Just finished my 500th dent pull on a quarter panel and the number hit me

I was working on a 2018 Civic that got side swiped, same old story. I had the slide hammer out and was counting the taps, like I always do to keep my mind busy. When I got the last little bit out and stepped back, I realized that was the 500th quarter panel dent I've pulled since I started keeping a log on my phone two years ago. It's not a big deal to most people, but for me it meant I've fixed 500 cars that someone else might have just replaced the whole panel on. Each one of those was a customer saving real money, and me getting better at feeling the metal. It's a quiet win in a job full of loud noises. Has anyone else hit a work number that made you stop and think about the craft?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenixb661mo ago

Oh man, that's a cool number to hit. My buddy who's a carpenter hit 1,000 custom cabinet doors last year. He said he was sanding the edge of one and just knew, without measuring, that it was perfectly square. That kind of quiet win, where the work gets into your hands, is the best feeling.

wood.noah1mo ago

Know that feeling. Hit 300 welds on a single frame repair last month and my hands just knew the rhythm.

nora18421d ago

Perfectly square without measuring" ... that's kind of wild, honestly. @phoenixb66 your buddy must have some serious hours in. I've been roofing for over a decade and I still double check my lines with a chalk line, even when I swear it feels right. One bad cut on a ridge cap and you're scrambling for a whole new piece.