Panel Beating
Panel Beating tests the hand skills and sequence used to remove dents and restore panel shape. Expect questions on hammers, dollies, spoons, slappers, stud welders, shrinking, planishing, reading high and low spots, and the limits of filler.
Core rules
- Assess the damage first: identify direct and indirect damage, stretched areas, sharp creases and access.
- Rough out large dents before planishing; work from the outside inward and from high spots to low spots.
- Use a dolly to support the back of the panel. Off-dolly blows raise low areas; on-dolly blows planish and stretch.
- Use a profile gauge or straightedge to check crown; file or guide-coat to reveal high spots.
- Keep filler thin; it is a cosmetic leveller, not a structural repair.
- Clean and neutralise the surface before filling; follow the filler ratio and cure time.
Worked example
A door skin has a shallow dent with a sharp crease. The repairer removes the trim, supports the panel and uses a pick hammer and dolly to raise the crease in small blows. A slapper and dolly then planish the area. A guide coat shows remaining low spots, which are filled thinly and sanded. Reasoning: roughing out first reduces the filler thickness and preserves the panel's shape.
Traps
Do not hammer a high spot while it is unsupported. Do not apply filler over rust, wax or silicone. Do not over-shrink a stretched panel. Do not use a shrinking hammer on a crease that only needs planishing.