My STEN project...
- Thread starter NavyShooter
- Start date
NavyShooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- XMU Local .303
C2,
I agree, they are too close.
I'm gonna try this out anyhow, see if I can get it running.
*shrug*
If it doesn't, hey, it's only a $8 piece of steel....with a few hours of work into building it.
NS
I agree, they are too close.
I'm gonna try this out anyhow, see if I can get it running.
*shrug*
If it doesn't, hey, it's only a $8 piece of steel....with a few hours of work into building it.
NS
NavyShooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- XMU Local .303
45:00, $378.00
No pics on this update, but I've gotten some progress done. I rescued the old ejector from the old receiver tube chunk, and fitted it to the new receiver.
I started working on the magwell, and discovered that the only steel I have in flats right now is 1/8", which is, WAAY too thick for me to bend with the gear I have. (I tried)
So, what's a good thickness for the steel used on the magwell?
NS
No pics on this update, but I've gotten some progress done. I rescued the old ejector from the old receiver tube chunk, and fitted it to the new receiver.
I started working on the magwell, and discovered that the only steel I have in flats right now is 1/8", which is, WAAY too thick for me to bend with the gear I have. (I tried)
So, what's a good thickness for the steel used on the magwell?
NS
stencollector
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- shilo MB, the armpit of Canada
Original thickness is around .105 thick, which is 12 guage.
Do you have a 6" bench vise? That (and a torch) is all I used to make mine. Otherwise, you could just get a hunk of tube that is over dimension internally and externally and turn it to size. You could also get some 12 guage tube that is too big, cut a strip out of it and work it on a 1-1/2 mandrel you make.
For some ideas look back at the original sten thread: http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1417709&postcount=56
Collar portion, or the box?
The mag. catch retainer has to slide over the back wall of the box, and the operation of the mag. catch has to be considered. I suppose that 1/8" could be thinned down as required.
The collar could be formed from 1/8" and bored out or turned down as necessary, if a piece of appropriately sized tube is not available.
The mag. catch retainer has to slide over the back wall of the box, and the operation of the mag. catch has to be considered. I suppose that 1/8" could be thinned down as required.
The collar could be formed from 1/8" and bored out or turned down as necessary, if a piece of appropriately sized tube is not available.
stencollector
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- shilo MB, the armpit of Canada
I made mine from 1/8 sheet. By the time you work out the hammer marks etc from the piece, you are as close as you have to be to .105" .
NavyShooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- XMU Local .303
I'm working on the box, I have the collar already turned down to size.
I picked up some .075 thick plate today that I'll muck aobut with. I intend to make thre front 3 sides from the .075, and the rear from 1/8" and file it down to fit.
If that doesn't work out, I've got someone who's offered me a care-package of .100 plate
NS
I picked up some .075 thick plate today that I'll muck aobut with. I intend to make thre front 3 sides from the .075, and the rear from 1/8" and file it down to fit.
If that doesn't work out, I've got someone who's offered me a care-package of .100 plate
NS
Ther is no need to get into a sweat making the magwell, I made mine in two pieces with 1/8th steel plate. It took 45 minutes with a hacksaw, a lee valley metal bender, a four inch vise, a wrecking bar and a file. If you want to know how I did it I would be happy to tell you, otherwise I will clear off again.
NavyShooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- XMU Local .303
Bent the .075" material into the right shape for the front 3 sides of the mag well, but noted that the material was too...flimsy.
Not happy with that, so I'll leave that aside until I manage to get some .100 material next week probably.
On a related note, a care package with some jigs arrived today Life is good!
NS
Not happy with that, so I'll leave that aside until I manage to get some .100 material next week probably.
On a related note, a care package with some jigs arrived today
Life is good!NS
I used those jigs - top notch jigs, they are
Spencer's method works well, but the problem with using two sections is that you have to start oversize b/c the box shrinks once you weld it on the opposing corners, and then you have to file the heck out of the inside to fit the mag. Ask me how I know this
If you start with four plates and build up the corners with weld, it doesn;t shring as much - not sure why - and there is less hand-fitting required.
The brits often made their mag wells by bending a complete channel and only welding one corner. This is likely the BEST method, but requires a specialized metal brake that I don't and won't have access to - ever.
Spencer's method works well, but the problem with using two sections is that you have to start oversize b/c the box shrinks once you weld it on the opposing corners, and then you have to file the heck out of the inside to fit the mag. Ask me how I know this
If you start with four plates and build up the corners with weld, it doesn;t shring as much - not sure why - and there is less hand-fitting required.
The brits often made their mag wells by bending a complete channel and only welding one corner. This is likely the BEST method, but requires a specialized metal brake that I don't and won't have access to - ever.
b-wingpilot
CGN Regular
- Location
- Sherwood Park
I wouldn't worry about the strength of a .075" magwell, remember that a sterling magwell is only about 16 gauge (.06") and they seemed to have held up well enough . However, I'd wait for the .1" stuff. Why do this much work, and then skimp out on the magwell.
. However, I'd wait for the .1" stuff. Why do this much work, and then skimp out on the magwell.
stencollector
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- shilo MB, the armpit of Canada
I used those jigs - top notch jigs, they are
Spencer's method works well, but the problem with using two sections is that you have to start oversize b/c the box shrinks once you weld it on the opposing corners, and then you have to file the heck out of the inside to fit the mag. Ask me how I know this
If you start with four plates and build up the corners with weld, it doesn;t shring as much - not sure why - and there is less hand-fitting required.
The brits often made their mag wells by bending a complete channel and only welding one corner. This is likely the BEST method, but requires a specialized metal brake that I don't and won't have access to - ever.
I don't know anything about a specialized metal brake. I just used a good quality vice and a block of 1X2 steel ground down to the inside dimension of the magwell.
If this is the set of blueprints floating around on the 'net, there are a couple of problems with them. First, they are SMG prints. Don't know that CGN would support a direct link. Second, these prints incorporate some very serious errors; whoever drew them obviously never handled or disassembled a Sten.
As far as tube templates go, the Stencollector and NavyShooter threads describe the construction of SAS type semi auto guns. Don't know that the SAS template has ever been available except from the mfr, with a tube or kit. A SMG template could be adapted, though, by relocating and modifying the cocking handle slot, and altering the sear cutout.
As far as making a legal semi auto Sten is concerned, something to consider is that the Stens were intended and designed to be manufactured using industrial machinery and processes. Fabricating one-off parts in a workshop isn't quite the same.
NavyShooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- XMU Local .303
Well,
I just did up a set of magwell sides using the "spencer" method, and it went rather well.
That said, having re-read this, I think I'm going to have a go at hacking out an appropriately sized chunk of steel tonight, and hammer it together as a single piece. With the right size mandrel/block, the hammering goes quite quickly!
I don't mind making a couple, this will be my 3rd attempt now, each is looking better than the last.
NS
I just did up a set of magwell sides using the "spencer" method, and it went rather well.
That said, having re-read this, I think I'm going to have a go at hacking out an appropriately sized chunk of steel tonight, and hammer it together as a single piece. With the right size mandrel/block, the hammering goes quite quickly!
I don't mind making a couple, this will be my 3rd attempt now, each is looking better than the last.
NS
I suspect there is a learning curve involved with this. And I doubt that it makes much difference if a box is made one, two, three or four piece. The original concept was that it didn't much matter how a subcontractor made a part - as long as it meshed with the units coming from other subcontractors. Some dimensions would be critical, others wouldn't matter.
Some Sten trivia - apart from Mk. I and Mk. II magazines (with and without counting holes), how many different ways of forming the magazine body are there? I have observed six different methods.
Some Sten trivia - apart from Mk. I and Mk. II magazines (with and without counting holes), how many different ways of forming the magazine body are there? I have observed six different methods.
NavyShooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- XMU Local .303
Dunno...I have 6 mags, and I haven't even thought about looking at them that closely yet! Too busy with other stuff!
NS
NS
NavyShooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- XMU Local .303
3rd time might be the charm!
Things are a pretty decent fit this time, the metal (.125") is oversize, but that's not such a bad thing.
I'm going to get the box welded shut tomorrow (take it to the body shop up the road I think) It'll need to be sat in a vise for welding, as the rear spreads open just a bit, and the mag sits too loosely inside it when that happens.
If it's too tight after welding, no biggie, I've got a collection of files, and some patience!
So, time is now at 50:00, cost is still at $378.00
NavyShooter
Things are a pretty decent fit this time, the metal (.125") is oversize, but that's not such a bad thing.
I'm going to get the box welded shut tomorrow (take it to the body shop up the road I think) It'll need to be sat in a vise for welding, as the rear spreads open just a bit, and the mag sits too loosely inside it when that happens.
If it's too tight after welding, no biggie, I've got a collection of files, and some patience!
So, time is now at 50:00, cost is still at $378.00
NavyShooter
NavyShooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- XMU Local .303
J,
I don't have any templates left, but here's a picture of the one I ended up using.
You can see the corrections I made to it, red is the printed template, the Black is what I cut out.
A couple of notes.
1. The cutout at the front (slot for rotating the magwell down) should be where it is indicated on the print, not the black cutout I made. My error in measuring. Le Oops. My slot is a bit too wide now, but it's hidden anyhow. Minor point.
2. The Sear cutout. The wide portion needs to be about .200" longer as compared to what I have shown in this pic, I ended up having to lengthen the cutout once I had things test-fitted. The narrow section of the sear cutout can be a bit narrower, it needs to be only as wide as the disconnector bar (about 1/8") mine is closer to 3/16", so there's some slop. *shrug* That's life.
3. Magwell and ejection port hole sizes are based on what my dewat has for size/shape. Cut out the bigger holes if you wish, but this is what mine looked like.
Hope this helps.
(BTW, the reason the template was printed in red wasn't to highlight the differences, it was because my printer was out of black ink!)
NavyShooter
I don't have any templates left, but here's a picture of the one I ended up using.
You can see the corrections I made to it, red is the printed template, the Black is what I cut out.
A couple of notes.
1. The cutout at the front (slot for rotating the magwell down) should be where it is indicated on the print, not the black cutout I made. My error in measuring. Le Oops. My slot is a bit too wide now, but it's hidden anyhow. Minor point.
2. The Sear cutout. The wide portion needs to be about .200" longer as compared to what I have shown in this pic, I ended up having to lengthen the cutout once I had things test-fitted. The narrow section of the sear cutout can be a bit narrower, it needs to be only as wide as the disconnector bar (about 1/8") mine is closer to 3/16", so there's some slop. *shrug* That's life.
3. Magwell and ejection port hole sizes are based on what my dewat has for size/shape. Cut out the bigger holes if you wish, but this is what mine looked like.
Hope this helps.
(BTW, the reason the template was printed in red wasn't to highlight the differences, it was because my printer was out of black ink!)
NavyShooter
NavyShooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- XMU Local .303
Oh, and don't drill out the little black hole at the front (for the magwell lock piece) until you've welded the trunnion into the tube, let's you ensure you have things properly aligned before making that last hole. I drilled mine undersize and filed it out to the correct dimensions.
NS
NS
