When you’re a beginner at TIG Welding there’s a lot of steps to go through to lay a nice weld down. Getting a setting incorrect, or setting something up just a little off can be the difference between a gray mess of bird-turd welds and rainbow colored stacks of dimes. […]
Tag: tig 200
A Crash Course on What Makes up a TIG Torch
A TIG welder can be an overwhelming tool to learn to use and master how to control. Learning how the basic steps to assemble and set your TIG torch up can be the first step in laying stacks of dimes. Below we give a crash course on the assembly of the TIG torch.
Project Pile House- Shaving the Door handles
Since guys have been customizing cars, shaving the door handles has been one of the most common modifications to make the car look as smooth as possible. This process can be a pretty simple process, but there are a few things that can make it go smoothly. I decided to show the process on Project Pile House.
How to Fit Seat Sliders to Your Hot Rod Seat
The older the car you’re working on, the harder it can be to find usable parts you need. This becomes increasingly difficult when you get into cars that were short production or year runs. The iconic 1932 Ford is the most covenanted cars to build a hot rod out of. Being that they are a one year only body style, parts get expensive quick (especially original parts!). The seat slider mechanisms for an original ’32 Ford seat are as rare as hens teeth and command a pretty penny when you do come across one complete! Recently my friend Ace asked me to help with the task of getting his reupholstered original seat to bolt into the car AND slide easily. I decided to take some photos along the way and show our low-budget (and fairly low tech) fix.
How to build a gas tank from scratch- Save Money and replace that Rusty Tank!
Now that we’re thawing out here in Eastwood country I’ve decided to get this old gal back on the road and I decided to tackle the mechanics. The problem with any “barn find” like this is that they normally have mechanically deteriorated just from sitting for so long. Normally people don’t plan to park a vehicle for a long time, just until they get time to fix it up. This means all of the fluids are left in the vehicle and those fluids over time tend to break down and cause issues. The worst thing to do if you park a vehicle for a long period of time (more than 6-8 months in my opinion) is to leave fuel in the tank. Over time the fuel breaks down and turns back into it’s original fossilized state. The temperature changes and the gas in the tank also promotes corrosion over time and the tank eventually rots out.
The Black Art of TIG Welding Aluminum- Crash Course Edition
Tig Welding can be a black art if you start on your own with no direction. All too often we see first time TIG Welders struggle with the basics and this can lead to frustration and a long learning process. TIG welding aluminum can be more difficult than steel; even with a simplified TIG welder like the Eastwood TIG 200 AC/DC. Aluminum tends to be less forgiving and there are some simple steps you can take before, during, and after the weld that can help you successfully weld aluminum. I decided to throw together a few common mistakes and corrections for beginners when learning the “black art” of TIG welding aluminum.
How to repair a damaged Aluminum Alloy Wheel
In this part of the country (Mid-Atlantic) cars, wheels especially take a beating during the winter. Slippery roads, corrosive salt on the roads, and potholes that could swallow a small child wreak havoc on your automobile. The cost to replace a damaged aluminum wheel can be VERY costly. In the classic car world wheels may be obsolete and impossible to replace if you have a damaged wheel. I decided to tackle repairing a badly damaged aluminum aftermarket wheel I have had stashed away for years.
How to shave and metal finish your firewall with Empire Fabrication
Shaving or smoothing the bodywork on a custom car has been one of the most popular modifications since the beginning. Shaving door handles and trim or side marker holes are the most common things to shave on a project car, but close behind that is smoothing or shaving the firewall. Sean of Empire Fabrication has gotten REALLY good at shaving and smoothing cars. So much so that his finished projects require basically no body filler at all and can be primered and block sanded straight away. Sean recently took the time to snap some photos and give us the rundown on how he tackles a firewall shave project. The donor vehicle is a VW Eurovan that he has already drastically customized. So grab a drink, sit back, and watch how to do the job right with Empire Fabrication.
Scratch building a Ford Hot Rod to Scale- Building a skeleton
Recently product developer Mark R. decided to build a 30’s Ford Hot Rod to scale. The process would be fun and it’s going to allow him to test a number of the new Eastwood Metal Fabrication tools and accessories we have coming down the pike. We figured we’d document the process and give you some sneak peaks at new products along the way.