases that have no paint damage. PDR usually leaves no traces of the dents or dings, if it is performed by a qualified technician.

Paintless Dent Removal: Tools

Speaking about the paintless dent removal tools, they include a wide variety of instruments used for performing the PDR techniques. The tools are available in various shapes and angles such as pointed, rounded, flat, sharp edged, straight, curved, right angled and hooked. The thickness of the tools is designed so as to use for various purposes; a larger dent may require a thicker tool and vice versa.

Paintless dent removal tools are available as sets in the market. The number of pieces per set may vary depending upon the purpose and the manufacturer company. For example, a beginner's set usually consists of 16-18 pieces, while a technician set consists of about 38-40 pieces, including basic and commonly used tools. While purchasing PDR tools, always opt for the superior quality metals like carbon steels that are non-rusting and highly durable.

Paintless Dent Removal: Working

The main principle behind the working of paintless dent removal is to apply pressure gently on the opposite side of the dent or ding by using specified tools, so that the metal is pushed back to its original shape without disturbing the car paint finish. The technician tries to align the localized dented part by using lightweight hammers. Any irregularity in the damaged part is then corrected by light taps or gentle hand manipulation. The effectiveness of PDR depends on the paint quality and the severity of the metal stretch that has been incurred by the damage. While performing PDR, the technician applies the pressure with proper eye and hand coordination.

Paintless Dent Removal: Pros and Cons

Paintless dent removal offers several advantages in comparison to the traditional method of body repairing. To mention a few, PDR corrects the metal body by maintaining the original paint finish of the vehicle. It is cost effective (charges about one-third of traditional body repair) and requires minimum time (about 30 minutes) for repairing. Paintless dent removal is operated without using the fillers or paints, which is so in case of conventional repairing techniques. Hence, there is no chance of incorrect color matching in case of PDR.

Regarding the cons of paintless dent removal, it is not suitable for very sharp dents, creases and dings that involve extensive paint damages. A major drawback of PDR is that it can be used for correcting damages incurred to metal parts, but not plastic parts. It is also not effective for the scratches and/or damages incurred near the edge of the panel. Though these damages can be corrected by using PDR techniques, repainting is usually required afterwards.

Paintless Dent Removal: Training

Nowadays, paintless dent removal trainings are offered in various private institutes. The training is usually a short-term course for about a month. During the training, the trainees are taught with on the field projects regarding the various techniques of paintless dent removal. Some institutes provided PDR tools to the students. On completion of the PDR training, the institute provides a certificate regarding the said course. The average charge for paintless dent removal is $65 per repair. Hence, if a technician repairs two dents per day, the annual earning is about $34,000.