I am ready to make my own headers ... I just like Jack's work and these are
the Rodeck's.... so I wanted them Perfect.... didn't turn out that
way....but they are close now.. ( lots of dents ) part of stuffing a Header
that Big in a stock bodied car.
I was sure they called that Brazing.... cause if they didn't I was totally
lost... I know I am not as good at it as Jack.... watching that guy gas weld
those headers was unreal..... the guy is just a master at it.... he didn't
use a Tig.... and and really didn't use a rod.... always metal to metal....
and cleaning it all out as he went.... the guy is just an artist....I love
to watch anyone who can do something well....
Keith
----- Original Message -----
From: <FastmetalBDF@aol.com>
To: <kturk@ala.net>; <land-speed@autox.team.net>
Sent: Saturday, January 13, 2001 9:42 PM
Subject: Re: APPLES & ORANGES and NOISY OLD PIPES
> Hi Keith, You are absolutely correct ! That is what I explained,
> basically
> ...... You BRAZE with the brass rod & flux ( heat the business end of the
rod
> and stick it in the flux ..... that makes the flux stick to the rod .) I
> have seen
> guys try to braze without doing this ) You WELD with steel rod, when
welding
> on steel, of course, and melt the two pieces being welded into one,
working
> the bead with the angle of the tip, and filling the gap / creating the
bead
> you
> desire by feeding in the rod . When BRAZING steel, as you know, you
> bring the temp of the parts close to a dull red, where the flux and brass
rod
> flow to fill the joint ..... and this is NOT WELDING , as I stated . The
> welding has superior strength, as you found out when your headers
> developed cracks along the brazed area . I found out brazing would
> crack on my collectors many years ago ..... they are subject to the
> vibrations from the sound waves ..... so I gas welded them and that
> ended the problem . Welding header flanges on the inside is a little
> tricky and requires grinding and filing afterward . A nice bead on the
> outside looks good, tho, I think . The flange problem is always there
> because it is considerably thicker than the tubing . On one set of
> headers long ago, I paid a guy to TIG the flanges inside to the square
> to round transition stubs, and then gas welded the rest of the round
> tubing and collectors . It's a lot of work to build your own headers,
> unless they are the "out in the open" short stacks usually found on
> blown dragsters . There are so many well built headers available
> nowadays that I do not think it makes much sense to make your own
> unless you just WANT to do them, or you HAVE to custom fit them,
> as our installation of the rat motor required . Making headers from
> bends and straight pcs requires more measuring, fitting, cutting, filing
> and beveling time than the actual welding time, and you take the
> headers off and put them back on so many times you think you' re
> gonna wear out the threads in the heads ! The jigs used by the
> manufacturers for production models make it somewhat easier ......
> but I' ve never had to resort to jigs . You can weld short pcs of angle
> iron to the ends of vise grips to hold straight pcs, and the flat side
> of bends ( 90 * from the curve ) together while tacking them ..... this
> helps a little . As to the MIG wire being hard, Howard Nafzger is
> right ..... there is an EZ grind wire available now ..... I only learned
about
> this while on a visit to Darrell in the Bay Area in 1999 . I like to
check
> out
> welding supply places, among other places like speed shops, etc., and
> they had it at this weld supply house right next to where all those
> Liberty ships were built, during WW II, by Kaiser Shipbuilding, in
> Richmond, California . The " souvenirs " I bring home from my trips
> usually come from these Bay Area tool stores / weld places, and not
> from where Mary Ann buys her trip mementos ..... isn't it funny how
> women don' t get too revved up over tools or speed goodies, etc ?
> Well, now that I think about it .... I don' t get too excited over
> the shops she likes to frequent ..... but that' s how it ought to be,
> right ? WHAT has this got to do with gas welding ? Nuthin '.
> You BUY your headers, anyway, so you' re all set !
> Bruce, hiding out at my 'puter in this cold spell .....
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