Dent in radiator shell

W

wrndln

Well-known member
I have a problem with a 28 radiator shell I had replated recently. There is a shallow dent in the indentation (inward step) near the crank hole. The pictures below show the dent. I thought the plater would take care of it, but he didn't. The first picture is taken through the radiator opening looking down at the bottom part. You can see the dent in the center of the first picture. The second picture shows the dent where the small reflection is on the top part of the shell where the small lip is. The dent does not have a sharp corner, but a more softer curve. My question is: What is the best way to remove or at least minimize the dent? I was thinking of taping the front of the shell to prevent scratching the nickel and using some wood or metal pieces and with C clamps tightly clamp the inner and outer wood or metal, hoping the dent would be flattened. I spent some big bucks on the replating and don't want to mess it up. Other than the shallow dent, the shell looks great (the crank hole is a little off, but the crank hole cover will make it not seen under normal circumstances. Thanks in advance for any suggestions on how best to try to take care of the dent.
Rusty Nelson

Dentinrenickeledshell3.jpg

Dentinrenickeledshell2.jpg
 
That's a hard one when you have stretched metal near edge after chrome.

Easy enough beforehand.

Have you asked plater what he will do about it first?
 
I would be careful not to use any metal objects in trying to relieve the dent. It is not clear in your picture what the dented area is. I would try using two pieces of wood on either side of the dent that are mated to the finished contour you are trying to achieve and then using a "C" clamp to apply pressure gradually to try to ease the dent. Stop periodically to observe the results before adding more pressure. You might rather live with the dent than making it worse by trying to eliminate it. Good luck.
 
loumo said:
I would be careful not to use any metal objects in trying to relieve the dent. It is not clear in your picture what the dented area is. I would try using two pieces of wood on either side of the dent that are mated to the finished contour you are trying to achieve and then using a "C" clamp to apply pressure gradually to try to ease the dent. Stop periodically to observe the results before adding more pressure. You might rather live with the dent than making it worse by trying to eliminate it. Good luck.
Click to expand...

This is good advice but I would put felt or something soft and smooth on the wood blocks to protect the new chrome. You need to work very slow here as there is a real good chance of making it worse. Upwards of 90% I would say.
 
Rusty,

Your wife is going to love this one. Put the shell on the bed and work it with your
hands. Wear a new pair of those cheap cotton gloves or an old clean cotton diaper.

Dudley
 
I would leave it. Nickel is a very brittle metal when plated and will almost definately crack when bent. The crack may not be obvious either, until moisture gets in and corosion rears its ugly head. And just so you don't hang it on the plater too much, most are not panel beaters, and as a former plater myself, trying to explain to some customers that their item is not 100% is harder than ramming your head through a brick wall.
 
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