SHRINKING
- Shrinking can be done in two methods namely:-
(1) Cold shrinking
(2) Hot shrinking
(1) Hot shrinking
- Is a process in car bodyworks where as the name suggest heat will be involved,
while "shrinking" is the process of straightening a metal section.
- This is a method of panel beating where a panel is first heated to make it softer.
In most cases heating will be done by use of the oxyacetylene flame.
- One of the most important skills in the repair of damaged
panels is that of hot shrinking.
It is important because in most cases of collision causing
the damage of body panels, stretching of the metal takes
place.
- The actual process is carried out by gathering the stretched
metal into a common centre or area and then by heating this
section. The panel steel is then at its best condition to be
hammered down, thus reducing the surface area and so
making shrinking possible.
- The oxy-acetylene flame is used as a means of heating the
panel, and care must be taken to reduce the spread of heat
to the surrounding area of the panel.
- This can be done by cooling the panel with water after every
shrink. The advisable welding nozzle size when using for a 1.00
mm panel is a number 2 nozzle.
Tools required for hot shrinking
- The tools required are as follows:
Wire brush The wire brush and scraper are used in preparing the panel prior to
shrinking. With the scraper any anti-drum or underseal compound must be removed
before applying the heat.
Mallet or shrinking hammer The mallet face has a soft surface much larger than that of
a planishing hammer. If used together with a suitable dolly block it will bring the metal
down to a level surface whilst hot, and also avoid stretching the panel as the mallet is
made of wood and not metal like the panel hammer. Another tool that can be used is the
shrinking hammer; this is similar to a planishing hammer but the faces have cross-
milled serrations, which reduce the tendency for the hammer to stretch the metal
because of the very small contact area between the points on the serrations and the
panel.
Planishing hammer This should be used to complete the shrink after malleting, as the
hammer is better for levelling out the surface of the panel than the mallet.
Dolly block This should not be fuller in shape than the actual panel being repaired. Also
it should be of a rather light weight so that it forms a relatively weak backing for the
malleting, thus reducing the stretching during the levelling operation. A grid dolly has a
serrated face to reduce the possibility of stretching in the panel.
Damp cloth This is helpful in checking the spread of heat, thus reducing the risk of panel
distortion.
Hot shrinking process
- Locate the highest point in the stretched section of the panel with which you are working. Light the torch
and heat the spot to approximately 10 mm diameter in the centre of the high spot or stretched area to a
cherry red, using a circular motion when heating the spot. Be careful not to burn through the metal by
overheating.
- As soon as the spot is cherry red place the shrinking dolly (grid dolly), which is usually fairly flat, under the
spot and strike several sharp blows with a mallet around the heat spot; this will force the surplus stretched
metal into the heat spot.
-Then the blows are directed on the centre of the heat spot, which pushes the metal down while it is still red
hot. At all times the dolly block must be held loosely against the underside of the panel, exactly centred
under the heat spot. After four or five mallet blows, the last being on the centre of the heat spot, the heat spot
will turn black, and should be quenched immediately with a water filled sponge. Repeat this operation
taking the next highest spot in the stretched section of the panel, until the bulge or fullness is finally shrunk
down below the level of the surrounding surface.
- It can then be brought up to its correct level by planishing with a hammer and dolly and then finishing
with a panel file.
The following points should be noted:
1 Never quench a red hot heat spot; wait until the metal has
turned black.
2 Never heat an area greater than that which can be hammered
with mallet and dolly.
3 Never use anything but an oxy-acetylene welding torch for
heating a stretched section.
4 Never attempt to shrink a panel until it has been roughed out.
5 Always hammer the stretched section outwards before
applying heat.
6 If the stretched part of the surface is small, make a smaller
heat spot.
7 It is possible to shrink metal without quenching each spot.
However, the shrinking operation is much faster when each
spot is quenched with
water, as fewer heat spots are required if the heat expansion
is drawn out by quenching than by additional spots.
8 In some panels it is possible to use a spoon for the backing
tool for the hammering operation, especially on door panels or
over inner constructions.
9 When performing a shrinking operation, take care to avoid over
shrinking the panel. This will cause the metal to warp and buckle
both in and out of the stretched area, owing to overheating of the
stretched section. If this does arise, heat a small spot in the area
where the panel is buckling, apply a dolly block or spoon with
enough pressure to hold the buckling section up, then allow the
metal to cool. Do not use the mallet or water in this case. In
extreme cases like this it may be necessary to repeat this
operation in several different places in the buckled section.
(2) Cold shrinking
- This is a method of panel beating where heating is not done to the stretched panel.
This method is mostly suitable for integral cars with integral body panels.
- Cold shrinking is another method of repairing stretched sections on vehicle body
panels.
- In this case a hammer and special dolly block are used in conjunction with one
another. This dolly block is a shrinking dolly and is shaped like the toe dolly but has
a groove running along the full length of its top face. The dolly block is placed under
the high spot formed by the stretched metal of the damaged panel and the panel is
hammered down into the groove with hammer or mallet to form a valley, care being
taken not to make the valley any longer or deeper than is necessary to draw the
stretched metal back to its original contour.
- The valley formed is then filled using body solder, which is filed to give a good
finish.
- From the reverse side of the panel it will be seen that a rib has been formed,
which will in effect give strength to the damaged area should this be required.
- This method is also most useful in reducing welds: the weld on the face of the
panel is depressed into the channel of the dolly to form a valley below the line of
the face of the panel.