#2 Hudson Tansey
===
[00:00:00] All right, guys, welcome back, uh, Gene Petty with the Automotive Appearance Institute with the All Access Podcast. Uh, we are live at the PDR Expo at the Plaza in beautiful Las Vegas. Uh, it's been a great show all day. Uh, and we have Mr. Hudson Tansey. You maybe remember him from one of our chat GPR sessions we did at Anson.
Well, he is back. And, uh, his new tornado tabs are out. So I wanted to grab him. They just launched this last week or so. Yeah. And talk about, um, uh, how they got started, uh, what you're seeing and all that good stuff. So Hudson, welcome to the official podcast. Heyo. So, uh, thanks for agreeing to come on. Uh, we're going to talk about your tornado tabs.
Yeah. Uh, and your new glue. Yeah. Um, you sent me, was the, were the originals like 10 millimeter? They were 10 millimeter. That was the pilot production. Yeah. So Hudson sent me a 10 millimeter to test. I think your [00:01:00] instructions were try to break it. Yes. Uh, I'm sure we'll put a link to the videos. You've got like a 15 minute montage of me trying to.
We bent it. We couldn't break it. Yeah. We bent it. Uh, we put it through the paces. Uh, that was all pre production or or pilot pilot. Yeah, right. So now they're here. They're live. Um, we get rid of these. Let's talk about them. So what? First of all, right, we're doing audio and video. Yeah. What makes these tabs special?
What? What's the What's the thought? What's the design? Tell me about them. So the inspiration behind the tornado tabs were every dank guy, or I would say most dank guys, if they're glue pulling regularly, they have dealt with a stretched out dead center tab, right? Stretched out tabs are great. They have the stretchies and they, there's this miracle that happens.
I don't know what it is about it, but they, uh, they last longer and they pull harder. It's like magical. [00:02:00] It's like magical, right? And so we're, I, I went to KECO and I go, I want to capture this magic. I want to capture this magic, bottle up. put it in the tab, right? Right. And, uh, so we, we did that. We feel that we have captured some of that magic, right?
Awesome. And so with that, with the tornado tabs, so this is like our variety pack here. Uh, this has two of every, every size and we've captured. that magic to where we have some that we feel has a dead center pull, right? That pulls pretty wicked hard and also lasts pretty wicked long comparatively to other dead center.
So let's, let's talk about dead center for a second in case people don't know what dead center is, right? Forever, all shafts on all glue tabs, yes, were the same. Let's call it about a quarter inch, right? Sure. Give or take. Yeah. Uh, and then it was, I remember talking to Chris with KECO, maybe 2016, 17. Yeah.
[00:03:00] They started playing with, uh, varying shaft sizes. Yes. Right. Smaller face, smaller shaft. Yeah. Uh, that's their dead center line. With a flexible head. Right. That, that, that smaller shaft, uh, invites flex to the head. So instead of a flat pole, it's a, it's a center pole basically to, so this was preventing volcano.
Right. We've all had a volcano of a dent where the, the dent would pull up, but the center is still down like a volcano. It looks just like a volcano. And, uh, we want to prevent that. You want that dead center to pull up and then you knock it down flat and you're golden. Yeah. And so with dead center technology.
That's what they did, and it's been great. Yeah. Um, but also, we had to realize that we're doing plastic versus metal. And we are pretty, we are pretty, um, what's the word? Spoiled? And the PDR industry, we're definitely right. We're spoiled the majority of our tools last us. Like I've got tools [00:04:00] that I use that I did when I started 18 years ago, I would say most, most tools are almost a lifetime tool.
Exactly. And we've been spoiled with that. Right. Yeah. And so now we finally, in our industry have something that. Isn't going to last a lifetime. Now I will say this, like KECO lifetime warranties, all of their super tabs and non dead center tabs. Correct. And the original design of KECO, uh, dead center tabs was a finishing tab where you would go and use the big beefy boy to pull up a bulk amount of metal.
And then you would come with your dead center and do that last little bit to finish your tab. Yes. But we don't got time for that. It's not how we roll. That's not how we roll. So we're over here gripping and ripping with dead center tabs with these, these thin, thin shafts that, you know, and I feel like anyone that's listening right now, we've got some giggles going with the word shaft.
Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Just shaft, shafty, shafty [00:05:00] shaft. Yeah. Pull the head and the shaft. Pull the head and the shaft. Yeah. So, but they were meant as finishing tabs, not as your start tab. You would start with a, like a gangrene. pull it right and then finish it with a dead center. Well we've kind of married those and we married those.
So there's two concepts that we've married and a beefy boy tab with a dead center tab. And we've also tried to recreate some of that magic of the stretched out tab. Right. So I remember sitting at dinner, it was actually at MTE Vegas, their predecessor to the PDR expo. We were at dinner at the steakhouse.
I'll come by. Uh, at, um, I can't remember the hotel that MTE was at. Anyways, we're sitting there, uh, and some of us were discussing with Chris White, that Mr. KECO, or the owner of KECO, about the magic of the stretching tab. And Chris is a flaccid sky, not a dent guy. Yeah, yeah. Right? So we're talking, and he's like, It just doesn't make any sense.
And I said, Chris, I'm [00:06:00] gonna grab the next random dent guy that walks by and I'm gonna ask him about a stretchy tab and we're gonna leave it there. Yeah. John Renstrom. Oh, John comes walking in. Yeah. Love that guy. And, and I'm like, Hey John, what can you tell me about a stretchy tab? I bet you have one in your box.
And he's like, oh, I have whatever it was. Yeah, yeah, man. I've this gangrene 13 millimeter. It's stretched. There's something magical there and I know that Chris even he's like, I'm gonna talk to some engineers and see if what's going on And it never wants anywhere and maybe yeah, maybe it's not truly duplicatable with the stretch I think your design when I saw your video the other day Yeah for the debut and you said hey, I'm really trying to recreate the stretchy tab.
Yeah, it was like The light bulb went off, and I'm like, it is like a stretchy tap. Yeah. And, and now with the stretch shaft, I do believe, like if we get down to the nitty gritty, the anato, you know, the anatomical, not the anato, the anatomical level. Right. Um, and we talk too much about shafts. I'm saying anm anatomical.
Right. The, you know, a molecular level, you know. [00:07:00] And when you have a stretch, I think there's a work hardness there. And, and we, and we had talked about that. Is, is something happening to the plastic? Is it work hardening? Is it essentially heat treating? Because it always turns white. Yeah. When you pull on the shaft.
Yeah. Stretch it out. This is terrible. This is great. It really is. This is fantastic. We're in Vegas, you know. Right, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Yeah. But, yes, I think you're right that something happens. inside of the plastic changes when you stretch. Yes, for sure. So we know we couldn't like fully recreate it, that magic, but we feel like we've captured a little bit of that magic.
And I've already, I'm exclusively using tornado claps tabs based on all my hell jobs now. And well, I've got a few of my, I got my, my trusted lock of tabs, my little, uh, concave, uh, uh, the concave locket tabs, dude. They're just, I thought about you the other day. I was doing a gnarly rail chop through the body line.
I went over to the, I'm like, where's my locket tab? [00:08:00] Did you use it? I did. And did it work? It did work. It did work. Yes. It works great. Go back and listen to the chat GPR or watch that on the, uh, the website or YouTube to see exactly what we're talking about. So I, I, my area got hit with some hail, you know, I'm in, you know, the Houston region.
And um, so it's hot, it's humid, and I think a lot of hail season weather is hot and humid. Typically, yeah, I would agree with that. I went to Anson, and I talked to Craig at Anson, and I was like, hey dude, look, I got some tornado tabs coming out. They're gonna be a lot of like hail dent sizes, also door ding sizes, but I want a glue that's fast.
Like, I just want to, I can do a wet pull with it, and it pulls, or if I let it set, it really rips. And uh, so they actually came up with, With this formula for me to get to deliver on it. So this is uh, the Tornado Tabs Chocolate Thunder. Nice. And uh, been giving it out and really good [00:09:00] results. Now once it gets below 80, 75, we're uh, we're looking at just, it's gonna get too brittle.
Okay. You know, you can still But it's gonna be super fast. Yeah, but like, yeah, you could pull it faster, you know, but the way I told, this is what I told Craig at Anson. I go, Craig, what's the one I do? I want to take my tab. I'm going to put my glue on it. I want to play some of the panel and the time I turn over here, grab my slide hammer and then come back.
It's pretty much ready to pull. Now it's going to be a wet pool, so it's not going to be like grip and rip, but it's, you're not gonna make that massive mound and the way these dead center, these tornado tabs pull. It's such a sharp pull that a wet pull with that, combined with that, it's a really effective.
Nice. So you're almost backing down a little bit of the pulling power. Yes. By working faster with a sharper pulling top. Yeah. That's sort of the equation. Yeah. These things love aluminum. Okay. Tornado tabs, I think they're with aluminum. They're [00:10:00] exactly, because what do we do when we're pushing aluminum?
What do we go to? The shiner sharp. We want sharp, right? So I want a sharp pull. I feel like these deliver on that. Um, so we do the sharp pulls there and then with that tornado glue, it's just, I've probably worked about like 20 hail cars now exclusively with these and it's just like money just boom, boom, boom, really great pulls, really great, effective efficiency, quick, quick repairs.
Right. Yeah. Right. I like it. We're running out of hot days in Pittsburgh, but I'm going to do my best to try some of this on these tabs. Um, so with the tabs, what is the design? It's a tornado tab. Why do you call it the tornado tab? Tornado tab, there is a taper in the tab. So it's, it looks like that. So it looks slightly like a tornado.
So, right. Yeah. So we have five different sizes, F1 through F5. Right. Okay. Tornado. So if we want to get nitty gritty with it, we get seven, seven millimeter, nine, [00:11:00] 11, 13, 15 millimeter. Um, the seven millimeter will freaking rip. That's awesome. Not with the gluten. I have found It's not as a, it's not a grip and rip.
It's more of a, uh, it's a snap, snappy boy. The way you put the, uh, Robo lifter mini lift. It's a mini lifter one. Whenever I tried like sliding it. I'm not getting as effective of a pull. And now what, so what slide hammer are you using? What kind of way to dent slide hammer guy with a spring dampener. Okay.
So I love that one because that, uh, does that have a heavier body or is that a light body? It's, it's a, it's a medium and it has the option. Like there's a screw on option to add a heavy, sort of like the old school Drew's tools. Uh, lightweight, lighter weight. I made the ultra came out with this. before.
Okay. It's been around for a while. I've been using this one for years and like, I still think it's the best slide hammer on the market because of how versatile it has spring dampening or I can make it as a shock. [00:12:00] And then the head is a pass through head, but it has a little champ that you can click, turn it.
And so it no longer passes through and it captures the slide hammer, slide hammer that was ahead of its time. Yeah. Yeah. I love it. And like, and also like, so the pooling. the little part that slides. Yeah, the, yeah, the handle, the handle. Like you can, there's a little, it looks like a C and you put it on there and it screws in and then it adds like an extra pound and you can just really rip it.
Yeah. Especially if you're doing like an edge or something. Yeah. I love it. It's like red and black. Okay. I'll have to check that out. And I, I use the for hail for rails. I like the KECO mini slide hammer. It's a short throw. It's super light. I still get good pulls. It's too light for me. See, I like it. But I would love to hear, I would love to hear your experience using that with these.
So I use seven and nine millimeter dead center tabs are sort of my go to, yeah, hail rail tabs from Pico. [00:13:00] Uh, I'm going to give those a try and see. I wonder if the seven millimeters would, react differently with a lighter slide. You know? Yeah. Cause really the face is getting so small that there's just not a lot of surface tension to hold.
Yeah. Yeah, exactly. But yeah. And so what we did is we decided, Hey, we're going to go and every it's the same plastic. I've been getting this question a lot. They think it's a different plastic because of the different colors, the different colors. So yeah. Same plastic as in it's your own. special blend of plastic.
It's the ice material. It is. It is KECO ice material that we know is effective and true and does the job right. It has been proven time and time again. This is the hardest pulling. So there's original blue, the solid blue from KECO. Yes. And then there's ice and ice pulls about 25 percent stronger. Yeah.
Pound for pound. So these are ice material, ice material, but we died different with a different coloring. Okay. And what we started with is you start with clear. And then you get to like white, then uh, light gray, dark gray, black. Right. So as the tabs get bigger, they get darker. Then it's [00:14:00] one's the small one.
Yeah. Because man, honestly, like as much as I love my dead, you know, my dead centers, they're all blue. Yes. And like, if you don't like, I have a tab tower that I keep them like lined up in for a hill. But sometimes I just don't wanna do that. I just got like my little willy quick, uh, silicone tray. Yep. And I just like to throw 'em in there and just throw 'em on top.
And now, like, it is great to be able to color code sizes. Oh yeah. That's an F two. Yeah, that's what I need. Oh, that's an F three. Like that's go to town. That's really great. So it's been fantastic. Um, obviously I'm biased 'cause it's my own idea, but Sure. Um, but, you know, but on, on the flip side, like I was telling, I was talking to, I was talking to my buddy John.
John. Yeah. John Krug. Uh, you know, he's in a climate controlled environment where, you know, he's got a shop that's in the seventies or whatever. And he was like, what glue are you using? And I'm using this. And he's like, should I get your chocolate thunder? And I'm like, you know, honestly, man, like everything you're explaining, I think the glue that you're using is exactly what you need.
Right. Right. I have no [00:15:00] problem being the guy to say like, look, this, like, I want you to buy it. Right. Cause you know, I'm a businessman or whatever, but I was like, but honestly, like he's using tab. Well, like, In a controlled environment, like air conditioned environment, where you're like, you know, 75 degrees, like Tabweld.
Tabweld is a strong glue. Tabweld is a great glue. It does a great job. So most glues, most glues across the market shine really well in like, call it 70 to 80, 85 degrees. Yeah. When you start to move to either extreme, that's when you really need to start paying more attention to your glue. Yes. This sounds like.
a higher temperature, higher humidity glue. Yeah. Right. And that's where this is going to shine. Yeah. Yeah. High temp, high humidity. And basically I was like, whatever, since these tornado tabs are going to be used mainly for hell damage and door ding, I door ding. Uh, but for the hell damage this and that season that you're using it in, where it is [00:16:00] hell season in Houston, Houston, Texas, America is hot and humid.
Hell season across the border. So even when you get it in the. Minnesota and Wisconsin. It's hot and humid. It's hot and humid in the summer months when it is. Yeah. And so we're gonna, we want, we want something that's gonna grip and rip. And, uh, we, the, the people at Anson, like they've, they know what they're doing and they made it happen.
Well, Craig's definitely, oh, excuse me, Craig has definitely got it dialed in. Yeah. With the glues. We had a little bit of fun. I don't know if you, if you look close enough, it kind of looks like our Hershey's bar. I remember that logo. We got the, the, the, the glue is dark brown and wants to look like dirt kicking out underneath like a tornado.
Yeah. You know, if you're going to have fun with it, have fun with it. And you went, you went all the way, right? So you have the tornado tabs, yeah. The dirty looking glue. We've got the cow. Yeah. Twister. Cow for twister. We got cows. Yep. Cows flying through the air. I love the branding across the board. I think that's pretty, uh, Yeah.
Pretty fantastic. Have fun with it. Right. Yes. I fi I [00:17:00] am finding that a lot of the younger techs aren't un understanding the cow thing. Right. But the older techs, you know, millennials and up, who grew up with Twister, the Twister movie, where like, they're in the truck and then all of a sudden a cow goes like cow.
Right. You know, the new Twister movie's pretty good Also, I haven't seen, if you haven't seen it, it's pretty good. I like it. I haven't, and I'm dying to see, I wanted to go see it in like four D. Yeah. That would've been awesome. I know I missed the, I missed the boat, but it's good we got it on Prime or wherever and Yeah.
Yeah, it was good. It was good. I've heard, I've heard it's a thirst trap. I've heard it's a thirst trap. I heard there's like a good looking dude in a white shirt. Yeah, of course. Looks like you, looks like you. Well, a little bit. Yeah. The beard, my beard's better. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I love it. Um, so where can we get the tabs?
First off, So, uh, I mean, directly to the source, if you want to KECO tabs. com, you know, that's where they're always going to be. Right. Um, their Anson does carry them already. [00:18:00] Okay. Uh, while I'm here at the expo, I've been having conversations with other companies. So, um, hoping Dentcraft will be carrying them soon.
I'll probably have a conversation with some other companies here in the near future. Um, this, I mean, to be completely candid, like I did the inspection wedge. Which that's all me, right? And so like I just whoever I want to talk to and try to sell it to I just did it. Yeah, this I'm doing in partnership with KECO.
So I'm still trying to learn that relationship of like, do I go and talk to everyone or do they talk to and you know, like, right? What, what, how much? You know, freedom to have. And what I found is like KECO is pretty much like, no, dude, go do your thing. Do your thing. We trust you. Like do your thing. You're not going to.
KECO is a company built by great people. Yeah. They're tied into the industry. Like, I think, you know, um, I, I, I aspired to be a man of good character and I like to also associate myself with other men of good [00:19:00] character. And I feel like KECO as a whole, they've got, you know, Good character, you know, no one's perfect.
People make mistakes, you know, everybody makes mistakes. It's part of me and you. Yeah. Yeah. I make lots of them. And, um, but yeah, so like being to align myself with people of good character. Uh, and so when I think when you do that, there's a little bit more freedom there, right. In that of like, we trust each other to, well, it's that, it's that mutual trust.
Yeah. It really works both ways, so. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So, yeah, that's cool. So yeah, KECO tabs.com and then, uh, anson pdr.com and then hopefully in the near future. You know, I have to have conversations with people, right? But no, there's not like a dent gents store or anything. You know, no, not, not yet.
Uh, maybe in the future I'll try that. I don't know. I'm not, I'm not really looking to, this is just another one of those things where like, I'm not really trying to be a millionaire or even like make a lot of money off of making tools. It's just like, Hey, this is an idea. I'd like to see it become a rally.
It's kind of like a surreal thing. We did that with the wet, the [00:20:00] inspection wedge when I, when I made that, uh, where I had, I wanted some people to make it and they just couldn't deliver. So I said, well, whatever, I'll just do it myself. Right. And so this is one of those things where I was like, Hey, I think.
And he got it done. And it's a great tool. Yeah. And like, I wanted to make, Hey, I had this idea. I want to test it. And I was like, Hey, Chris, even if it doesn't come to market, I will put money down just to test this theory. Right. He's like, all right, Hudson, like, if you really want to test it, I'm like, I'll put my money.
I, even if I lose the money, I don't care. I just really, really want to test this theory. I have. And luckily the test worked out. The 10 millimeters were great. Yeah. They're still on my cart. Yeah. I've got two bags of these. I wanted to, so I ordered them on release day. Yeah. Hopped on boom in and you sent it to the old shop.
They were supposed to be in while they were would have been in if we were at the old shop before I came down so I could put them through the paces before I came down. Yeah. Uh, but I had to email Deseret KECO and say, Hey, I'm an [00:21:00] idiot. Yep. Uh, can we reroute them to me? And she couldn't. I said, well, yeah.
I'll get them from Scott at the show. I knew they would be here. Uh, so we will be going back and putting them on the cart or putting them on, on the cart to test them on cars. Yep. Uh, and certainly keep an eye out for a, a, a full review episode of the tornado tabs and the chocolate, chocolate, chocolate thunder glue, uh, from dent gents and KECO, um, one of the things, so new podcast, right?
Episode two, we dropped some bonus episodes. Uh, we're gonna have some different segments, uh, depending on our mood. One of them is gonna be just a segment, Pure Tech Tips. So, as a seasoned PDR tech, give me one of your favorite tech tips. Doesn't need to be related to glue or anything, just your favorite tech tip that could help.
check out there grinding every day. Okay. [00:22:00] I'm trying to think about, I already, cause I don't want to, I've already gave a few tech tips on the GPR. Yeah, we did the GPR. So let's just stick inside a PDR. And yeah, I gotta, I gotta think of a tech tip for man. I got to think of what, what, There's so many to choose from.
Pick one, just one. We're gonna do a lot of shows, man. Okay, okay. Here's what I like to do. All right, um, you know Tollcutt, right? Yes. Okay, so Tollcutt has a plastic backing on it. Yep. So have you ever come across a Tesla hood or a Porsche hood where there is no, they don't have a heat shield on the I just did a Bronco the other day.
No, he should know each other. Well, guess what? If you're going to put a bunch of scratch marks on it, if you can't glue pool, you're going to have scratch marks, right? Put that toll cut where that dent is and push the dent because it's a strong plastic. Huh? And I guess technically the grit of the paper would give you a little bit of grip.
So you're [00:23:00] not going to slip and slide. That's a good tech tip. You can even put like, if you're sliding a whale tail in there and you don't want that swell tail to rub off. That's what got me the other day was on that. And I prepped the customer for it. I'm like, Hey, you're gonna brush touch this or go by the insulator.
Yeah. Take that, take a used piece of toll cut after you, you know, and put it on the edge. And that's a good tech tip. Yep. I like it. Hudson's toll cut tech tip. Yep. That's a good one. I use a lot of toll cut. I do too. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. I mean, only for the scratches that were already there that I had to cut out and make the job.
Perfect. Dude, I'm at a point now where it's like, look, I'll push it to 95 percent and sand it to a hundred. Exactly. Hey, listen. I hear you. Right. Exactly. I say that in jest, but when you're doing wholesale, yeah, that's pretty much what you have to do. You have to go fast. Yeah, you have to go fast. Yeah, so you're also, uh, go follow your social media.
Are you all at Dent Gents? Yeah, everything's Dent Gents. Back to PDR. Yeah. Uh, so. Dent Gents. YouTube, Instagram, Facebook. You're all there. [00:24:00] It's all Dent Gents. So you are doing some pretty cool content. Uh, you've got it coming out. I know you're working with a video. Uh, you've got a videographer now. Yeah, I mean, I'm not really trying to like, I don't know.
It's just something fun, you know. But have fun, but like, go watch it. Go watch it. It's at Dent Gents. Yeah. On social. Uh, Hudson's a pretty funny guy. I don't know about that, but if you want to say it, I'll let you. Yeah, no, you are. You are. All right. Before I let you go, uh, you sort of started this, this summer with me.
Yeah. Uh, giving me some book recommendations that I have thoroughly enjoyed. Yeah. So how about give the listeners a book? I don't care whether it's business, pleasure, whatever it is, a book that you would recommend, uh, for some of these texts, work and hail that are like grinding all day. You're going to listen to something.
Yeah. What's Hudson's, uh, book? Alright, so here's the deal, um, I would say every human being on earth should, should probably read the book Crucial Conversations. Crucial Conversations. [00:25:00] Crucial Conversations. And what it is, it is, it is a book that helps you whenever things get intense and things get stressed out or You're you and this other person are about to go to blows.
It teaches you and gives you tools to help you get through those conversations without burning bridges and helps you build bridges and get through them. It's a book I try to reread at least once a year. Um, I think if more people were in the, and I say that it's effective in PDR because, uh, the way you communicate with, uh, adjusters, right.
The way you communicate with any customer. Um, it has helped me with. Anytime there's a customer that's getting a little bit unruly, uh, I apply the things I learned there just to chill everyone out. And, uh, we come communicate clearly, concisely and effectively. Nice. So yeah. Crucial conversations.
Absolutely. I have it in my library. I've started [00:26:00] it. Yeah. Struggling with the narrators. I can get over it. I'll get, I'll get, I'll get through it. Do it through it. Just do it at two times, two X, two X and get through it. Maybe that's the game. Yeah. You know, do it at two X. And that, that thing is most of the time I'm listening 1.
5, two X to books. Because if I listen at regular speed, I'll just kind of tone out, but when you're, when they're doing double speed, you're kind of, you have to like actually, Oh crap, I got to listen. They're going fast. All right. I'm going to have to try it. That's kind of what I do. Yeah. All right. Cool.
Yeah. Well, very good. Well, Hudson, thank you so much for coming on to our all access podcast. Can't wait to get back and put these tornado tabs, please do the test and some chocolate thunder glue. Yes, sir. So guys, thanks for listening, watching. However you found us, uh, we're on, uh, Apple podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon podcasts.
Go load us up, leave us a rating or review that helps. Uh, you can follow us at Auto Appearance Institute across the board on all social. Uh, coming up, we've got an in person [00:27:00] training at Anson, October 4th. Uh, you can find out about that at gluepoletraining. com. Get your seat. I've only got a couple of seats left for that.
So check that out. Uh, if you're ready to learn online, gprmasterclass. com will take you to our full online gluepole training course. It's the best thing going out there. So guys, thanks for listening. Catch you on the next episode. Good deal. Awesome. Thanks brother. Boom. Appreciate it. Awesome.