I live in a western desert of Utah and am 71 years old. My shop has a gravel floor and I don't have a lot of facilities but do have a lot of tools. I'm trying to preserve a family 63 Chevy Biscayne 2dr sedan that has been sitting on the farm for 50 years. If I lived close to civilization I would take some body shop classes. Under my circumstances I relay on videos like yours to get the job done. 35 years ago when I lived in the city I restored a 69 VW bug. I was able to take welding classes and had help on the project. You have helped me tremendously on this project and I will watch your videos many times. Thank you.

This is the way I learned in 1958, from a body man. Worked great,

God bless you Man :) I just solved a big repair problem with these steps

Very well done! First job was a body shop apprentice 1964. Thats the way the boss did it.

I come to this video just about every time I have a panel I need to shrink. Thank you very much

My dad passed away little over 2 years ago he was a body man for 50 years I was using a propane torch watching you is exactly how my dad did it your video helped me remember going to help me with a job I'm doing

Man, I've been waiting for awhile for someone to put out a no bullshit video about doing this.

When done correctly, as you explain, it's also great for correcting rippling warpage of flat panels resulting from welding them at the seams, like machinery covers and suchlike. In this case, (2D ripples, rather than 3D domes like you get with car body panels) it is best not to use the hammer at all. You often see this used at the factories where railway carriage side and roof panels are built. The edges are all shortened because welding them into the job causes the same shrinkage (by the same mechanism) as flame straightening. So they do a matrix of spots all over the panel except along the edges, to shrink it as well, so it goes back to being flat. Shipbuilding is another case where (say) the decks are built up of welded panels which have almost no curvature, but they still have to be flame straightened after welding.

As a 42 year old journeyman iron worker who is starting a new apprenticeship in auto body and with a strong love of the old school stuff, let me thank you wholeheartedly for sharing your knowledge! I would imagine this is still a solid method when working on the old school stuff or anything prior to say 1990's? keep up the great work on this channel! cheers.

When I was a teenager I worked in my Uncles Bodyshop and he specialized in Buick cars and the sheet metal was huge on those Electras and Park Avenues of the 70s and any time we straightened a panel we had warpage and distortion and we always would use this method to shrink the metal....it works and I do believe its a lost art form.

Excellent video, just the way I was taught by my Tradesmen, back in 1977, that's just how we were trained, cheers again for the video, *****

Much appreciation, I live in Alaska, been doing PDR and paint repair for car Dealerships for 25 years. It's a good living. 😊

Really appreciate the reminder 😊

That is exactly how my dad taught me how to do this. Thank you. Great video Sir.

I used this technique on the grills of an old 1939 John Deere Model B tractor. The originally flat sheet metal was oil canning. Worked great. Thanks for sharing a lifetime of knowledge and experience.

I am sure there were high schools that had shop plus tech trade schools. Did have shop class because there wasn't any. Trade schools were 60-80 miles away so I had to wait 52 years for this video and KZfaq to be invented. I just wish Al Gore had invented the internet sooner! Good, straight forward info using a torch to allow metal to move...the right direction and know! Thanks! DK, Omaha.

Thanks a bunch. It seems like I've been searching forever to get some information on how to do this.

thank you I was going to make some big mistakes.great presentation.

Greg, thank you for showing me how the pros do it. I was going to attempt to get a dent out of my car as a DIYer with very little experience. Your videos helped me confirm that if I want good results, I need to trust the professionals. Bodywork is an art and an acquired skill.

Thank you so much! Struggling with a project and really needed this🙏

thanks for the info...I always in the past used a propane torch and when I got done I had a bigger mess than when I started...will try this method out tomorrow on my 34 chevy fuel tank cover that I had to make some patch panels on and now have a few lumps and bumps that need to be shrunk back into place

Thank you it's good to see the old school gets the job done helped me a lot Cheers

Haven't seen you since MS, 100 years ago. God Bless ya Greg. Look healthy bud. Doing a good job. I like your videos.

Thank you for sharing this video

Great video! Thank you!

Great video

A great explanation, thanks for the tips mate 😀.

Great video ,donit that way for years!!!!

That's what I called educational thank you for sharing your knowledge whit me

Excellent video!

Just picked up that book on thrift books!

This works especially well when you can't get a dolly behind the panel.. or have left your oxy-acetylene set in the oxy-acetylene shop.. in cases such as that, the theory goes out the window & you grab your map-gas torch, a wet rag and work in tight circles... which does the same thing, erm, just because. But it's nice to know what "The Ideal" is, none the less. Good video.

Man that was cool 👌🏻

it's funny how you think you know how to do something, until you watch someone that actually knows what they're doing. i'm restoring a 65 442 convertible and let's just say, you're videos have really helped. now lets see if i can get my over stretched metal shrunk.

You got it RIGHT !.... WELL DONE ! I do those shrinks even smaller and cooled a lot faster, in 50 + Years of working with metal and repair damages , it NEVER let me down . Just think of those poor guys using shrinking disks or other methods ....I feel sorry for them , and by the way...those shrinking hammers that you mentioned, are only good to tenderise steaks !

Great

Nowadays a panel beater(sptiznagel or dentfix or whichever brand you like) with a shrinking tip gives a nice controlled shrink but it's not something that's available to the home gamer. I haven't shrunk steel with a torch in well over 10 years at this point. Still this is good material and shows basic techniques and principles, as a professional I approve.

Good afternoon Gregg, you are the first instructor to reveal the proper procedure for removing oil canning. I have seen so many people not raise the oil can up prior to heat shrinking and just as you say it is concave beyond saving it. What was the name of your instructional manual that you used in trade school. I am never to old to learn. Thanks for another excellent video. You take care and have a great Memorial Day weekend.

just purchased a volkwagen passat for 25 hundred. 5000 miles on it a clean title. from the center of the windshield to the center of the back glass it had a pole fall on it. no broken glass. kinda deep valley though. Use this technic or pull the glass and re roof it?

Thank you for once a tradeperson or craftsman showing the right way not using tones of crap over the repair the way we were shown how by tec teachers

😎👍 I will try it . Well I have to working on a Vw with the can issue

Good tested and true old school method. Maybe if you could get your hands on a panel beater or a carbon shrinking tip you could make a video on that? I tend to use the shrinking tip on the panel beater, it’s a slower shrink but very controllable.

Good job. So you don’t use a disk?

Thanks for this video. I have a spot the size of a softball in the middle of my hood that oil cans up and down. Seems to favor the low position more. Trying to figure out if it can be repaired correctly. 1968 Mercury Cougar.

Great instruction, thanks! What is the title of the book you show at the start? I would love to find a copy.

I use my stud welder, with no stud, press down pull the trigger let off spray... shrinks like a piece of cotton.

Could a TIG welder work just as well as OxyAcetalene? I'm thinking it may be safer when putting it down and grabbing the hammer.

I FINNALY found out the name of what I caused.oil can! Door with 6 inch gash/pushed in 1/4 inch I barley got a dolly inside hammered with several hammers. I wonder if heat would change it. It pushed right back in/as u know/ With less crease but 7 inch bubble! I though /crap /if it'll stay in allways/I'll fill it! Thanks

Hi, great video! Are you using hammer on dolly when you're striking the heated area and then center?

Great info and techniques.. Question: I understand not using the propane alone, what about it being used with oxygen? I use that instead of acetylene. Can this work?

Are you using covex or concave part of dolley on backside and hitting directly over the dolley? Awesome by the way

😎👍

How do you think using a shrinking disc compares to this proceedure? Thanks!

I would like to know the Title of that book , if you don't mind , I am never to old to learn something new Frank T

im sure it didnt pull the pillars inward.

What about using a stud gun w a heat shrink tip?

Where did u just throw the lit oxy acetylene!!

Hi Greg what is the name of that book you showed?

I'd like to buy that book, trouble finding. Anyone know its ISBN or other specific info to help find and buy? Is there a newer available book with same content? Thank you!

Hi , your work is so good 😊 Can You show me book 📕 name Please 🙏 ?

What about cases were you don’t have access to back to use a dolly?

what about where you can't get behind the panel and it's a smooth indentation quite large ?

What was the name of that book in this video?

I use an oxy/propane set simply because of the cost. Would that be OK? Acetylene bottles are outrageous and for what I do propane is usually just fine

Will this work with aluminum sheet metal as well? Im working on a boat and the transom is warped pretty bad

We can use propane torch on alu panel?

Have a roof with huge oil can, how do you fix that, can’t get to underside?

Would a butane torch with the small nozzle?

What is the name of the book?

Great info….. What book did you have??.

Can you tell me the name of book

Lost art for sure

What that book name

nevermind. great video. Im gonna re roof it.

👍👍✅🚗

That’s different from the way I was taught. Maybe that’s why it never worked for me

This is not a DIY video. Most people don't have a torch like you have but most people do have a propane torch which just as good if you set the flame correctly, (getting the smallest, hottest flame you can), and a pick hammer to hit a couple of times at the ctr. of the heated spot. Than, quickly cool it down. I use iced water with a rag.

about the only place you can get a dolly behind the metal is a fender. maybe get lucky on a quarter panel (gotta have long arms)