AK tooling shopping list

[SCGrotz]

This is my list of tools, and materials for an AK build as far as I can tell. feel free to add and subtract, I'm trying to keep it as cheap as possible, this will be my first build, and it will look like crap, more than likely. but if its functional then that's all that matters.



General Tools ~$104

Mapp Gas torch check
Pliers check
Leather Gloves 5
3Lb Hammer 7
Punches 10
Vise grip Pliers 10
Bench vise 30-50
Drill press check
.120", .156", 5/16", .375" Drill bits ?
.250" End mill ?
asorted files check
Dremel with grinding bits and cutoff wheels check
Center punch 2
2 12" bar clamps 20
Bench grinder ? (optional)
soldering Iron check
4" C clamp check
needle nose pliers check
large and small screwdriver check





Supplies: $10

High pressure grease check(bending, pressing in barrel)
sand paper check
Pail of water check(heat treating)
cutting oil 10 (cutting, duh)
2 x 7/32 "E" clips ? (trigger placement, optional)







Custom tools and jigs: ~$80-100

Barrel ram: $2
6" piece of .500" Key stock <4
Roll of pennies check 12mm socket check

trunion Riveting tool: $50
Set of 24" bolt cutters 50

Trunion hole finder (optional):
1 piece of scrap steel .040" thick x .250" wide 8" long ?
1 rivet .155" or 4mm diameter ?

bending jig: $24
3' long 1" angle 10
3' long 1 1/4" X 1/4" bar (I used 3/16, it bent a little) 5
6 3" 5/16 bolts 3
12 5/16 nuts 6

Trigger guard and rear trunnion riveting jig: $2
1 piece of steel .250" thick x 1.25" wide x 6" long 1
2 8-32 .500" long screws w/nuts 1

Rivet punch: $2
1 piece of steel round .500" diameter x 4" long (using extra square bar, I see no reason why it wouldn't work just fine)


steel shopping list:$36 ($13 shipping)

6' 1 1/4" x 1/4" flat stock
4' 1" angle
2' 1/2" square bar

[Planning]

band-aids

[M1 Tanker]

Depends on what type of kit your building. I would highly recommend a press.

[deth502]

soldering iron????

[SCGrotz]

soldering iron????

for the trunion hole finding tool.

band aids are a given.

[SCGrotz]

Depends on what type of kit your building. I would highly recommend a press.

I know, I realllly want one, but right now I just haven't got the space =[ hence my extremely poor man's bending jig lol

I can pound accurately enough with a hammer, but that only applies to pins and the barrel.

trust me, $80 for a cheap press aint bad, and I want one, but I really have no space for one at the moment.

[M1 Tanker]

What kind of kit are you building SCGrotz? Without a press, there is no way you can get the barrel pin out of some kits.

[deth502]

ive done many builds before i got my press. it is possible.

any more info on this soldering iron hole finder mechanism??

ive never heard of this before. got a link??

[SteelCore]

Whazzeze fer? I'll buy them off ye, for say, 45 cents!

(Heehee)

I was gonna say press, becaues that and a flat-bending jig are two things that keep me from building one.

[SCGrotz]

there is no pin problem that cant be solved with a good punch and a 5lb dead blow hammer. it might take longer, but its definitely doable.

I was just going to start small with a cheap Romanian fixed stock kit...the one with the ugly "AK Dildo" as I've heard it called.

might have to chop it off, its the ugliest thing I have ever seen on an AK, even more so than the tacticrap accessories.





also, the rivet hole finder...

properly folded scrap steel, with a 4mm hole drilled through at the contact point of the two ends. solder in an extra 4mm rivet through one of the holes, and boom, you have a tool. stick the trunion int he receiver, get the soldered rivet into its proper hole, and where the hole in the scrap sheet metal on the other side is, is where you drill your trunion hole.

[deth502]

also, the rivet hole finder...

properly folded scrap steel, with a 4mm hole drilled through at the contact point of the two ends. solder in an extra 4mm rivet through one of the holes, and boom, you have a tool. stick the trunion int he receiver, get the soldered rivet into its proper hole, and where the hole in the scrap sheet metal on the other side is, is where you drill your trunion hole.

ok, i know that one. prob be easier to solder wiht a torch, no??

let me try to do a rundown of the tools needed from memory.

[deth502]

demill:

hammer punches vice. to remove bbl pin.

long brass punch. to remove bbl.

screwdriver. remove rear stock.

4" grinder. grind off al rivet heads (maybe a dremmel for the inside rivet portion of the tg rivets, theyre a real pita). and punch out stubs.

drill press to drill out rear trunnion rivets

you should now have a pile of parts.

[M1 Tanker]

[QUOTE=SCGrotz;67127]there is no pin problem that cant be solved with a good punch and a 5lb dead blow hammer. it might take longer, but its definitely doable.[QUOTE]


I'm guessing you have never pushed the pin out on a Romy G kit. No amount of pounding will move that pin.

[deth502]

receiver construction

jig to bend the flat. you seem to have that figured out to do without a press.

spot and drill for trunion holes if not already done on the flat. i ueually drill undersize, and clean out with a small rat tail needle file, your hole locator should make that a litle easier for you.

if you have a spot welder, skip, i just got one, but all my builds so far have been done with a mig. if using a mig, mark where the rails will go and drill holes in rec for rosette welds.

caliper. measure your 2 rail thickness, sugtract from trunnion width, and trim your center support accordingly.

torch. use your torch to get the ejector tip on the lower rail to a glowing cherry red and dunk in oil. do the same for fcg holes on both sides of the rec. (4 holes total)

oven. clean all the oil off of the parts and as soon as possible after hardening, place in a 475ish deg pre heated oven for about 30-60 min. turn oven off, and let ccol slowly.

your receiver should now have a golden straw color.

[deth502]

rec assy.

hammer and punches, tg rivet tool from guns guts and god, welder, rivet punches (homemade is easy), set of drill bits/transfrer punches.

rivet in tg. rivet in f trunnion, place center support and rivet in through rails. use appropriatley sized drill bit/ transfer punch to allign your rails parallel with the top rail on rec, and in line with rail extentions on ftr trunnion, and weld in place.

peen cent support rivet.

rivet in rear trunnion.





ps, the front trunnion CAN be rivet in with just punches. ive done it before. the bolt cutter rivet tool makes things MUCH easier though, and it looks like your going that route, so i wont bother explaining doing it with punches.

[deth502]

final assy.

press in bbl. i made a tool for this with a piece to fit over the trunnion on the back with a hole on bbl center. brass on the front, and all thread running through it all to tighten and pull the bbl in.

reassembel the stocks, hg's, put in fcg, ect. shouldnt need any special tools here.


of course, finishing the metal, wood and a lot of filing and fitting of rails and parts are in there, but those are the basic tools/procedures youll follow.


good luck!!

[okie shooter]

Dont write off a press, most can be broken down when not useing them into a small package. Remember they ship in a small box, they can go back into that package, but really dont take up too much room, if you have a drill press you are into that kinda of area already.

The better thing might see if anyone in the area has a press or if theres going to be a build party anywhere near by.

[SCGrotz]

Might rig up something with a big screw, and scrap plate steel to press out the barrel pin. if it proves that much more economical I may get a press. though idk where the hell I'm going to put it lol

never heard of a build party?

pizza, drinks, and ak's?

[SCGrotz]

ok, i know that one. prob be easier to solder wiht a torch, no??

let me try to do a rundown of the tools needed from memory.

well i have both already so =P

guess it doesnt matter.

I hijacked my tool and supplies list from a compilation of places.

[k98k792]

I use a 6 ton benchtop press. It will fit almost anywhere. 24 Ak builds and counting.

[SCGrotz]

holy crap...24?

ok, well...where do i get a press?

harbor freight has a 6 ton shop press for 85? idk if thats a good deal?

[deth502]

imo, a floor model would be the way to go, teh small benchtop ones will not get you enough space to press off the gas block/ rsb/ press a bbl in, and theyre usually only a few $$$ more.

btw, about 15 builds total, all on romy g kits, 13 bbl pins hammered out. 2 wouldnt budge, gave to a friens in his machine shop, his 100 ton press couldnt move them either, drilled them out.

just tried my last build on the press to get the pin out, hardest yet, next time ill just use the hammer.

[k98k792]

SC that's where I got mine.

Deth all you need to do is have a hole in the bench to hang the barrel through,to press parts on and off the barrel.
Next time you get a tough pin,put it under load on your press and give the jackplate a sharp rap with a hammer.It will always pop the pin.

[SCGrotz]

ok, i was planning on using a receiver with prebent rails, but now im ending up with a completely flat receiver.

so, how does one bend the rails BEFORE the rest of the receiver. what width are the rails supposed to be? roughly 1/4" ?

(i think the inside dimension is what i need, inside rail edge to outside receiver edge will give me bad bending data)

should I glue one of the paper templates on, and just base it on that?

[deth502]

most upper rails are bent after the u channel has been bent. where are you getting you jig plans from?? i would look to see how they are doing the top rails.

[okie shooter]

I have always understood you bent the rails last too, while still on the jig, then disassemble the jig and take the receiver off. Some folks say you can do it with a hammer but that scares me that you will streach the rail metal.

Heres a set of instructions from DPH, that were written for bending Tapco flats, you might gleen some good ideas and information from this site

http://dpharms.com/pdf/DPHArms_Receiver_Jigv1.0.pdf

[deth502]

thats the jig i have, you bend the top rails with a hammer on that one too.

ive seen jigs to bend the top rails w/o hammering, but they are very $$$$$$$$

my first few builds were folded entirely with a hammer!!!!

[SCGrotz]

I made my jig with angle iron lol.

my rails pretty much have to be bent first =p

owell...receiver flats are cheap anyway lol, if i bone up I can always TRY AGAIN!



on a side note, though it may be ugly, and unoriginal...

I'm thinking it may be best to screw on the lower rails, by reason of replacability.

[franks71vw]

Posting this here and Glad I bent all of my flats, but does anyone know where i can buy rent or use the jigs to smashed the rivets to build my AK's my kits are ready to be built but cant smash the rivets??