About Richard Routson

Richard Routson started pushing dents with Dentmasters in 2003. He is a local route/retail tech based in Arlington, Virginia. He focuses mostly on individual retail customers, body shops, and service centers. Check out his website and PDR Nation reviews.

MTE 2018 in a Flash

          The 17th annual Mobile Tech Expo recently changed ownership and moved from a Thursday-Saturday format to Friday-Sunday. The new owners definitely run a tight ship and promoted the show very well. I made a quick trip and joined the show mid day Friday to Saturday night. Here are a few [...]

PDR Tool Review: Elim-a-dent 18 volt Glue Gun (Makita version)

James Lee has delivered another excellent product from Elim-a-dent tools. This cordless glue gun operates on 18 volt Makita power tool batteries. The design, build quality, and operation are all excellent. Dual Temp 375f High 325f Low LED indicator for Low High/Temp setting USB 2 amp output for charging usb 5v devices (ie. [...]

Tool Review: Mobile Tech RX (PDR estimating/invoicing software)

Dentmasters recently starting using Mobile Tech RX for automotive hail damage estimating after a series of severe hail storms damaged thousands of cars in the Washington, DC metro area. Check out my video review of the new iPhone version of Mobile Tech RX.                

ASA and NAPDRT conduct aluminum PDR study

Any paintless dent repair technician or auto body man who has worked with aluminum knows it is a totally different beast than steel. Aluminum body panels have been used on certain luxury cars for decades. However, more and more cars are moving towards aluminum, due to its light weight and comparable strength to steel. Ford's [...]

By |2017-05-27T02:11:59+00:00June 8, 2016|Education, Industry Trends|

How to get more individual retail PDR clients

When most people first learn paintless dent repair, they gravitate towards wholesale dealership and auction work, because it's quick and easy. Plus, the large volume of cars and not so picky customers allow a new technician to practice and improve his skills while learning the tricks of the trade. The next step for highly skilled [...]

Mobile Tech Expo Tool Haul & Review

with: Richard Routson, Dentmasters (Arlington, Virginia USA) Wow, MTE 2016 was fantastic. What a fun and educational experience? For those that don't know, the Mobile Tech Expo is an annual conventional for individuals in the mobile automotive reconditioning industry. It is a great event to see old friends, network with like minded companies from all [...]

By |2017-05-27T02:12:02+00:00February 1, 2016|glue pulling, PDR tool review, Tools, Video blog|

A New Approach to Hail Storm Management, with Ryan Hampton

interviewed and written by Richard Routson Ryan Hampton has been repairing hail damaged cars for 14 years. Similar to other guys in the industry, Ryan’s paintless dent repair journey has been a long winding road of personal and professional growth. Those that know the talkative PDR networker now, would hardly recognize the timid quiet painter [...]

PDR Glue Guide: temperature range and strength

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 [...]

By |2017-05-27T02:12:06+00:00January 14, 2016|Education, glue pulling, Industry Trends, technology|

PDRtalk tech spotlight: Dan Ontrop

interviewed and written by Richard Routson Age: 33 Started PDR in 2010 Hail technician (United States) Lives in Danridge, Tennessee USA PDR Nation certified in 2013 Vale certified in 2015 www.danodents.com The Discovery Dan was a BMW technician from 2003-2010. He always noticed  the “dent guys” that serviced the dealerships he worked at but never [...]

By |2017-05-27T02:12:06+00:00January 2, 2016|Hail, PDR journey, tech spotlight|

James Lee brings Pro Grade quality to the PDR light game

with: James Lee, Elim A Dent Tools (Georgtown, Texas USA) written by: Richard Routson, Dentmasters (Arlington, Virginia USA) Having a reliable and effective PDR light is essential in producing high quality paintless dent repair results. For a dent guy a fog/line board or PDR light is the number one tool in our arsenal. Without a [...]

By |2017-05-27T02:12:09+00:00October 26, 2015|How to, Industry Trends, tech spotlight, Tools|
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