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Doing heat stained Headers


Ragnar

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First Decide whether you want IRON, STEeL, STAINLESS,CHROME, WHITE HEADER PAINT, OR Rapped HEADERS.

FOR Cast iron headers: First prime them black, then mist on some red oxide, leting it specle the black, then take brown ink that you have thined with about 6-8 parts thinner to one part ink, and do a light wash over the complete header, let this dry and then use a slightly heavier brown ink wash, starting at the area where the pipes connect to the engine exaust ports and fading the ink lighter as it gets furthe from the ports. Then if you wish to show that at sometime the header was subject to extreme heat(Like when the engine has been ran lean) you can take blue ink that has been thinned 8 parts thinner to 1 part ink and do a fade wash starting at the exaust port and getting lighter as it goes away from the exaust ports along the front side of the pipes.

For Steel headers: I first spay them with Testors Steel Metalizer and let them dry over night. The I do a light brown wash starting at the engine exaust port end of the pipe, let this dry, and then do a very thin blue ink wash on the front side of the pipes fadin it as it gets futher from the exaust ports. Use the same Thinning ratios as before.

For Stainless Steel I preffer ALCAD Stainless Steel, but you can also get good results with Testors Stainless Steel Metalizer. The staining method is the same as for the Steel Headers.

For Chrome Headers: First let me say that I don't like the chroming on the kit headers, so I usually remove it with Purple Power, so that I can clean up the mold lines, etc. The I either Spray them with the ALCAD CHROME SYSTEM, or I send them to be Chromed. Either way the Staining method is the same as the Steel Headers.

If You are using solder, or silver wire: all you need to do is buff them well, and then use the same method as above, but you will need to build up the stain with lighter coats, as solder and wire has a slicker surface.

For Rapped Pipes: First rap them using 3/16 Drafting tape and then spray them whatever colour you want them to be, I normally paint them white that has had a Couple of drops of tan added to it. when the paint is dry, give them a thin was of your thiinned down brown ink. then if you want to make the ares around the exaust port connection look like it has gotten very hot, you can give this area a very thin wash of Tamiya Smoke.

Painted headers: For white painted headers, First spray them with an off white, after they are dry, give them a wash of brown ink starting at the exaust port connection area and fade it lighter as it gets further from the exaust ports. You can also use a very thin blue wash on the front of the pipes but do it very very lightly.

Tom

Edited by Ragnar
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