doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Any tricks with Brownell's hydraulic dent raiser?

I'm considering one of Brownells english made dent raisers, that's the type that uses hydraulic pressure on a shoe - for lack of a better term - to push the dent out from the bore. Reading Brownell's catalog, a watch out is to avoid too much pressure which can reverse the dent and bulge the barrel. I'd appreciate any comments by anyone on this board who owns one of these tools. Do you raise the dent slightly above the exterior surface of the barrel, then let it rebound? Or do you just raise it even with the O.D. and it stays there? Are there any tricks in using it I should know? Thank you.

Stop when flush with the OD of the barrel. Learn how to use the hammer, its the key to lifting dents. I much preffer using gage pins o lift dents.
Steve

As Steve said, AND read the directions.

Dogfox, I don't want to walk on your thread but I need my memory refreshed about what guys are turning down for plugs under dents. Is mild steel the way to go? Gage pins in sets seem kind of expensive unless you just happen to own them. I know about the brass hammer and tippy tapping around the periphery of the dent. Got a new Philly SW 16 with crease dent about 5" behind the muzzle in right barrel. I've had Mike Orlen remove dents a couple times but these barrels are not in the best shape inside or out so I figure I'll give it a shot this time.

jack

I have used my 2 Brownells (16 & 12) a few times.

I use a good grease on the shoe, I'll put it inside the barrel if I can reach it, to keep from galling.

You raise the shoe to just contact the dent, so it can't turn in the barrel. Then using a small brass hammer you tap around the dent until the shoe comes loose. Raise the shoe until it contacts and tap again. Keep doing this until the dent is raised to flush.

I have found that sharp dents usually will leave a small mark unless refinishing the barrels is in order. Some softer, rounder dents practically disappear.

Remember, the shoe doesn't raise the dent, it just supports it while you tap the metal around the dent back into place.

You need to use a smooth polished hammer with the dent raiser. If you try to do it by hydraulic alone you are sure to bulge the dented area. The shoe only gives you a solid anvil to get the metal back to where it started from as best as possible. Grease is a very good pointer as well. I try to do minor dents in two or three steps. Go slow and take your time.

Less expensive than gauge pins - get a set of screw in choke installation (steel) pilots from Colonial Arms, and be sure to polish the face of your brass hammer....never tap on a dent with a hydraulic dent raiser in place....the anvil of the tool has a very thin and fragile shaft and is easily broken...

Interesting - two differnt concepts on how to use the dent raiser: 1, use it to push the dent out... 2, don't use it to push the dent out, just use it as an anvil.

I'm thinking #2 is the way to go, that's what Brownells cat description says. <tongue in cheek-so much for reading the directions>

Any other comments from men who've used one?

I have rasied at least 50 dents using the anvil aproach. Not to be a smart-ass, I respect Mike O a lot, and I have to admit that I may have been wrong in how I used the dent raiser. It has worked for me and others but Mike O has probally raised more dents than I ever raise and it is his bussiness to do it right. Maybe there is no one right way to do it. In any event go slow and polish the hammer face until it is smooth as a babies butt. Plugs work well but many of us do not have a metal lathe in the shop to make a series of plugs. His tip on steel pilots is a good one. You can see them for sale often on Ebay.

Several years ago I picked up the English (Brownell's) dent raisers in 12 and 20 gauges from an estate. I knew the previous meticulous owner and the original instructions were in each set.
Being relatively inexperienced and not knowing enough to "know better", I read the instructions prior to use, then I read them again. I asked myself how I could screw this job up (as I ALWAYS do), and the only way I could envision was to go at it too aggressively and push out the dent(s) to the point where I would create a bulge. I went at it "slow and easy" per the instructions and all went well. Good job.
Have since done several more similar jobs, and have pushed out the dents just fine - no problemo.