$28 AR15 receiver, some assembly required

[bolus]

From this day forward we shall call you.... Dr. Badass!!


So pray tell, are you soldering? Welding? JB Welding? How're you holding all that together? How much does that puppy weigh compared to a forged aluminum lower?

One of these sized for .308/AR10 would be pretty nifty, too!

Im using the silver solder on this. The clamping and trying to solder the edge was not working since very little would spread into space between parts and I could pull them apart.

So I used the advice above. I dripped some solder so that it made a thin "splash" which when trimmed makes a very thin section of solder. I then flux and clamp these pieces between the parts and then use the propane torch to heat it until it melts and tighten the vice as it melts. Not perfect, there are some gaps but a much stronger bond that I cant pull apart. Who knows though, the shock of firing it make break those bonds easily.

Ok, its massively heavy

 

[Stomper]

Good to hear you're silver soldering, and even better that your butane torch can get it hot enough to get it done adequately. I'm seriously considering getting one of these as well to experiment with.

Steampunk ghost guns ARISE!!!

 

[Diatribe]

It is worth signing up over at weapons guild to see the scratch built projects over there. pretty talented guys

These pieces are actually cut quite well. I'm still trying to decide on silver solder or JB weld. If they fit together very tightly, is the silver solder going to flow well between them? how would you flux between 2 flat pieces identical in shape held together?

Sand and clean the plates. Wipe them with alcohol. Flux all sides with good flux. I use Cycle Designs flux for bike building and it works great and flows silver or bronze really well. I'd do the whole thing with bronze as silver is a lot more expensive. And bronze is easier to build a fillet with in my experience. Get busy with your torch and use the heat to put the bronze where you want. I'll be ordering one of these for sure.

 

[Diatribe]

I guess the question is if I can do the silver brazing with a butane torch? because I wont be able to get an acetylene setup for this. And part of the whole JB weld idea is because it's stupid (thus makes it more appealing to me in a redneck sort of way. ) If I could get a jb welded lower to fire once and survive I'd consider the project a glorious success.

I was going to rough sand the parts, clean with acetone and then use gloves. Similar to applying duracoat.

Butane probably not. Mapp maybe. There is a big argument in the steel bike building world about this topic. But guys are building bikes with Mapp torches. It is about getting enough heat into the parts quickly so you can get in and out quickly.

My opinion only.

 

[bolus]

Sand and clean the plates. Wipe them with alcohol. Flux all sides with good flux. I use Cycle Designs flux for bike building and it works great and flows silver or bronze really well. I'd do the whole thing with bronze as silver is a lot more expensive. And bronze is easier to build a fillet with in my experience. Get busy with your torch and use the heat to put the bronze where you want. I'll be ordering one of these for sure.

I'd definitely consider what Im doing is just a soldering with a propane torch. I'm expecting to get perhaps a few shots through it before a seam breaks. But it is still a fun little project

 

[bolus]

Found an expandable rear takedown pin that will keep me from trying to get a detent pin in there. I have a bunch more thickness on the front to drill a hole for one, but not on the rear.

http://www.jprifles.com/1.5.1.7_small_tp.php

 

[IronMonster]

How expensive are those suckers ? $60 pins for your $28 lower?

 

[bolus]

How expensive are those suckers ? $60 pins for your $28 lower?

well, there is about $100 worth of silver dripped all over my garage floor by now, and I probably could have barbecued an entire cow with all the propane Im using, so I might as make it the most expensive worst AR receiver EVAR

Actually, I think Im just going to get a couple of 1/4" wood dowels instead. Its only got to fire once.

 

[IronMonster]

If it will fire once, chances are it will fire 50-100-1000 times

 

[rick]

Actually, I think Im just going to get a couple of 1/4" wood dowels instead. Its only got to fire once.

A couple of zip ties can hold an upper on all day. Not that I've ever done that.

 

[bolus]

if it fires once, I will stop and then be able to tell people it is 100% reliable.

 

[IronMonster]

I got a little down time today. I hope to get mine out and see about tacking the bits together.

 

[Diatribe]

To be fair, the point of these is to avoid the 4473 to the Feds. Not necessarily to be cheap. At least that is the point to me.

 

[rdb241]

And it is fun to home build......ANYTHING

 

[Stomper]

And it is fun to home build......ANYTHING

Yeah man, like in the movie Weird Science!

 

[bolus]

It fits together, for the most part.

Check this guy out.

 

[Stomper]

It's so... Get-toe!

 

[IronMonster]

I just am going to upload a couple pictures. When I get home I'll have something to say about them.

H

 

[Stomper]

MIG or TIG?

 

[jbett98]

It kinda looks like it was made in a prison metal shop when the guards were looking the other way.