Technical Dented chrome: how would you fix this?

I got a 50-51 chev front plate guard from a club member. It's cherry (to me, no rust and it was free) except for 2 substantial dings. The bottom one I can finesse out. The top one worries me.




I've got limited tools and metal shaping knowledge, but, I'm willing to give it a shot. What's a plan of action to lose the ding.

 

I would just start whaling on it with my 3 pounder and mash it back to shape. It will mushroom out at the edge , but you can juust file that off. Then smooth it out. If you use heat it my be faster and less likely to tear. IMHO

 

I've not ever tried to do what you need to do but I'd see what size pipe would fit the "good" part of the frame. Then see if you could clamp/hammer it in from the back until it is all the way in. Then "m***age" it, taking the high spots down. May take some polishing like with a flapper wheel??? First impression thing you know. Tim

 

Look.....I take no pleasure in telling you this...but that IS NOT cherry! It IS desirable and repairable. CapeCodBob and I would approach it pretty much the same way. Heating the nastier dent while straightening it will reduce the stretching that has taken place.

A piece of heavier wood, like a 2x6 or a 4x4, make a good backer when straightening bumper parts. More forgiving than steel or concrete garage floors. Also, a piece of metal maybe 3/8" or 1/2" x 2", with one end rounded, like a very blunt chisel, is a helpful tool for something like this.

If you don't want to spend the money to re chrome it, and it already needs that anyway, you can paint it silver again.....no shame in that, it will look much better for having been straightened.

Best wishes with it.

Ray

 

I think Tim has a better plan of action, you can really mess it up if you get rough with a BFH

 

You're doing to need to make a dolly that fits in there and has the curve. Make it a big strong one that you can clamp to the table

 

a challenge indeed. anything is possible if you do not rush and think it through. if your bumper has nice chrome may want to get an estimate from local chrome shop before you take care of the big problems with this guard. new replacements around $125

 

You do realise that it's just heavy sheet metal? You can work it, and shrink it the same way as body metal, it just takes bigger tools and more heat. Before I retired, I routinely shrunk 1/4" steel. Same method as tin, heat a quarter size area, and hammer it down.

 

Yep, as said and if it was 'cherry' it wouldn't have those 2 issues.
Post how it turns out.

 

If you have a friend with a port a power that has a spreader attachment that would be handy to spread it open. Then it would just be a matter of making the top and bottom flat again.

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Good advise. I have some that needs fixed to. I know a guy that supposed to be good at it. Ross suggested the same guy when I asked so must be legit. Hit me up and we can go see him in a week or two after the Nationals

 

Don't overlook the utility of a decent sized adjustable wrench when it come to working this.

Ray

 

I would make a wood form from a good section of the piece, then heat the metal as needed while driving the form thru the channel, the kink will need a lot of heat but you dont want to distort it when driving the form thru

 

I have some big old school monkey wrench that work good on bumpers .

 

I would have flew in on it and at least messed it up a little bit worse before I asked.

 

I've been beating on that **** for 45 years. Like CCBob said never underestimate the persuasion of a BFH. I would use a wedge or any device handy to spread it apart. The crescent wrench idea is good too. I've done that many times. One thing that I have is a 7/8 thick steel table to hammer on. We use a brick hammer as a crosspeen to hammer on the back side. Only use a flat face hammer on the front. You might be surprised by the shrinking effect of hammering it cold, but if the stretched pucker doesn't doesn't smooth out heat it and planish.

 

I would pull the sides out with vise grips or something similar. You will need to go past their original position a little. Then use a solid bar or a thick piece of steel sanded to the correct form. Then hammer it back in place with a body hammer. Not a BMFH. Should turn out fine. I find that more lighter hits won't grow the material like trying get the material to move all at once. Always remember the material wants to return to its formed shape. You just have to help it along.

 

x2
Pound it out as straight as you can, then use a shrinking disc to finish the job.

 

I ended up finding a good one at the round up for a good price. I'll probably use the beat up one to extend the rear of the good one to fill the length of the Caddy bumper it's going on.

 

You should still try to straighten it just for practice and show us how it goes.

 

Mostly all good advice, especially the adjustable wrench plan. It works like magic if you time it right with heating and reshaping. You will need to have a form for the inside.