How to Use a Picking and Dinging Hammer

A picking and dinging hammer is a very useful hammer for auto body repair. One side of the head of this versatile hammer has a long, pointed tip and it is the picking side of the hammer. The dinging side of the head has a short, flat or slightly convex end. You use the picking side for banging out small dents and the dinging side for hammering out larger ones. Holding a flat rubber or metal block, known as a dolly, against the outside of the dent while you ding or pick from the inside gives you the best results.

Instructions

1

Hold your dolly securely against the outer painted surface of a dented car panel. Make sure you are wearing safety goggles before you begin using your picking and dinging hammer.

2

Turn the hammer so that the picking side faces the inside of the dented panel. Hit any small, deep dents (between the size of a dime and the size of a quarter) with a few short, intense blows until the dented metal is as flat as possible.

3

Turn the hammer around. Hit larger dents with the dinging head so that the dented metal compresses against the dolly and straightens.

4

Repeat the process for all dents and finish as necessary with a finish hammer such as a rubber mallet. Repaint repaired dents once you fully straighten the metal and fill any holes or dents that cannot be removed by hammering with body filler or fiberglass mesh.