Contrary to what you may have heard, PDR is not that hard to do. It does take a lot of practice to become expert and efficient, but most people can master it without too much trouble.
There are a few basic principals that you need to understand and learn to put into practice. You need to have patience. You need patience while you are learning, and you need patience every time you push out a dent once you have become proficient.
The first thing you need to learn is to see where you are pushing. This might be hard to believe, but even with the largest tool tip, you can see where you are pushing to within a millimeter once you learn how.
It’s not too hard to see where you are working in a clear space on a panel where there is a normal amount of flexibility in the metal, but as soon as you get into a dent where there is more tension, it gets very hard to see where the tool tip is, and you need to learn the “trick” so to speak. It gets even harder when you have a dent near an edge or fold in a panel. There is more tension in the metal and you don’t get just the right amount of flexibility that helps you to see where you are pushing.
The most common problem people have in trying to learn PDR is that they rush in a bit and want to be able to get a dent out too fast. This just can’t be done. I’m one hundred per cent sure that every PDR tech has kicked himself in the butt a few times for thinking “this is just an easy dent” and then proceeding to try to remove it too fast, and spending more time fixing mistakes than it would have taken to just take the time to see what you are doing and remove it properly.
You can multiply this many times over for a beginner who is struggling to see and understand what is happening anyway. You need to take your time and listen to what you are being taught and proceed with the same approach with every dent you come across.
You’ve no doubt heard the saying, practice makes perfect. Well I don’t think that is quite correct. It should be, proper practice makes perfect. If you’re not practicing correctly, then all you are doing is practicing your mistakes.
I can teach you how to do PDR. It’s not the same for everyone, so I can’t say exactly how long it will take, but the end result will be the same. Everyone has a different learning curve and I understand that I need to pick up on it and adjust to any particular problem that might arise to make sure you get your moneys worth.
Training can be arranged with a lot of flexibility to suit your needs. Some people with enough practical experience can be on the way after one or two lessons, and then a lot of practice on their own. Many panel beaters, car detailers and others buy tools and get help from me by email and over the phone. I don’t charge anything for this as I have pre prepared material to send step by step to get you started.
Even if you are planning on getting trained, I still recommend starting this way as you will be already familiar with the tools and have an understanding of how to begin to remove dents. This can save at least a day of one on one training.
The cost is $500 for each day as well as your own travel and accommodation. After you’re done, I'll give you all the help you need over the phone or email at no extra cost to progress to the stage where you are confident to go out into the trade.
The amount of training needed varies for everybody. In my experience it takes one to three lessons to get to a stage where you are confident to remove small dents and then plenty of practice as you progress onto more difficult dents.
No one can teach you how to remove all dents. You learn this on the job, because every day you get different dents. You start with what you can manage confidently. Ten to twenty cent piece size and small creases, and then tackle the harder dents as you get more experienced.
You also need to have good eyesight. If you wear glasses, that’s perfectly ok as long as you are confident that they are giving you normal vision.
Feel free to call me on 0418 543 315 if you have any questions you would like to ask about PDR training. Otherwise email me, and I will get back to you.
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