written by: Richard Routson, Dentmasters (Arlington, Virginia USA)
Glue pulling has come a long way since the days of Walmart glue and clunky slide hammers. Traditional PDR methods have always been more accurate and much quicker than glue pulling. However, recent advances in glues, tabs, pulling devices, and techniques have lessened the gap. In the early days of my PDR career I almost never pulled out my glue kit. The method was very inconsistent and time consuming. Wow, have times changed. Now I use glue every single day multiple times a day. So what changed? The technology has exploded in recent years. There are fantastic new lifting devices; assorted tabs of all shapes, sizes, and materials; along with a plethora of brands and colors of glues. Each glue has a specific temperature range and strength. Some work great in cool weather, while others shine in high humidity. The variety of glue is amazing, but overwhelming. My advice is to find a combo that works for you and stick with it. Currently I am using a keco robo lifter with Tab Weld gray, Burro Green Cactus, and all kinds of tabs (Black Plague smooth series, Blehm, PDR Outlet orange). In order to help you decipher the gauntlet of PDR glue colors, temperatures, and strengths James Lee with Elim a Dent Tools and Craig Anson of Anson PDR have created the chart below.
