Dented boot cowl

[Rob Murray]

Seems nearly every time I leave my Cub in a maintenance hangar someone puts a few more finger dents in my boot cowl. I'm not talking about the toe bangs a line boy can put in front of the windshield, thinking he's fueling a C185. These are little dents that end up on the lower boot cowl. The fact that Piper used soft tempered sheet metal with only slightly more stiffness than a alum. turkey pan doesn't help matters. And it got me to wondering if anyone has tried one of those 'as seen on T.V' dent pullers. Or is the metal so soft - compared to an automobile - they will make more dents on either side of the one you are trying to remove?

 

[Clay Hammond]

I bet this might work:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/501379/remove_car_dent_with_airduster/

http://www.wisebread.com/remove-car-dents-quickly-and-cheaply

 

[Fuel]

Well I'm going to put a dent somewhere just to try that method. :lol:

 

[sekps]

Another method is to place the end of a hot glue stick in the middle of the dent and carefully heat/melt it with a hot air gun. Let it cool and then pull! When it looks OK, just heat the glue stick again and remove it. Some polishing is needed after that.

It's also a good test of your paint job!

/Mattias

 

[greenhorn]

If my wife's old Toyota doesn't have any dents in it, it will in the morning...i have to try that.

 

[J5Ron]

I have heard of guys putting spray foam on the back side...then spreading it even...firms it up...I am going to try to do it on my exp.

 

[Rob Murray]

If I were building a new boot cowl I think I would move up the hardness scale a notch or two or put a doubler inside the lower edge of the boot cowl.
It's hard to do anything from the inside out on a Piper part because they splattered undercoating on the inside surface for sound deadening. I would also make a lap seam mid way along the underside for access to this area of your Cub.

 

[Rob Murray]

dents

Don't have any dry ice on hand so I tried the hot air and dust remover spray on a scrap of alum. (recommended in the remove-a-dent-from-your-car clip). No joy. Anyone get it to work on dented alum. ?

 

[Steve Pierce]

I have a boot cowl here but I don't think that dent removal trick will work on one that a 26" Goodyear made. :lol:

 

[On Patrol]

Old No.7 buffing compound....works wonders :lol: