Hail Repair Origins – The History of Paintless Dent Repair
Paintless dent repair techniques would make the first public display on record at the 1960 ‘International Motor Sports Show’ in New York by Oscar Flaig of Mercedes-Benz. Continue reading the history of paintless dent repair to discover the earliest days of metal mending dating back to 3rd century B.C.
Dent Repair Can Be Traced Back to the Year 300 B.C. with Metal Shaping Techniques Called Repoussé and Chasing
Mending malleable metals into a desired shape or design as an art form dates back to the 3rd century B.C. Metals such as Gold, Silver, Copper and Tin were used along with techniques called repoussé and chasing.
These are the earliest documented terms for methods in metalworking where a metal is shaped by hammering from the back side to create the design. Chasing, later termed embossing, is a similar technique often used in conjunction with repoussé where hammering occurs from the front side to sink the metal; both of which are still heavily used in paintless dent repair and hail repair today.
Mending malleable metals into a desired shape or design as an art form dates back to the 3rd century B.C. Metals such as Gold, Silver, Copper and Tin were used along with techniques called repoussé and chasing. These are the earliest documented terms for methods in metalworking where a metal is shaped by hammering from the back side to create the design. Chasing, later termed embossing, is a similar technique often used in conjunction with repoussé where hammering occurs from the front side to sink the metal; both of which are still heavily used in paintless dent repair and hail repair today.
These terms translate to using a blending hammer and tools with rounded or soft tips to tap down high spots or push out dents from behind the metal panels of a vehicle. Today’s PDR technicians will always turn to these methods any time they have the proper access behind the damaged area. If there is a dent with no access, paint safe glue is used to attach a tab for gripping and pulling the dent out.
The Phrase Paintless Dent Repair Was First Spotted in a Book Titled “The Key To Metal Bumping”
Frank T. Sargent wrote the revolutionary book title “The Key To Metal Bumping” where he coined the phrase paintless dent repair for the first time.
Sargent depicts special tools used for paintless dent removal, exactly how they are used and even goes on to describe how one might predict the movements of the metal when using a specific tool.
Some have called his book the auto body man’s bible; including 126 pages of instructions on metal bumping and automotive body work along with over 100 images and descriptions. The book was first published in 1939, revised in 1953 and original copies can be found in the waiting areas of old school body shops even in 2022. New copies of the 4th edition of “The Key To Metal Bumping” can be found on Amazon and EBAY today.
The Key To Metal Bumping – 4th Edition By: Frank T. Sargent. Available on Amazon and EBAY
The skills, strategies and results for paintless dent repair would make the first public display on record another 20 years later. At the 1960 “International Motor Sports Show” in New York, New York Oscar Flaig’s job with Mercedes-Benz was to repair any minor imperfections to the body of the vehicles on display, caused in transport or by the visiting public each day.
He was required to stay overnight and bring all the finishes back to a perfect, dent-free condition for the show on the following day. Out of pure necessity and short on time, he began to push dents out and tap down the crowns with a hammer to avoid using fillers before repainting the area. He quickly realized paint could also be avoided when a dent was removed properly versus using another filler material. This saved Faig hours on each repair he was responsible for and ultimately lead to his destiny.
After the show, Flaig would return to his job at Mercedes-Benz in Germany where he would develop techniques still in practice, design tools for removing dents without painting or using fillers and repairing more vehicles than anyone is his department. His superiors quickly took notice, promoting him to foreman at the plant, taking on the title “golden tinsmith” as he started PDR training for every branch of Merceds’ manufacturing plants. These PDR techniques, tools, and strategies would continue to evolve in Germany long before being accepted and promoted as a successful way to remove dents in the United States.
Dent Kraft 1979 – The First Business To Offer Paintless Dent Repair as a Service in the USA
Although similar techniques for metalworking may have been employed in the early 1930’s in automotive assembly lines, it was almost another half century before paintless dent repair became an industry and service of its own.
The money, time and environmental savings behind paintless dent repair made their way from Germany to the USA in 1979 when Juergen Holzer moved from Germany to Minneapolis and started Dent Kraft. His business was the first on record to offer paintless dent removal as a service.
PDR quickly took hold from East to West as technicians and trainings continued to get better and better. Most businesses would start out focusing on smaller door dings and fender bender type damages. More experienced shops with regular hail storms in their areas adopted these strategies to save customers $1000’s on hail damage repairs and even keep vehicle titles clean!
VIP Hail Service was established in 1991 as the original hail repair shop in Plano. The owner and master technician was on a mission to provide a fast, reliable and affordable solution to repairing auto hail damage. Their hail damage repair process has been perfected today, paired with extraordinary customer service and a flawless reputation.
Although similar techniques for metalworking may have been employed in the early 1930’s in automotive assembly lines, it was almost another half century before paintless dent repair became an industry and service of its own.
The money, time and environmental savings behind paintless dent repair made their way from Germany to the USA in 1979 when Juergen Holzer moved from Germany to Minneapolis and started Dent Kraft. His business was the first on record to offer paintless dent removal as a service.
PDR quickly took hold from East to West as technicians and trainings continued to get better and better. Most businesses would start out focusing on smaller door dings and fender bender type damages. More experienced shops with regular hail storms in their areas adopted these strategies to save customers $1000’s on hail damage repairs and even keep vehicle titles clean!
VIP Hail Service was established in 1991 as the original hail repair shop in Plano. The owner and master technician was on a mission to provide a fast, reliable and affordable solution to repairing auto hail damage. Their hail damage repair process has been perfected today, paired with extraordinary customer service and a flawless reputation.
Written By: Josh C.
Josh enjoys marketing for paintless dent removal companies and writing content that leads you to the best PDR shops around.
Written By: Josh C.
Josh enjoys marketing for paintless dent removal companies and writing content that leads you to the best PDR shops around.
