I have a quite-badly crooked rim. By that I mean, that I could not true it only by tensioning spokes correctly. This being said, I am very hesitant to put it in the trash.

I wanted to use it on a beater bike. I do not need it to be dead-straight.
A friend told me to bang it back to almost normal, then true it.
By that he meant, bang it on a wooden surface and not with a tool ; bang it where it is most out of true.

Another friend says he's been running on a banged-back-to-life front wheel for part of the summer and didn't need to even true it since.

What is there to be said about this method ? I've been searching the net, but w/o any luck.

Thanks.