Auto Bodywork Course

Lesson 1 • Vehicle Anatomy and Panel Identification

Maps structural and cosmetic panels on a vehicle body to build accurate repair vocabulary. Learners can locate and name any panel before attempting repairs.

Lesson 2 • The Panel Beating and Vehicle Refinishing Industry

Overview of career paths, shop types, and industry standards in panel beating and vehicle refinishing. Establishes professional context before hands-on training begins.

Lesson 3 • Damage Assessment Fundamentals

Introduces visual and tactile inspection methods to classify damage severity. Accurate assessment guides all subsequent repair decisions.

Lesson 4 • Hand Tools and Power Tools

Identifies and demonstrates correct use of common hand and power tools used in panel repair. Proper tool handling prevents injury and ensures quality work.

Lesson 1 • Understanding Metal Behaviour

Explains how steel and aluminium deform under impact and respond to heat and force. This knowledge guides every straightening decision made in the shop.

Lesson 2 • Slapping Spoons and Body Files

Introduces slapping spoons for large-area straightening and body files for revealing high and low spots. These tools complement hammer-and-dolly work on complex curves.

Lesson 3 • Hammer and Dolly Methods

Teaches on-dolly and off-dolly hammering techniques to raise low spots and lower high spots. Correct technique minimises metal thinning and distortion.

Lesson 4 • Shrinking and Stretching Metal

Covers heat shrinking and mechanical stretching to correct buckles and stretched panels. Learners restore original panel shape without adding filler.

Lesson 1 • Paintless Dent Repair Principles

Explains the physics and tool mechanics behind paintless dent repair for preserving factory finish. Learners assess which dents qualify for this method.

Lesson 2 • Hail Damage Repair Workflow

Applies PDR skills to multi-dent hail damage patterns across entire vehicle panels. Learners develop efficient routing strategies for high-volume dent repair.

Lesson 3 • Conventional Dent Repair Process

Outlines the full sequence from initial pull to final metal finishing for traditional dent repair. Establishes the baseline process before introducing paintless alternatives.

Lesson 4 • PDR Rod and Pick Techniques

Develops hand skills for pushing dents from behind using rods and picks without disturbing paint. Precision pressure control is the core competency practised here.

Lesson 1 • Rough Shaping and Block Sanding

Develops skill in rough-shaping cured filler with a cheese grater and block sanding to final contour. Systematic blocking reveals high and low spots accurately.

Lesson 2 • Glazing Putty and Final Smoothing

Applies thin glazing putty to fill pinholes and scratches before primer. Learners achieve a defect-free surface ready for the paint process.

Lesson 3 • Mixing and Applying Filler

Teaches correct hardener ratios, mixing technique, and application timing to avoid pinholes and air entrapment. Consistent mixing is critical for uniform cure.

Lesson 4 • Types of Body Filler

Compares polyester, lightweight, fibreglass-reinforced, and finishing fillers by application and strength. Choosing the correct filler type prevents premature failure.

Lesson 1 • Corrosion Protection After Repair

Applies weld-through primer, cavity wax, and seam sealer to prevent rust in repaired areas. Corrosion protection is the final step before cosmetic finishing.

Lesson 2 • MIG Welding for Panel Repair

Teaches MIG welder setup, settings, and technique specific to thin automotive sheet metal. Correct heat input prevents burn-through and warping.

Lesson 3 • Panel Fit and Alignment

Develops skills for fitting replacement panels to correct gaps, flushness, and body line alignment. Proper fit is verified before any permanent attachment.

Lesson 4 • Panel Removal Methods

Covers spot weld drilling, cutting, and adhesive release techniques for safe panel removal. Minimising damage to surrounding structure reduces repair time and cost.

Lesson 1 • Sanding Sequences and Abrasives

Establishes correct grit progression from bare metal through final primer sanding. Skipping grits creates scratches that telegraph through topcoat.

Lesson 2 • Block Sanding Primer to Final Grade

Develops block sanding skills to level primer and reveal any remaining surface defects. A perfectly flat primer surface is the foundation for a flawless topcoat.

Lesson 3 • Cleaning and Decontamination

Covers solvent wiping, clay bar use, and tack cloth application to remove all surface contaminants. Any remaining contamination causes paint adhesion failure.

Lesson 4 • Spray Gun Setup and Primer Application

Teaches spray gun adjustment, fluid tip selection, and application technique for even primer coats. Consistent film build prevents sanding through primer during finishing.

Lesson 1 • Blending and Panel Painting

Covers blending techniques to fade new paint into adjacent panels for invisible repairs. Blending is the professional standard for partial-panel refinishing.

Lesson 2 • Clearcoat Application

Teaches clearcoat mixing, application, and wet-edge management for a high-gloss, durable finish. Proper clearcoat technique prevents solvent pop and orange peel texture.

Lesson 3 • Colour Theory and Paint Systems

Explains colour theory, paint chemistry, and the basecoat/clearcoat system used in modern refinishing. Understanding paint systems prevents mixing and compatibility errors.

Lesson 4 • Colour Matching and Tinting

Covers paint code retrieval, spectrophotometer use, and manual tinting to achieve accurate colour matches. Precise colour matching eliminates visible repair boundaries.

Lesson 1 • Identifying Paint Defects

Catalogues common defects including orange peel texture, runs, sags, fish eyes, and dirt nibs with their causes. Accurate diagnosis determines the correct correction method.

Lesson 2 • Wet Sanding Defects

Teaches wet sanding with fine abrasives to level orange peel texture, runs, and dirt nibs without cutting through clearcoat. Controlled sanding depth is the critical skill.

Lesson 3 • Machine Compounding

Covers rotary and dual-action polisher use with cutting compounds to remove sanding scratches. Correct pad and compound selection prevents burning or hazing.

Lesson 4 • Polishing and Finishing

Develops polishing technique to refine the surface after compounding to a high-gloss finish. Finishing polish removes compound haze and micro-scratches.