This work deals with design, construction and testing of a tool device for the repair of externally damaged pipes. It is aimed for repairing the so called smooth plain dent type of damage, with no reduction in the pipe wall thickness or any damage in the pipe welding. Geometric parameter definitions and required loading for the testing specimens and, the requirements for material properties to the device design and operation were obtained using simplified analytic solutions and finite element modeling analyses. Tested pipes were first numerically evaluated using finite element analyses, comprising thin-wall shell element models with non-linear material behavior, large displacements and surface contact effects. These numerical simulations allowed for the device functioning and loading evaluations, set requirements for the experimental procedure used and furnished a measure for the pipe structural integrity at the experiment`s onset. Experiments were performed on two 355.6mm diameter, 5m long , API class steel pipes: 5LGrB, with 6.35 thickness. Dents were applied to these specimens, monitored by electric strain-gages, by indenter tools with standard cylinder and sphere surface shapes causing a 15% reduction in the pipe diameter. Recovering of each pipe cross-section roundness was then imposed by a designed tool device, restoring its diameter measure to more than 95% of its original (nominal) value. Following this procedure, non-destructive tests were done with the pipes, with no damages in their material integrity found. Considering the obtained numeric and experimental results, a methodology has been proposed for design, construction and evaluation of a prototype device for piping damage recovery with the characteristics of good portability and operation, allowing for its use with remote operated robots (G.I.R.I.N.O./CENPES, for example).