Hot shrinking is a process in car bodyworks. As the name suggests, heat will be involved, while "shrinking" is the process of straightening a
metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
section. This is a method of
panel beating
Panel beater or panelbeater is a term used in some Commonwealth countries to describe a person who repairs vehicle bodies back to their factory state after having been damaged (e.g., after being involved in a collision). In the United States an ...
where a panel is first
heated to make it softer. In most cases, heating will be done by use of the oxyacetylene flame.
Hot shrinking process
Locate the highest point of the panel, light the torch and heat the spot to a cherry red. Strike the area using a mallet around the heat spot. After several blows the sop will turn black, quench it immediately with a damp cloth. Repeat the process around the heated spot until the stretched part became fully shrinked.
See also
Cold shrinking
Cold shrinking is a process in motor vehicle bodyworks. Compared to hot shrinking, cold shrinking is a longer but nevertheless more preferred method most common especially with larger stretching areas. Cold shrinking is mostly done by use of a dol ...
- a longer but similar process
References
{{Reflist
Motor vehicle maintenance
Automotive terminology