There are tonnes of glue sticks to choose from for your glue pulling PDR work. In most cases, we learn which one to use through experimentation. For all of the new PDR techs out there, below are two tips to save you time and money.

Tip Number 1 - Know Which Glue Stick to Use

If you are new to PDR, (and sometimes as a seasoned veteran) you will probably scratch your head when your face with this tough choice - “Which glue stick should you buy?” To directly answer this question is quite simple - “What temperature are you working in?” Why? You will need to know what temperature you are working in because paintless dent repair glue is made according to temperature and this will determine what the best glue sticks for you to buy are! The colour is not as important as where the glue will be used and what it’s best working temperatures are. Glue stick widths are universal and will fit into most hot glue guns, but their lengths vary depending on the company, as does the colour!

As every dent is unique, the temperature you are working in also determines what type of glue (or colour) you should be using. Using the wrong glue for your environment will mean that the glue won’t stick to the panel, or is too sticky, or too brittle and can take forever to get a dent out. Get the right glue and it will pull off the panel perfectly and remove the dent better (and faster)! Since the glue sticks are created for different environments and temperatures it is very important that you make sure that you purchase the correct ones for where you are working to ensure a better pull each and every time.

Let’s go over The Dent Shop’s glue colours below.

Red – The red glue sticks are great for hotter weather. Anything over 20 degrees celcuis and red is best glue for these temperatures.

Black – The black glue sticks are used for all types of weather. Black is our universal glue. It pretty uch works in any average weather conditions (extreme hot or cold and you are better off using one our other glues to save more time though).

Yellow – The yellow glue sticks are for colder climates. If your temperatures are going below 15 degrees celcius, head for the yellow glue sticks.

There is pretty much every type of glue colour available on the market these days. Just make sure you find out:

1. What temperature they are designed for.
2. Whether they have been created with the paintless dent industry in mind. While the glue stick might be cheaper, of the current industry fad, you need to decide if it really works and how much extra time is it taking to use something slightly cheaper, rather than industry-specific?!

Tip number 2 – How to go about selecting your glue Tabs

Okay, we’ve come to the part of this post where people may possibly differ with me but for me (and I say this a lot), glue tabs are more important than most of the other PDR tools you have, after all they are what you are using to actually get the dent out. They determine whether it comes out rounded or leaves a hole in the centre that is too deep to get out. I could right an entire series of posts about glue tabs. I am so passionate about them! 

Glue Tabs come in different colours, sizes and shapes for different usage. With that said, it is very important that you choose the correct/best size of tabs for your use. Also it is important always remember to only use those that are of high quality and provide you with the best, maximum pull. The problem with other tabs in the market (which are not made in Australia and USA) is that they are made of lower grade plastic that does not have the flexibility you need to pull the dent out without creating more problems than you are fixing. They also easily break or won’t even provide that stronghold most of us are looking for when we need to pull the dents.

So, as the harping preacher that I am… The moral of the glue tab story is… Go for quality over price. It might be a little bit more per tab, but you are a professional and need the best tools, it makes your job easier and faster. Buy tabs that are made by people WORKING in the industry. People like me who had their tabs custom made here in Australia and tried and tested them over and over and over again before putting them on the market as a quality product that works, not someone who went to China to get them done for 1/3 the price and 1/10 the quality. I care people! I want your work to be the best it can be! Oh yes, and you do want your tabs to break eventually otherwise they are not giving you enough flexibility to pull the centres of your dents effectively!

Happy tab and glue shopping! Until next time…