The hammer and dolly are very basic metalworking tools, but remarkably useful ones. Here’s an excellent nine-minute video tutorial on how to make them work for you.

When you walk into a modern auto body or fabrication shop these days, you are liable to discover a fortune invested in sophisticated metalworking tools, but rest assured: You will also find that the simple hammer and dolly are still in frequent use. We don’t know when or where they were invented, but it’s fair to guess the hammer and dolly probably date back to the earliest days of the Copper Age in 3500 BCE.  And today, the use of these tools is among the first skills taught in auto body classes. The hammer and dolly are still that essential.

We’re not saying you will become a master of the hammer and dolly by watching this nine-minute video from Lakeside Autobody, but the introductory lesson does do an excellent job of demonstrating the basic principles. With this info and a little practice, you really can handle basic metal straightening tasks with surprising ease. And who knows, it might just might light a spark. From here you can find countless more videos, books, and classes on more advanced skills, such as making your own specialized dollies and hammers for specific applications. But it all starts here with the basics. Video below.