light oil canning help?

SpaceCatsAZ

New Member
Fixing up my dads beloved for his christmas gift while he can still drive. Minor chips and dents are mostly done. This door though... I figure I need to shrink something, but my body experience is limited in that area..

Pic 1: The dent. Blue area pops out but pops back in with little effort. Orange area sslopes down but is too concave and firm to pop out with my big suction cup. (like I can with the blue) Red is a very exact crease line.

Pic 2: Same dent, better view

Pic 3: What the door looks like undamaged.

Whats first? I dont have a oxy torch, just a blow torch and a high amp heat gun. Thanks for any help.
 

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I'm not an expert but I'd start with pulling the door panel and try to work the body line out 1st which should tighten the skin up. Then go on from there. Just my .02

John

Inkededit2.jpg
 
Just like in metalshaping, any crease is going to act as a lock across the panel. The crease indicated in red is from the outer skin being pushed against the internal door brace. As stated in "The Key to Metal Bumping", first in, last out. (or... last in, first out) The external force (immovable object, pedestrian, ??) was more in the center of the door and the crease was formed as a side effect, so it was basically the last part of the damage that occurred. Therefore it needs to be the first part of the dent removed, and removing this "lock" will help to relax the stresses in the panel...

As any dent is formed it is stretching the metal. As you are using hammer and dolly (or preferably slapper and dolly) be sure to refrain from any on-dolly strikes as that is going to stretch more, and is the last thing needed. The area below the crease should be supported from the back side with a dolly, and use the slapper in a glancing fashion to help work the red crease inward. Then support the area above from the back side and repeat. Don't try to take it all out at once, you want slow and steady to help limit any stretching. You may have a brace blocking the support area above the crease, if so another slapper may be needed to gently pry outward while striking the crease from the outside with our glancing blows. Once the crease is removed I think you'll see some of the metal start to relax. Once this lock is removed, work to remove any others. Here's a fairly good video that helps to explain some of the process.




The locks or creases that don't belong there are keeping some of stresses that have been pushed elsewhere in the dent formation from returning to where they should be. Don't sweat the slight oil cans until you can remove the locks to free up those stresses.
 
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That crease is from the door reinforcement behind the skin. That is secondary damage. The body line at the top of the door is what is holding it in. The dent needs to be worked out there first. Common way to do it is with a stud gun. Suction cup is not going to do it. It's also hard to get to the backside of that area.

Pull the mirror, the beltline molding as well. Pull the door panel. If you don't have a stud gun consider getting one as that is the easiest way to fix it. You can get a cheap one through Harbor Freight. You could try working it out from the backside somehow but that crease is strong and it needs some force to move it. It will be easy to do additional damage if you are not careful.

You want to work the damage starting at the top out. As you get that bodyline back up, the lower area closer to the middle will start to come out as well. You do not want to start shrinking it. Put that out of your mind. If you do you will never get it correct. It doesn't need shrinking. As you work the area you will need to dolly it as well. Not knowing your skill level and tools you have it's hard to tell you exact procedures. This is a rather advanced dent on very thin metal.

Let us know what tools you have and we'll go from there.
 
Work it up gradually. As it comes up the lower part of the dent will come up as well. Kind of a "tit for tat"situation. As you pull it out at the top, work the lower part up as well. Again hesistate to post instructions till I know what tools you have and your skill level.
 
Ya, i'd be a scrap yard finding a new door. Props to the metal shapers though. I just dont have that kind of patients. The newer thin junk metal is just too much for me and my skillset..
 
I have to agree with these guys. Price a used/new door. Your time plus materials might add up to the cost of a door if you can find one in a scrap yard at a decent price. With you saying that you had limited experience in this area I think you will be happier in the long run just replacing.
 
The part where the skin rolled over the intrusion beam and just above it where something kind of pointy dented the door will need shrinking, imo. I don't normally disagree with other esteemed members but I'm pretty sure some heat will be needed there. My go-to on this thin stuff is a stud gun with a shrinking tip, it is the most controlled and safe way to pull metal back together a bit. I don't know if this is any good, but it's cheap:


That said, I think this is a lot of dent for someone without a lot of experience. If you want to learn, it will be a good experience. If you just want the dent gone so you can paint the rig, buy a door.
 
The part where the skin rolled over the intrusion beam and just above it where something kind of pointy dented the door will need shrinking, imo. I don't normally disagree with other esteemed members but I'm pretty sure some heat will be needed there. My go-to on this thin stuff is a stud gun with a shrinking tip, it is the most controlled and safe way to pull metal back together a bit. I don't know if this is any good, but it's cheap:


That said, I think this is a lot of dent for someone without a lot of experience. If you want to learn, it will be a good experience. If you just want the dent gone so you can paint the rig, buy a door.
Agreed, although I was trying to get him to not focus on shrinking which is what many seem to do who lack experience. That can wait till the very end of what needs to be done. Whatever shrinking that will need to be done is very minimal. One reason why I didn't try to outline everything is that this is just like you said, a job for someone who has a lot of experience pulling these type of dents.

OP if you decide to go the route of getting another door, car-part.com has 6 pages of DS doors for that model Mercury Cougar. Many for around $150-175.
 
Thanks all! too many posts to quote here but the general responses are that A) im low-mid level experienced in body work, limited in metal forming or shrinking with heat. Mostly a finisher painter with a ton of mechanical, and electrical experience. B) A repo door from a yard initially is cheaper but most yards are hours away so add gas, truck rental to the price and body shaping is still cheaper. Plus I dont learn or grow my skills with a yard door. and C) no stud gun but several dollys, hammers, reach bars, etc.

As far as how it happened my sister backed into the mirror breaking it off then hit the door. At least dad said thats the scoop. Excusable, since she was going into labor suddenly haha. Dad is late stage 3 melanoma but LOVES his old "horse", so money and time are an issue. Cars have always been a bonding thing with us.
 
Thanks all! too many posts to quote here but the general responses are that A) im low-mid level experienced in body work, limited in metal forming or shrinking with heat. Mostly a finisher painter with a ton of mechanical, and electrical experience. B) A repo door from a yard initially is cheaper but most yards are hours away so add gas, truck rental to the price and body shaping is still cheaper. Plus I dont learn or grow my skills with a yard door. and C) no stud gun but several dollys, hammers, reach bars, etc.

As far as how it happened my sister backed into the mirror breaking it off then hit the door. At least dad said thats the scoop. Excusable, since she was going into labor suddenly haha. Dad is late stage 3 melanoma but LOVES his old "horse", so money and time are an issue. Cars have always been a bonding thing with us.
What do you have for tools? Stud gun? Body hammers and dollies?
 
I'd never discourage anyone from trying something but for someone Experienced this would be a problem. By the Time and Money you figure out your over your head,you could be done.
Exactly what I would do because I'm not skilled enough to repair a Prince Albert tobacco can Car.
You can have all the Late Model "siding" you want. I'll take "vintage" thank you very much.
Good luck and enjoy what Time he has left because that's all you have.
 
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