Many of us might be familiar with the term panel beater, but most common people are still unaware of what a panel beater is. People who do body repair work of cars, no matter what model, size or make, are called panel beaters. It is a specialized profession that requires special education and training. A professional panel beater course is based on four years and divided into four parts as well. These courses are based on the theoretical study, particle study, apprenticeship and formal training in actual garage work. No doubt that being a panel beater is a hard and tedious job that requires actual labour and hard work, it also requires a passion for cars and a strong determination. Due to the fact that it is based on handy work and requires a high level of skills and expertise, this job is quite well paid. Repairing something and bringing it back to its previous best state is a work much harder than making something from scratch. It is a complex mixture of art and science with through knowledge of all the materials used in the production of the cars.
Panel beating consists of different techniques and methods that are briefly described below.
• Metalworking
Metalworking is described as an art and form of making various spare parts of the car from scratch. These spare parts can be made to order and modified according to the requirement of the car. Making and moulding spare parts of the car from the scratch sure requires a high level of expertise and only an expert Perth panel beaters can perform this task.
• Filling with putty
Putty is a word most of the people are not familiar with. Putty in car repairing like car scratch repair is made of a highly elastic material that is derived from linseed oil. It is very strong and sturdy material and mostly used as a filler in hollow spaces. It is also widely used to fill in any cracks or scratches on the surface of the car. A good panel beater fills in putty in such a manner that it becomes invisible to the naked eye and can be passed off as a single entity. This putty is also used as a sealant in places where there is an indication of leaks. As a sealant it is mostly used in the engine, to make sure that engine oil, brake oil and break oil shafts are protected.
• Planishing
Planishing is a technique mostly used by panel beater when they want to smooth down any surface area. A specially made hammer is used to smooth down a surface by repeatedly beating the uneven surface with carefully applied force. Timing and force application is of paramount importance in this technique and only an expert panel beater is able to planish a surface expertly.
• Wielding
Wielding is one of the techniques that are initially taught to a panel beater. It is a process in which sculpting and moulding different metals and parts are taught. Wielding is a process used to repair and make small parts from scratch.
