My lonesome jubilee: body hammer and a dolly

**clovis** · #1 12/16/14, 10:14 PM

I have been a little fascinated with the art of using a hammer and dolly to straighten sheet metal.

Many years ago, I picked up an antique body hammer in a box of tools at an auction. At another sale, I found a nice dolly for $1.

I've seen the guys that can shape a flat piece of sheet steel into the most unbelievable creations. I've also met a few body men that can hammer out dents in a car body, and make it look easy. I am in awe of those guys.

Anyway, this is my dumb story:

I've been wanting to practice some hammering and dollying. I bought an old square galvanized wash tub at an auction recently, mainly for the antique jars and bottles inside the tub, for a whopping $3.

At some point, the old tub had been bent, and bent really bad. My guess is that someone ran over or hit it with a tractor at two different times. Two sides of it were mangled really bad. Along the third side, the top lip was bent and folded back to where it was almost touching the side. The tub was out of square. Most people would have thrown it into the scrap pile.

Working on the tailgate of my truck, I used my rusty body hammer, and went to work on it. I was surprised to see how well it came back into shape. I tried to follow what I had learned about hammering metal on some YouTube videos a few months ago. I kept working each side until it looked good, and then moved to the next side.

The real treat was when my wife walked out to the truck and asked "What did you do with that old tub?" When I pointed at the tub, now straightened, she replied "No, not that one. What did you do with the one that was all dented up? The one that had all of the bottles in it?"

I just smiled. It made me feel good.

Now, don't get me wrong. No one from the local Cadillac dealership body shop is going to call me asking for my stellar metal working skills. I made some mistakes, and the tub isn't perfect. It still looks like it has had a hard life.

But then again, I felt good when my wife asked the questions about the tub.

And also, by old rusty body hammer now has a shiny face from the hammering.

Yes, it is a dumb story...but did I mention that I smiled when I got it straightened and the wife really couldn't believe it?

Anyone else have a lonesome jubilee that they would like to share?

Metalworking and dent removal, anyone?

ninny · #2 12/18/14, 09:42 AM

Get yourself an English wheel and when you finish with the hammer and dollly, you can make the metal piece look like it was factory done. You can get English wheels relatively cheap now and they do an amazing job.

.

**clovis** · #3 12/18/14, 05:11 PM

I'd love to learn how to use an English wheel, and a plannishing hammer.

That would be the cat's meow. I am in awe of those guys who can create beautiful pieces with those tools.

I am kicking myself these days. There was an English wheel in the tool room of a place that I worked many moons ago. I'm sure that I could have used it any time that I wanted. There were some pretty skilled guys that worked in that area.

Just about the time that I was getting to know a few of the guys in that area, the company created a new rule about the use of the tool room.

Seems that one of the foremen, and a few of the employees, were making and machining race car parts for their own race cars. For years, the tool room was open to almost everyone, especially if you knew one of the shop guys. The race car guys got written up numerous times, and instead of letting it all drop, they kept making their own parts on company time.

The new rule was that no one could use the tool room unless it was for the benefit of the company.

**clovis** · #4 01/22/15, 08:09 PM

I must have done an okay job on the old and badly bent galvanized tub that I straightened on the tailgate of my truck.

We sell at antique malls and flea markets as our living, and the tub sold today, sometime late in the afternoon. What is so funny is that I was cleaning and restocking the booth today, and admired how straight that I got the tub, and how nice that it turned out.

I am thankful for the metal working videos on YouTube. The steel metal used on the wash tubs is soft, and easily shaped, other than where it is corrugated on the sides and bottom to give it strength. I have some much thicker steel on another project that I have, and doubt that it will be as easy to form as this.

3dikreppoc · #5 01/31/15, 02:24 PM

What did you get for it? Did you make more than you had into it - minus the labor?

**clovis** · #6 01/31/15, 06:48 PM

We sold it for $18. Certainly not an earth shattering amount.

I think I spent about 20-25 minutes working on it, but I enjoyed the work and the finished project immensely. Even if I had spent two hours on it, albeit a money losing proposition, I would have found the work and the end result very satisfying. Simply said, it was a labor of love.

Beforehand, that tub was trash. I don't believe that it would have sold at all. Okay, maybe it would have sold for $1, but I doubt it. It was really bent and mangled. Along one side, the steel was bent completely back and touching the body. I'm still trying to figure out how it got bent so badly, and in that shape.

Most people would have scrapped it. I almost did. It gave me an opportunity to try to hone my skills of reshaping bent steel, and I really, really enjoyed the work.

I may not have made much on this tub, but I will never look at another bent tub the same. So, maybe in the long haul, I will put more money in my pocket because of the knowledge that I gained on this one.

Next step: Learning how to solder joints in pails and tubs so they won't leak!

**clovis** · #7 02/01/15, 08:58 AM

I got to thinking about your question: What the effort profitable?

On second thought, I probably would have done it totally for free, just to learn and teach myself.

I need to get out more, don't I?

ninny · #8 02/03/15, 09:33 AM

Go to www.Eastwood.com website. It's a car repair/build website. Today they have articles on shrinking/ stretching metal, how to use the hammer &dollies and how to use the English wheel. It's a good website to learn how to work with sheet metal.

.

light rain · #9 02/03/15, 09:43 AM

Something that would be considered trash was made usable and then made a profit. Plus you learned a new skill and know you'll attempt new projects. Good on a lot of levels.

Now, my question. I have an old metal watering can that I left out in WI with several inches of water. Yes, I knew better. The bottom is bowed from the freezing but it still holds water without a leak. I have considered several times of taking a rubber mallet to the bottom to try to flatten it out but worried about the risk of unjoining the seams. Any advice?

**clovis** · #10 02/03/15, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by light rain

Something that would be considered trash was made usable and then made a profit. Plus you learned a new skill and know you'll attempt new projects. Good on a lot of levels.

Now, my question. I have an old metal watering can that I left out in WI with several inches of water. Yes, I knew better. The bottom is bowed from the freezing but it still holds water without a leak. I have considered several times of taking a rubber mallet to the bottom to try to flatten it out but worried about the risk of unjoining the seams. Any advice?

Well, reaching into my deep experience of doing exactly one tub...

I just don't know.

My hunch is that the bottom is corrugated to give the steel strength. If so, the steel isn't going to want to take much new shape when hit with a hammer.

I'd also be a little worried about pulling the bottom away from the side walls. From my best estimation, the bottom and side walls are often crimped together. If that is the case, too much beating will force the bottom to pull away from the side walls, and when that happens, I doubt it will ever hold water again.

I'd love to learn how to solder joints like that. I know some of the old timers used to call it "leading out", which may be an art form within itself.

So, is the bottom smooth, or stamped/corrugated???

light rain · #11 02/03/15, 07:42 PM

The bottom is smooth except where when it bowed out there are some lines. If I hit it and it separates I guess I can put on some kind of sealer to stop up the breaks. Won't look pretty but would hold water.

**clovis** · #12 02/03/15, 07:58 PM

If you do hammer it out, let me know how it goes.

HuskyBoris · #13 02/07/15, 10:26 AM

I use Martin and Snap on body hammers at work ,here is a good link on how to take care of them and what different hammers are used for,it's hard explain how it all works so this will do it for me,I too am learning how they work.
I work in a body shop but I am a painters helper which means I mask wetsand,take out runs ,dirt and imperfections and then clean the vehicle up for customer delivery.I also do most of the mechanical repairs that get broken from impact.
I get a little metal working in here and there among things but this link should help anyhow.I don't think they are open for business anylonger but it will give you ideas on what you need plus there is a tips and tricks section and some how to stuff.

edit,,and don't forget youtube

http://www.performancemetalshaping.n...ge/5458321.htm

**clovis** · #14 02/07/15, 10:37 AM

Nice, Husky!!!

Thanks!!!!