How To Shrink Sheet Metal With Hammer And Dolly

This is where the tuck shrinking fork from a few weeks back comes into play.

How to shrink sheet metal with hammer and dolly.

The test was to hammer on dolly on one spot and measure what happened. Then twist the handle of the tool to twist the metal around one side of the fork. The metal worker finds the dent in the metal then places the dolly on the back side of the damaged area. To shrink stretched metal you need a wood hammer a dolly a torch and a wet rag.

The idea was that if the hammered metal went up it was being stretched and if it went down it had shrunk. You have to adjust your mind to the concept that when you hammer on sheet metal with a steel hammer onto a steel dolly or anvil that you will expand or increase the surface area by thinning the metal. Using a rosebud torch tip heat the center of the metal to be shrunk. I have identified 14 distinct ways to shrink.

Then remove the tool and move it over so the fork will roll the metal over the other side of the fork by twisting the metal the other direction. Using care and finesse he then begins to tap the metal from the other side using the hard steel dolly as a backing plate for the hammer blows. First use your shrinking hammer and see what you can do to tighten up the metal with that. There are many ways to shrink.

Very important do not let the dolly rebound onto the metal. This will tighten up that specific spot. Use a permanent marker to mark the area you need to shrink this is critical as once you get going you can easily lose the spot. Put your dolly behind the metal use your shrinking hammer and smack the metal using the dolly to absorb the impact and accept the rebound.