A lot can be said about a car just from the look of the front end. If you’re looking to ditch those boring vertical or horizontal plastic slats for something that really stands out, there is an easy way to get that sporty wire mesh look without having to shell […]
DIY & How To
How-To Repair a Damaged or Rusted Exhaust System
Unless your car has a factory stainless steel exhaust tubing it is only a matter of time before the elements compromise the integrity and functionality of one or many parts of the whole system. Nothing is worse than the constant ticking sound that is the most apparent symptom of a […]
Metal Buffing Tips and Tricks
Buffing is just the process of smoothing the minor high and low spots on a surface until it is perfectly smooth. Typically it is done with fabric wheels and abrasive compounds of various types. You progressively move from a very aggressive, to a less aggressive compound, and matching wheel, until you polish your piece to a near mirror finish.
Oxy-Acetylene Welding FAQ
What temperature do Oxy-Acetylene welding torches burn at? – Oxy-acetylene torches can burn at up to 6,330 °F, depending on the tip and mixture of gasses used. Compared to the 3,630 °F that a common propane torch burns at, you can see how much better the welding torch is at applying heat. Steel typically melts at about 2500 °F,
Clear Coat FAQ
Clear Coat is just like regular paint with no solids or tints added to it. Modern clear coat paints are formulated to have more gloss, more flexibility, protect better and be more UV resistant than the old solid color/no clear paints that used to be the industry standard.
Rust Encapsulator FAQ
Should I use the Rust Encapsulator as a sealer after treating rusted areas with Rust Dissolver? Can I, or should I just use a primer? – If you fully remove the rust down to clean bare metal with the Rust Dissolver, applying epoxy primer to the areas would be a good way to seal the metal. Rust Encapsulator can also be used in this case, but it should be used in any situation where all rust was not fully removed.
Ditch Those Leaky Header Joints
After you’ve been building and modifying cars for a while there’s some things that you become pretty particular about. It could be just how you like something to look or function, or just an extra step you take to save yourself headaches in the future. One of mine is an exhaust system that’s leak-free and sounds good. I’ve had bad luck over the years of header unions leaking over time. It seems either they crack at the welds or they just fit poorly and leave much to be desired when fitting the rest of the exhaust.
Plasma Cutters & Plasma Cutting FAQ
plasma cutter can cut anything that is electrically conductive, which means all metals. Some metals conduct better than others, or melt at a lower temperature and therefor cut easier, but pretty much all of them can be cut. You would be surprised at just how thick of a piece of structural steel can be easily cut with the most basic of plasma machines.
How to Tune in Your HVLP Spray Gun- With Kevin Tetz
If you have never painted with a spray gun before, or if you have only recently converted over to spraying with modern high volume low pressure equipment, there are new things to learn. Here is a little primer Kevin Tetz did recently for us explaining which knob controls what function, and how to set your gun up before painting.