Course Title: Automobile Body Work and Panel Beating.

“Automobile Body Work and Panel Beating.” This outline focuses on foundational skills, assuming participants have minimal prior experience. It emphasizes hands-on practice and safety.

Duration: 2 Weeks (Monday – Friday)

Target Audience: Aspiring auto body technicians, apprentices, individuals seeking basic skills in vehicle body repair.

Overall Goal: To equip trainees with the fundamental knowledge and practical skills to safely assess damage, use basic tools, perform minor dent repairs, shape metal, apply filler, and prepare surfaces for priming.

Week 1: Safety, Tools, Damage Assessment & Basic Metal Shaping

• Day 1: Introduction, Safety, and Basic Hand Tools
  • Morning (Theory & Demo):
    • Course Introduction & Objectives.
    • Workshop Safety: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE – gloves, eye protection, ear protection, dust masks), fire safety, safe lifting techniques, tool safety. .
    • Introduction to Vehicle Body Construction: Unibody vs. Body-on-Frame concepts. Identifying different body panels.
    • Introduction to Basic Hand Tools: Panel beating hammers (various faces), dollies (different shapes), body spoons, pry bars, snips, clamps, marking tools. .
  • Afternoon (Practical):
    • Workshop tour and safety equipment identification.
    • Proper handling and care of hammers and dollies.
    • Practice using snips for straight and curved cuts on scrap metal sheets.
    • Clamping techniques.
• Day 2: Damage Assessment & Basic Dent Removal (Pushing)
  • Morning (Theory & Demo):
    • Types of Body Damage: Dents (shallow, sharp, creased), tears, rust perforation, collision impact zones.
    • Assessing Damage: Visual inspection, feeling for high/low spots, using guide coats or reflection lines.
    • Principles of Metal Memory.
    • Introduction to “Push-to-Paint” techniques (pushing dents from behind).
    • Selecting the right hammer and dolly combination for pushing.
  • Afternoon (Practical):
    • Assessing damage on practice panels or scrap vehicle parts.
    • Practicing pushing out shallow, accessible dents using hammers and dollies on practice panels. Focusing on controlled strikes.
• Day 3: Introduction to Metal Shaping – Stretching & Shrinking
  • Morning (Theory & Demo):
    • Understanding Metal Properties: Elasticity, plasticity, work hardening.
    • Stretching Metal: Using hammers (peen) and dollies to expand low areas. Off-dolly hammering.
    • Shrinking Metal: Using heat (oxy-acetylene torch or heat gun – emphasizing safety) and quenching, or using shrinking hammers/dollies/slapping files. .
  • Afternoon (Practical):
    • Demonstration of controlled stretching on practice panels.
    • Demonstration and supervised practice of heat shrinking techniques on crowned/stretched areas on scrap panels.
• Day 4: Refining Shape – Planishing & Body Files
  • Morning (Theory & Demo):
    • Planishing: Smoothing and leveling metal after rough shaping using flat-faced hammers and dollies (on-dolly hammering).
    • Introduction to Body Files (slapping files, Vixen files) and their use for identifying high/low spots and leveling metal surfaces.
    • Introduction to basic sanding blocks and grits.
  • Afternoon (Practical):
    • Practicing planishing techniques on previously worked panels.
    • Using body files to check for and correct imperfections after dent removal/shaping.
    • Basic hand sanding techniques for metal finishing.
• Day 5: Introduction to Pulling Techniques (No Access Dents)
  • Morning (Theory & Demo):
    • Dealing with dents where access from behind is limited.
    • Slide Hammers and Attachments (hooks, screws).
    • Glue Pulling Systems (GPR): Tabs, glue types, slide hammer/puller usage.
    • Introduction to Stud Welders (Pin Pulling): Safety, operation, pulling attachments. .
  • Afternoon (Practical):
    • Demonstration and practice using glue pulling systems on practice panels.
    • Demonstration of stud welder setup and usage (under strict supervision). Practicing attaching and pulling studs on scrap panels.

Week 2: Panel Preparation, Filler Work & Finishing Basics

• Day 6: Panel Preparation & Basic Cutting
  • Morning (Theory & Demo):
    • Removing paint and rust: Safe use of angle grinders (sanding discs, wire wheels), sanders (DA sander basics). Dust extraction importance.
    • Techniques for stripping paint.
    • Safe use of cutting tools for removing damaged sections: Angle grinder with cutting disc, air saw basics. Marking out cut lines.
  • Afternoon (Practical):
    • Practicing paint/rust removal on scrap panels using appropriate tools and safety gear.
    • Practicing straight and curved cuts on scrap panels with angle grinders/air saws under supervision.
• Day 7: Introduction to Panel Fitting & Basic Welding
  • Morning (Theory & Demo):
    • Measuring and trimming replacement panels or patch pieces.
    • Techniques for aligning and clamping panels (butt joints, lap joints).
    • Welding Safety: Fumes, UV light protection (helmet), fire prevention, proper grounding.
    • Introduction to MIG Welding: Machine setup basics, tack welding, running short beads (butt welds). .
  • Afternoon (Practical):
    • Practicing fitting and clamping small patch panels on scrap sections.
    • MIG welder setup demonstration.
    • Supervised practice: Laying tack welds and short butt weld beads on scrap metal strips. (Focus on safety and basic technique, not full welding proficiency).
• Day 8: Body Filler (Bondo) Application
  • Morning (Theory & Demo):
    • Purpose of Body Fillers. Different types (standard, lightweight, finishing glaze).
    • Surface preparation before applying filler (cleanliness, sanding grit).
    • Correct mixing procedures (filler and hardener ratios). Pot life.
    • Application techniques: Using spreaders, applying thin layers, achieving initial shape. Health hazards (fumes, dust).
  • Afternoon (Practical):
    • Preparing previously repaired/welded practice panels for filler.
    • Mixing small batches of filler correctly.
    • Applying filler to practice dents/repair areas using spreaders.
• Day 9: Body Filler Shaping and Sanding
  • Morning (Theory & Demo):
    • Stages of Filler Curing (“cheese,” “hard”).
    • Tools for shaping: Body files (“cheese graters”), various sanding blocks (long, short, flexible), power sanders (DA).
    • Sanding Techniques: Cross-hatching, using guide coats, progressing through grits (rough to fine). Achieving correct contour.
  • Afternoon (Practical):
    • Shaping cured filler on practice panels using files and sanding blocks.
    • Using guide coats to identify high/low spots.
    • Practicing sanding techniques to achieve smooth, contoured surfaces ready for primer.
• Day 10: Final Surface Preparation, Review & Assessment
  • Morning (Theory & Demo):
    • Final sanding and feather-edging techniques.
    • Cleaning the surface for primer (degreasers, tack cloths).
    • Basic masking techniques.
    • Introduction to types of primers (etch primer, filler primer, sealer – brief overview).
  • Afternoon (Practical & Review):
    • Final sanding and feather-edging on practice projects.
    • Cleaning and basic masking practice.
    • Review of all techniques learned.
    • Simple Assessment: Trainees perform a basic dent repair from assessment to filler shaping.
    • Q&A, course feedback, and certification (if applicable).

Notes:

• Safety First: Reinforce safety procedures every day.
• Hands-On Focus: Allocate at least 60-70% of the time to practical exercises.
• Materials: Ensure sufficient scrap panels, hammers, dollies, consumables (sandpaper, filler, glue tabs, studs, welding wire/gas), and safety gear are available.
• Equipment: Access to basic workshop equipment (bench vices, work stands, grinders, sanders, heat source, MIG welder, stud welder, GPR kit) is essential.
• Instructor Ratio: Keep instructor-to-trainee ratio low for effective supervision, especially during practical sessions involving cutting, welding, and power tools.
• Local Context: Adapt tool usage and techniques based on commonly available equipment and vehicle types in Nigeria.
• Beyond Scope: This outline focuses on metalwork and filler. Painting preparation (priming, blocking) is introduced but requires further dedicated training. Complex structural repairs and advanced welding are beyond this introductory scope.