ASME B107.56-2018 — Body Repair Tools

28 10 月, 2026
ASME Standards

🚗 ASME B107.56-2018, published by the ASME B107 Standards Committee on Hand Tools and Accessories, is the stand-alone standard for body repair tools, partitioned from the consolidated striking-tool standard ASME B107.400-2008 and revised. Because body repair tools include both striking and struck tools whose applications differ from the other striking tools in B107.400, the Committee decided to publish them as a separate document — the first edition of B107.56 since its inclusion in B107.400-2008. It was approved by the B107 Committee on February 21, 2018, approved as an American National Standard on July 20, 2018, and issued on January 31, 2019.

💡 The difference between a body repair hammer and an ordinary hammer: body hammers strike struck tools (dollies and spoons) and thin sheet metal — what matters is controlled blow energy and precise face shape, not raw striking power.

1. Tool Categories Covered 📌

The Standard covers three families of body repair tools, each with dedicated nomenclature and typical-style figures in Section 2 (Figs. 2.1-1/2-2, 2.2-1, 2.3-1):

Category	Description	Nomenclature Figure
Body Repair Hammers	Sheet-metal shaping hammers; head face shapes vary (flat, rounded, crowned) to match panel curvature	Figs. 2.1-1, 2.1-2
Dolly Blocks	Backing anvils held behind the panel as reaction support for hammer-and-dolly shaping	Figs. 2.2-1, 5.1.2-1
Body Spoons	Long-handled curved tools that spread blow force over a larger area or reach panels indirectly	Figs. 2.3-1, 5.1.3-1

⚠️ B107.400-2018 consolidated other striking-tool standards (ball peen hammers B107.53, heavy striking tools B107.54, and others) but left the body repair tool provisions as the separate B107.56 — when procuring dedicated body repair tools, cite B107.56, not B107.400.

2. Performance Requirements and Classification 🔧

Section 4 (Classification) sorts each of the three families by type; Section 5 (Performance Requirements) covers the requirements for hammer heads, dollies, and spoons, including:

Material and surface: tools manufactured from steel meeting performance requirements, free of harmful defects and of sharp edges/burrs that could injure;
Hardness: head and spoon faces meet service hardness — durable and dimensionally stable, yet not brittle enough to spall;
Joint strength: head-handle joints withstand specified loads;
Stiffness of dollies and spoons: no excessive deformation under shaping loads.

Tool	Performance Focus	Typical Test
Body repair hammers	Head hardness, face-shape retention, head-handle joint	Striking test (Fig. 6.2-1), static force test
Dolly blocks	Surface hardness, crush resistance without deformation	Static force test
Body spoons	Handle stiffness, face shape, no bending/fracture under load	Typical static force test (Fig. 6.3-1)

3. Test Methods 📊

Section 6 (Tests) specifies the verification tests:

Striking Test for Body Repair Hammers (Fig. 6.2-1): impacts the head in a specified setup to prove the head and handle do not loosen, crack, or detach under repeated blows;
Typical Static Force Test (Fig. 6.3-1): applies a specified static load through a fixture to hammers, dollies, or spoons to prove structural strength;
Hardness determination: working surfaces per ASTM E 18.

The tests are inherently hazardous and require adequate safeguards. Interpretations, Cases, and errata for the Standard are posted on the B107 Committee web page; users should track the latest edition and errata status.

4. Safety Requirements and Limitations of Use 🛠️

Section 7 (Safety Requirements and Limitations of Use) includes:

Body repair hammers are dedicated to sheet-metal shaping; do not strike hardened steel, concrete, or use them as chisels;
Keep fingers clear of the backing side of dolly positions during hammering;
Keep the swing path clear of other people and the work area tidy;
Wear eye and face protection per ANSI Z87.1; pair respiratory and eye protection with grinding and polishing steps;
Retire tools showing cracks, looseness, or deformation.

🚨 Striking hardened surfaces or unintended objects with a body hammer chips the face or throws head fragments. During dolly work, never place fingers directly behind the supported spot — pinched fingers are the most common body-shop injury.

5. Engineering Practice Essentials 🛠️

🔍 Selection: flat panels call for a flat-face hammer with a flat dolly; curved panels need crowned hammers and shaped dollies; choose spoon curvature by panel radius.
🔧 Technique: start light to locate, then increase force; keep hammer blows aligned with the dolly support to avoid “dead blows” that stretch the metal.
📊 Protection: grinding dust requires dust masks and eye protection; repeated striking calls for hearing protection.
📋 Care: keep working surfaces clean and slip-free; check head-handle joints and face condition regularly.

6. Frequently Asked Questions ❓

❓ Q: How is a body repair hammer different from a normal hammer?
A: Body hammers strike thin sheet metal and struck tools (dollies, spoons); head styles and face shapes are designed for panel shaping with controlled force and curvature matching, whereas ordinary hammers favor heavy impact.

❓ Q: Why was B107.56 split out of B107.400?
A: B107.400 consolidates striking-tool standards, but body repair tools include both striking and struck tools with different applications; a separate standard simplifies use, revision, and citation (per the Foreword).

❓ Q: What are dolly blocks for?
A: A dolly held behind the panel provides reaction support for hammer-and-dolly shaping, letting the operator control the blow point and absorb impact to prevent over-stretching the metal.

🔍 Q: What changed versus the 2008 consolidated version?
A: This is the first stand-alone edition after partitioning; nomenclature, classification, and test sections were consolidated and revised, and provisions inherited from B107.400 were reworded so the document stands on its own (details in the Foreword).

ASME B107.56-2018.pdf