In detail: DIY tools for body repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.
Carrying out body repairs requires high precision and accuracy of the contractor. He is helped by tools for body repair and special equipment, which greatly facilitate the work.
If there is a slipway in the garage, then the conditions for body repair can be considered almost ideal. One of the types of bodywork is the correction of the geometry of the body and the easiest way to do this on the stocks. You do not have to purchase a factory-made slipway, but make it yourself from metal structures and consumables. The slipway is more likely not a tool or equipment, but a device.
Hydraulics - equipment for body repair, which is a special set of devices that contribute to the implementation of straightening. The difference between the sets is in tonnage. Their usual composition: hydraulic pump, extensions, nozzles in various shapes. The cost of the kits varies widely depending on the manufacturer, but you can find quite high quality at an attractive price.
Straightening is the reduction of the type of workpiece to the original one. In other words, straightening is necessary to restore the appearance of body parts after they have received damage. Ideally, to perform straightening work, the following body repair tools and equipment should be in the arsenal of the auto repairman:
Straightening hammer (a tool in the form of a handle and a nozzle):
with convex round and square strikers;
with flat round and square strikers;
with one flat round striker and a convex square second;
with one round convex striker and a dotted one;
with large round and square strikers;
Inertialess hammer;
Rubber hammer;
Vacuum hammer with suction nozzles (if the car owner knows how to use it - the vacuum method is not widespread enough due to the requirement for high professionalism of the employee);
Straightening (curved tool with a sharp working edge):
bilateral;
"whistle";
"heel";
"Paperweight";
corner;
Mallet with a cylindrical striker (a tool made of homogeneous components);
wooden;
rubber;
A spoon:
straightening;
universal;
pulling;
convex;
shock elastic;
to perform internal straightening;
Percussion cloths;
Curly rods.
Video (click to play).
Despite the impressive list, all this tool will not take up much space in the garage, but, if necessary, will greatly facilitate the implementation of body repairs. Alternatively, it is allowed to use, for example, one handle for a hammer or mallet and several striking attachments, that is, it is not at all necessary to have a separate handle for each attachment.
Also, to perform this type of bodywork, you will need:
Anvil. Despite the association with a bulky floor-standing device, the straightening anvil is a hand-held tool that can effectively straighten dents.
Homemade notch blocks are equipment that allows you to perform strikes as accurately as possible.
The sander of the first type is a tool used to eliminate unevenness in metal.
Welding spotter is a universal equipment necessary for straightening.
Jack - it is difficult to overestimate the benefits of this type of equipment. Where reliable vehicle support is needed, jacks are indispensable.Especially valuable are roads, rolling jacks that can work synchronously.
To improve the quality of straightening, the body parts are removed and laid out on a flat surface covered with felt, which significantly reduces the shock load. Therefore, there should be a small supply of this material in the garage.
Painting is almost an integral part of body work, so a conscientious car owner who performs body repair should ideally have the following tools and equipment:
Spray:
paint;
primer.
Spray gun.
Airbrush. There is no need to have all three types, it is enough to choose the tool that will be convenient for a particular person to work with. Keep in mind, however, that less paint is applied with an airbrush, which means it is suitable for painting small surfaces.
Compressor. The main indicator of compressor performance is outlet pressure. The choice of model should be carried out based on the characteristics of the main painting equipment.
Grinder of the second type for removing layers of varnish and paint (equipment for preparing a part for a new painting).
A special tool for working with plastic parts is required for performing welding functions. Since plastic melts very easily when exposed to high temperatures, this property is very widely used when carrying out repair work.
Soldering iron. Soldering work, for example, when repairing a bumper, is often required. In practice, it is possible to use two types of soldering irons:
electric;
air (compared to the cost of an electric one - a very expensive tool).
Thermal gun. Indispensable equipment for straightening small dents. Its principle of action: heats up the plastic, thereby increasing its flexibility, and it becomes possible to give the desired shape. An outdated version of the thermo gun is a gas burner, the use of which was complicated by the impossibility of adjusting the temperature.
Air dryer. Its use is similar to that of a heat gun. The master should use the tool that is more convenient for him to work.
Although the materials do not belong to tools and the "equipment" group, all those who are engaged in even the most insignificant types of body repairs need to have them in their garage:
Cleaning agents:
Detergent - it is recommended to have at least one type of non-aggressive detergent available for cleaning car parts from dirt;
Means for cleaning the body from bitumen stains - it is produced mainly in the form of aerosols and is very convenient to use.
Degreasers.
Antistatic agents: These should preferably be applied to disposable wipes. Their function is to protect surfaces, including freshly painted ones, from the settling of dust and pollutants.
It is best to polish with a polishing machine, but since this equipment is quite expensive, you can get by with improvised means.
In addition, each car owner must have a tool that is included in standard locksmiths and tinsmiths kits.
This is not a complete list of tools and equipment that are used in body repair, and, of course, when choosing certain technologies, the list can expand.
Work on the restoration of car bodies is carried out both in car services and at home and garage conditions with their own hands. This requires the tools for car body repair, which are discussed in the above article.
If single repair work can be done in the living conditions of an ordinary garage, then for the regular implementation of body repairs, it should be turned into a specialized room. First of all, you should equip the garage with a viewing hole or an overpass, depending on the characteristics of the room. You can use lumber to create a flyover.
Also, to ensure the possibility of working in the garage throughout the year, it should be equipped with heating, in addition, insulation will be required.
It will be necessary to heat the room only for the duration of the bodywork, and not constantly, therefore the best option for heating equipment for such a garage is a heat gun.
This device provides the intense heat required for painting.
A network is required to connect the heat gun. In addition, during body repair, both pneumatic and power tools are used, which require a power source, therefore, it is necessary to lead the network to the garage. Finally, it is advisable to create holes in the form of large tools such as a compressor and a welding machine.
There are several classifications of body repair tools. So, according to their purpose, they are divided into the following systems:
welding;
compressors;
grinding;
straightening;
finishing tools;
measuring systems.
According to the stages of body work, which include straightening dents, removing corrosion, painting and preparing for it, tools are divided into corresponding categories. In addition, the considered classification includes a group of additional materials.
According to the principle of operation of equipment for body repair, it is classified into manual and automatic tools. Models of the second subtype, according to the power source, are divided into pneumatic and power tools. The former include, for example, grinding machines, while a spray gun is a pneumatic tool.
Welding machines are also divided into several types, each of which has certain features of the functioning and implementation of work. At the same time, they provide a different quality of welded seams. Therefore, you need to choose a welding machine for doing bodywork with your own hands based on the requirements for their quality and the skills of the performer.
So, AC units are suitable for repairing major faults such as welding a frame, but such tools are not used to eliminate minor defects.
For do-it-yourself body repairs, they usually use a tungsten electrode or a carbon dioxide semiautomatic device.
These devices also vary in design. There are piston and diaphragm models of compressors, and the volume of the receiver can be from 20 to 50 liters. It is advisable to equip the body repair tool in question with an oil separating filter. Compressors supply air to pneumatic tools. Also, for painting work, you will need to purchase the pneumatic tool itself, represented by a spray gun.
The considered tools for body repair are the largest, therefore, the aforementioned pits in the garage are equipped specifically for them.
Devices for repairing dents and body defects are diverse. Straightening tools are presented:
hammers;
spoons;
anvils;
notch blocks.
The most optimal options for straightening hammers are double-sided tools with sides of different shapes. Straightening hammers differ from other hammers in weight and materials. To be able to correct dents of various sizes and shapes, a set of straightening hammers should be purchased.
Do-it-yourself straightening hammers for body repairs are used in conjunction with an anvil or with various blocks designed to soften impacts.
Another tool for car body repair, related to straightening, is represented by a spoon. It is designed for straightening small flat tubercles by distributing the hammer impact over the area. Moreover, you can use a regular hammer with this tool, but sharp folds must be treated with a straightening hammer before using a spoon.
For repairing dents in hard-to-reach places, there is a body repair tool called a curved bar. It is a tool with a length of 30 cm to 1 m with a tip in the form of a chisel or punch. The principle of application is close to the technology of using these tools.
Anvils for bodywork differ in shape from conventional anvils. There are options in the form of a heel, a chicken egg, and a thumb. Various anvils are used for straightening, depending on the shape of the dents, therefore, to carry out bodywork with your own hands, it is desirable to have several options for these devices.
Notch blocks are auxiliary tools for bodywork. They serve to locate where the force is applied and to support the metal during straightening. For this, the considered devices are placed on the reverse side of the processed fragment of the body. After striking it, traces remain on the notch block.
Equipment designed for cleaning, which includes sanding paper, grinders and polishing machines, are called finishing tools.
As for emery paper, in bodywork for straightening and cleaning working surfaces, options with grit P120 - P500 are most often used.
For cleaning sheet metal and processing putty, body files are used, which are distinguished by the presence of a curved holder with variable geometry, which makes it possible to edit hard-to-reach places.
