Powder coating is a great way to create a durable finish on many projects, but it is considerably different than traditional painting. Because electric charge is applied to the powdered paint, one unique challenge is a phenomenon called the Faraday effect. Sometimes also known as the Faraday Cage effect, this occurs when the electrostatic charge […]
Model Building Is Key To Connecting Generations
Christmas was already a couple weeks ago. The tree is down, the cookies are gone, and all of the returns have been made (well, almost all). And now it’s time to enjoy the gifts we received. On a whim, I cracked open a model kit that I’ve had sitting on my shelf for several years. […]
Pro Tip – Chase Those Crusty Threads
The restoration process is about more than just taking a vehicle apart and putting it back together. It’s about total reconditioning, and quality restoration shops often spend more time doing work that’s never seen. Occasionally the professionals share their secrets with us, and here is one such example. It’s no secret that eliminating rust is […]
Five New Year Resolutions for Car Enthusiast
Out with the old and in with the new. So long 2023. It’s 2024 now, and you know what that means. Yep, it’s time to make some meaningless New Year’s resolutions. But what if, instead of promising to start working work out, eat more healthy, or spend more time with family, you make a resolution […]
Selecting the Right Metal Tubing for Your Brake and Fuel Lines
Whether you’re restoring a classic car or building a custom machine from scratch, numerous decisions will come up that will require serious consideration. Among them is the choice of which type of tubing to use for brake and fuel lines. It’s a choice that influences not only the vehicle’s safety and performance, but also its […]
How to Clean Your HVLP Paint Gun
You can tell a lot about a person by how they treat their workspace and tools. The same can certainly be said about how a painter maintains their paint gun. After all, modern HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) paint guns are precision tools that count on clean surfaces and optimized airflow to deliver a perfect […]
Bagged C-10 – Episode 2: Making New Air Compressor Mounts
With the suspensions air tank freshly powder coated, work on our video producer Adam’s 1985 Chevy C-10 pickup project continues. As with other elements of this decade-old build, time has not been kind to some of the exterior hardware. The next components of the Air-Ride suspension to get his attention are the air compressors and their […]
Organize Your Workspace Before You Dig Into That Restoration
You finally got that project you’ve been dreaming about building. But the more you look at it, the more you realize it’s going to need a lot of work. In fact, it might need a full restoration – body, chassis, mechanicals, interior – the whole enchilada. That’s the situation I encountered with my current project, […]
Six Ways to Add Structure and Stiffness to Sheet Metal
Whether you’re repairing a vehicle or fabricating something from scratch, you’re likely to work with sheet metal eventually. From fenders and doors to battery trays and truck beds, it makes up most of a vehicle’s non-mechanical components. The problem is thin, flat metal doesn’t offer much in the way of strength by itself. Enhancing stiffness […]
Watch as we Build a Roll Cage from Scratch
If you want to get serious about racing, you’re going to need safety equipment. And one of the most important devices is a proper roll cage. It not only protects the driver in a serious rollover crash but also serves as the most secure mounting point for the safety harness. And as an added bonus, […]