187 Chapter 9 Nonstructural Panel Repair Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. not require access to the back side of the panel. In this method, the low area is stripped to bare metal. Draw pins are then welded to the low area as shown in Figure 9-27. The pins can then be raised with a slide hammer or a T-puller. This method is fast and effective. However, it is easy to pull the metal too far, creating a high spot. The high spot will be work hardened and difficult to lower. If the draw pin welder’s trigger is held down too long, the pin will be welded deep into the metal. This may make the pin weld so strong and the surrounding metal so weak that when the pin is pulled, the metal surrounding the weld will break. When this occurs, the hole must be filled. A MIG welder can be used to fill the hole. After filling, the built- up weld is then ground flush. The back side of the repair should be sprayed with epoxy primer and rustproofing. If a crease must be raised, several draw pins can be welded close together along the crease. Duckbill locking pliers and a slide hammer or a gang clamp can then be used to grab onto the pins, as shown in Figure 9-28. The clamp can be pulled with a slide hammer or a come-along. After the damage has been raised, the pins are removed by clipping them with side cutters and then grinding off the remaining heads. Instead of pins, washers can be welded to the panel and then pulled. W-shaped wire can also be welded onto a panel. The W-shaped wire can be welded to a body line or a crease. The wire is then raised with a claw handle. For greater pulling power, a 10-pound slide hammer can be attached to the claw handle. Figure 9-29 shows plates attached to a damaged dogleg. The corners are strong. Moving the damage requires hydraulic power and strong welds. While the plates are pulled, the buckles are tapped inward from the attachment with a body hammer. When the repairs are complete, the welds are cut off with a cut-off tool. Rustproofing the inside of the panel where the welds burned off the paint and rustproofing will be difficult. A damaged body line can be raised with a body chisel. This requires access to the back of the panel. The chisel face, if sharp, should be covered with masking tape. This will prevent it from cutting into the metal. To raise the body line, find the lowest point, place the chisel on it, and hit the chisel with a ball peen hammer. A body line is a strong area. A damaged body line is even stronger. Light blows will probably not move the body line enough to make a difference. Hard blows are generally needed to move a damaged body line. As you move the body line, check the progress on the outside of the panel. If arrowheads are present in the metal above and below the body line, they can be released once the body line has been roughed out. Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Figure 9-28. Several draw pins can be raised at one time. Slide hammer Locking pliers Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Figure 9-29. Notice the light-colored undercoat paint, inward from the larger weld on the plate. This is where a buckle was hammered down. Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Figure 9-27. Draw pins are welded to this panel to raise a low area. Draw pin welder