Swapped my old dent puller for a stud welder kit and it's night and day

Used to go at dents with a slide hammer (you know, the old school way) and it felt like I spent forever making things worse before they got better. About 3 months ago I picked up a stud welder kit from a tool supplier in Phoenix, and now I just tack a pin, pull it with the slide, and sand. The time savings alone on a door ding is huge, like maybe 15 minutes vs. an hour. Has anyone else switched methods and seen a big difference in their workflow?

2 comments

2 Comments

alicew681mo ago

Did your buddy ever accidentally melt a hole through their panel with one of those things?

daniel8571mo ago

Oh man, I gotta push back on that. In my experience those things are way safer than people give them credit for. I've seen guys use them for years on old dry panels with all kinds of adhesive residue and never once saw a melt-through. The trick is keeping the tip clean and not pressing down like you're trying to dig a hole. If you're going slow and steady, the heat just softens the vinyl enough to peel it off without damaging anything underneath. Your buddy probably had his set too hot or was trying to rush it. Honest to god, I'd trust one of those over a heat gun any day for delicate work. Zero margin for error with a gun, but a good iron gives you way more control if you know what you're doing.