Pull-to-Paint: The Process For Maximizing Your Glue Pulling Repair Results

KECO's Pull-to-Paint Process is the best method for successful GPR and will help you maximize your dent repair tools.

Our 6C Process (6 steps) will maximize the results you achieve within your glue pulling service. The process is application-based and focuses on controlling your environment. Successful glue pulling is a direct result of following KECO's process.

GPR is easy to learn, understand, and execute - technicians only need an understanding of the aspects that optimize adhesion and to follow a few simple guidelines for selecting the proper tools for each job.

Training is at the heart of what we do at KECO. If you're interested in booking a training for your shop, attending one of our regional training classes, or have any additional training needs, please follow the link below and submit your request.

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KECO's GPR process will significantly reduce the need for stud welding in your body shop. If you're a PDR tech, beginning your repairs with glue pull will significantly increase the speed at which you can turn jobs around and increase the quality and end result. In either case, the efficiency gains and quality improvements made by implementing just a basic understanding of GPR techniques will improve your shop's efficiency and increase your profitability.

Are You Already Familiar With GPR?
Jump Right to the Step You Have Questions About our 6C Process...

**The following steps are design to be applied to a prewashed vehicle**

  1. Check

  2. Choose

  3. Clean

  4. Coat

  5. Correct

  6. Continue

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Check (1): Repair area for process building

  • Always check OE Procedures before commencing any repair
  • Check substrate/material type
  • Fully Check extent of damage – use of an inspection lamp is recommended
  • Check panel temperature and address any extremes by way of heating/cooling
  • Turn on glue gun and set temperature to 385°F / 195°C (dispensed glue should be smoking hot)
    

Choose (2): Tab | Lifter | Approach based on substrate

  • Select a tab best shaped like the dent or bodyline

Steel

  • Tabs should fit within the edges of the dent. This enables a view of the secondary damage so as to know when upward ‘pull’ of the lifter is sufficient

Aluminium

  • Generally best results are achieved by a flexible tab (Blue material not Ice) - this will help aid adhesion and not lock in any crowns
  • The neck/shaft of the Dead Center Super Tab becomes the effective pulling focus and it is important that the neck/shaft stays inside the dented area, only the flexible edges cover any crowns – choose your tab based on this

 Lifting tool

  • Select a pulling tool based on the amount of precision and control required
  • Where possible, use a lifter where the feet hold down and control the surrounding metal

What pulling tool do I need?

K-Beams = Our bridge pullers provide the most precise pulls on medium to large dents. Techs can place the beams feet on a strong area of the panel and utilize the sustained nature of the tool to keep the pressure on one area while they knockdown around the adhered tab.
X-Large // Standard // Junior

K-Bar = Great for extreme edges on medium to large dents - setup on this tool is quick and your pulls are only limited by the strength of the tech using it.
X-Large // Standard

Robo Lifter = Hail, small dings, or medium crease dents - provide techs with the ability to massage the metal rather than jerking or pulling it up.

Precision Robo Lifter = Specially designed plate holds down the metal around the dent for a super precise pull - preventing volcanoes and limiting the amount of knockdown work required after the pull.

Crease Killer = Pull deep creases out with ease. But, be careful. This tool is so powerful that you can easily overpull your dent and cause more work for yourself.

Slide Hammer = Fast pulls for a wide range of dents - provides minimal control

What knockdown tool do I need?

Shop Our Full Assortment of Knockdowns >>

Red Slapper = huge crowns

    • Use in combination with a body hammer

Blue Slapper = straightening edges

    • Slapper forms to curves

JVF Hammers = medium to large crowns

Black Swan = medium to small crowns

    • Supported knocking

4mm Metal Knockdown = small, sharp crowns

 

Clean (3): Aluminium & Steel

  • Use a cutting compound, either by hand or machine, to clean all stubborn contaminants or wax coatings form the working area
  • Thoroughly clean the panel with minimum 95% Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) - Ideally 99%
  • Thoroughly clean the tab surface with minimum 95% Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) - Ideally 99% 

 

Coat (4): Apply the glue to tabs

  • Heat the panel surface to 120°F / 50°C
  • Flash tab surface over with heat source
  • Fill tab surface entirely with glue
  • Place tab on panel, do not force glue out from tab - Look for a visible bead of glue surrounding tab edge
  • Fill in any gaps surrounding the tab with hot glue from the glue gun directly
  • Wait for glue to set up (see next step for pulling temperature)

Temperature. Temperature. Temperature.

Did you check the temperature?

Your panel temperature, panel material, and glue temperature are VITAL to the success of your GPR repair efforts. These aspects are critical for maximizing tab adhesion.

Glue Guidelines
FLEX Collision Glue - Large & Complex Damage

This glue is ideal for large and complex dents. It’s flexibility and increased setup time equates to a longer working time so you can utilize multiple actions to knockdown while pulling.

HOT Glue - Fast, Small & Simple
This glue is ideal for smaller dents. It’s less flexible and requires less time to setup. This allows you to move quicker with more short pulls.


Infrared Thermometer

Heat Gun

Remember to use a QUALITY glue gun: Your glue must be smoking hot and runny to maximize your adhesion success. We offer a variety of glue guns that all meet the requirement for GPR repairs. Shop glue guns >>

 

Correct (5): The damage correcting process

  • Use infrared thermometer to check for optimal base glue pulling temperature of 85°F / 29°C around bond line of glue then begin setting your pulling device
  • Using your chosen lifter start the correcting process
  • Remember to create use of the double-action process, which creates metal flow, wherever possible by applying slight upward tension to the tab by way of the lifter
  • Knock down highs wherever needed with selected knock down tools – this is the secondary part of the double-action process creating metal flow helping to restore original panel tension.

 Remember to check your ‘spent’ glue for an insight to pulling temperature:

  • If a high amount of very small bubbles is visible in the glue, it indicates the glue was too warm when pulled
  • If the glue is breaking up or becomes brittle, it indicates the glue was too cold when pulled

What do I pull? What do I knockdown?

Use the same process you would if you were stud welding. Lift the lows. Knock down the highs. However, GPR techniques make this even easier with the added surface area of a glue tab when compared to a welded nail/stud.

REMEMBER: You DO NOT need to grind away paint or damage the door any more than it already is. This is one of the primary advantages of glue pull repair over stud welding. Protect as much of the OEM paint as possible and do absolutely ZERO damage to the e-coat.

Just PULL. After the dent has been pulled you can simply knock down the highs. If you're using a beam or other sustained pulling tool, you can keep that pulling pressure on the dent while you knockdown at the same time around the dent.

Increase the quality of your repairs, decrease the amount of body filler needed, protect the e-coat, retain more of the OEM paint job, and STOP STUD WELDING!

 

Continue (6): Proceed on to conventional repair/refinishing

  • Repeat KECO’s 6C process until large damage reduces and reaches the desired level of panel flatness
  • Prepare for filling, remembering some of today’s fillers can be used over OE clear coat by keying with 180P (always check Technical Data Sheets)
  • Sand
  • Repaint

Skim it, sand it smooth, primer it, paint it! That's it.

Steps 1-5 provide you with everything you need to achieve a higher-quality repair than ever before and now you can finish the job however you see fit.

View KECO's 6C Pull-to-Paint Sheet for quick reference here.

If you need any help, have additional questions, and/or want to schedule training, please contact us!