P0WERWAGON
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Armedsask said:
Aluminum AR180B lower. *Update DONE!*
- Thread starter Armedsask
- Start date
Thought I'd give an update.
The lower has been on hold while I tried to come up with a design for a new upper. Seems I cut the mag catch holes and slot in the right spot but for the wrong rifle. It's located in the AR15 location but the AR180B mag catch needs to be lower.
A couple days ago the answer to the mag position fix hit me like a ton of bricks. It was so simple I kicked myself for not thinking of it sooner. Just make a new mag catch. So I did. All of half an hours worked saved me hundreds of dollars and countless headaches.
The new mag catch will sit in a larger slot and position the magazine lower in the receiver. Simple yet effective.
The lower has been on hold while I tried to come up with a design for a new upper. Seems I cut the mag catch holes and slot in the right spot but for the wrong rifle. It's located in the AR15 location but the AR180B mag catch needs to be lower.
A couple days ago the answer to the mag position fix hit me like a ton of bricks. It was so simple I kicked myself for not thinking of it sooner. Just make a new mag catch. So I did. All of half an hours worked saved me hundreds of dollars and countless headaches.
The new mag catch will sit in a larger slot and position the magazine lower in the receiver. Simple yet effective.
You said nothing to me about the mag catch window. 
The slot is cut in the exact perferct right spot where I wanted it cut. It's perfectly done. I didn't screw it up.
Problem is with the plans, they were drawn up wrong.
The slot is cut in the exact perferct right spot where I wanted it cut. It's perfectly done. I didn't screw it up.
Problem is with the plans, they were drawn up wrong.
Pure Energy
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Thats a pretty sweet project! Now, because you are making your firearm from scratch what are you gonna call it when you register it? Im just guessing it wont be classifed as an AR180B because you built it from scratch, just going on the 180 design right?
It will most likely be classed as an AR180B variant.
The mag catch fix worked perfect! The rifle just needs some final fitting and the upper will mount and I'm confident the rounds will load flawlessly. I could have had it mounted today if I was able to take the whole upper with me to school.
The mag catch fix worked perfect! The rifle just needs some final fitting and the upper will mount and I'm confident the rounds will load flawlessly. I could have had it mounted today if I was able to take the whole upper with me to school.
Bolt cylces and strips rounds from the magazine!
Upper is mounted. Strips snap caps flawlessly. I've put 20 or 30 through with only one or two failures to feed on last rounds due to the magazine.
The bolt rides tight and sticks at the back of the reciever. You must physically move it back and forth. This is due to not enough play between the upper and lower, this was expected. I left about .002" oversize so I can file to fit. This thing is going to sit snug with zero play. Right now the two ears on the side of the upper hold the rear of the reciever nice and snug. You have to push the upper closed. I'll sand the sides of the tower down a hair to loosen it up.
One neat little feature I stumbled upon by accident is the front of the front pivot hole. I didn't round the lugs to R1/4" as the plans called for, as such the upper won't pivot freely forward. It's only pivots high enough to remove the bolt from the back. This is kind of neat but doesn't give much access to the trigger and mag area.
Pictures!
Stock just placed there to give you an idea of the finished product.
Upper is mounted. Strips snap caps flawlessly. I've put 20 or 30 through with only one or two failures to feed on last rounds due to the magazine.
The bolt rides tight and sticks at the back of the reciever. You must physically move it back and forth. This is due to not enough play between the upper and lower, this was expected. I left about .002" oversize so I can file to fit. This thing is going to sit snug with zero play. Right now the two ears on the side of the upper hold the rear of the reciever nice and snug. You have to push the upper closed. I'll sand the sides of the tower down a hair to loosen it up.
One neat little feature I stumbled upon by accident is the front of the front pivot hole. I didn't round the lugs to R1/4" as the plans called for, as such the upper won't pivot freely forward. It's only pivots high enough to remove the bolt from the back. This is kind of neat but doesn't give much access to the trigger and mag area.
Pictures!
Stock just placed there to give you an idea of the finished product.
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NavyShooter
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Wait a minute....
That looks like the host portion of a bullpup stock!
Look, it even has the pistol grip forward of the magazine well and action!
BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just kidding.
Looks pretty sweet amigo. Keep up the good work. So far, the extent of production off my lathe/mill (Sherline 4400) has been 5 little brass cannons, and I'm just finishing the trunnions tonight, once the kids are in bed.
NS
That looks like the host portion of a bullpup stock!
Look, it even has the pistol grip forward of the magazine well and action!
BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just kidding.
Looks pretty sweet amigo. Keep up the good work. So far, the extent of production off my lathe/mill (Sherline 4400) has been 5 little brass cannons, and I'm just finishing the trunnions tonight, once the kids are in bed.
NS
Actually, you'd be wrong.NavyShooter said:
The bullpup comes after the standard configuration is made. It will be much simpler. Two sheet metal sides sandwiching some milled blocks. Either way, I'm still amazed at how easy this thing is to make. I'm surprised more people don't build their own AR15's. I'm using simple, basic milling technique.
I'm slowly tweaking and re-working the plans everytime I find something that needs changing. Maybe I'll cut you a deal on a set of plans when they are done.
I was cutting a nice 3/16" radius so the 45 degree cut would blend nicely into the vertical surface. The ####ing ball nose end mill broke on the last cut! That is what happens in a teaching shop, you use cutters that have already been stressed by the complete numbskulls I "learn" with. You have no idea how pissed off I was.spi said:-10%
Oh, I almost forgot... Get bent!
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You can fill that in with liquid aluminum and clean it up. You are getting this lower anodized afterwards, aren't you? Probably would be unnoticeable.
BTW I admire your work. No one would think you are learning as you go.
BTW I admire your work. No one would think you are learning as you go.
Armedsask said:I was cutting a nice 3/16" radius so the 45 degree cut would blend nicely into the vertical surface. The f**king ball nose end mill broke on the last cut! That is what happens in a teaching shop, you use cutters that have already been stressed by the complete numbskulls I "learn" with. You have no idea how pissed off I was.
Oh, I almost forgot... Get bent!
Excuses excuses.But stuff like that can happen - and the strange thing is it will happen out in the workplace too, where people are supposed to know what they are doing: guys using endmills as drill bits, grinding aluminum on the bench grinder, lubing their cars with the $200 lithium grease... oh, I got stories all right.
That's what I was thinking. I'm going to get it anodized and then Armacoated by Barret Arms. Should be able to fill in with something during one of those steps.Ripstop said:
What is this liquid aluminum stuff you speak of?
Armedsask said:
If you get down to your local Crappy Tire store, look in the automotive department for liquid metal. They have various types for bunged threads and the like. You should find the liquid aluminum there. It is aluminum powder in some type of epoxy. More aluminum than epoxy though. I think that it would anodize. Either that or find someone with a mig welder and some aluminum welding wire. Liquid aluminum would be easier and possibly cheaper.
I should state that this stuff once it has a chance to fully harden is completely machineable. I would suggest that you lightly pass your endmill back over it to profile.
Another thought just struck me. You could always drill and tap the small imperfection and thread an aluminum plug into it. Machine off the excess. You don't even need to thread the hole or plug, make it an interference fit and the plug will cold weld into the hole when you tap it in.
Too many ways of fixing up little nasties......
Another thought just struck me. You could always drill and tap the small imperfection and thread an aluminum plug into it. Machine off the excess. You don't even need to thread the hole or plug, make it an interference fit and the plug will cold weld into the hole when you tap it in.
Too many ways of fixing up little nasties......
Here I thought the liquid aluminum might be something fancy. You could have just said JB weld.
The imperfection is minor and non-structural important. I'm not to worried about it. I'll fill it in before it's painted.
I doubt the liquid aluminum stuff would anodize properly?
The imperfection is minor and non-structural important. I'm not to worried about it. I'll fill it in before it's painted.
I doubt the liquid aluminum stuff would anodize properly?
You could always radius it out a bit more and not have to worry about filling it. Or bevel it on a 45 degree. Option 1 would be preferrable.
I'm sorry if you thought 'liquid aluminum' was some magic component available only to a few. JB weld would have worked but been inappropriate on this application. I think the anodizing would not be complete over liquid aluminum as well but still wouldn't be very noticeable.
Still, you do good work.
I'm sorry if you thought 'liquid aluminum' was some magic component available only to a few. JB weld would have worked but been inappropriate on this application. I think the anodizing would not be complete over liquid aluminum as well but still wouldn't be very noticeable.
Still, you do good work.
