ejb Posted March 22, 2015 Report Share Posted March 22, 2015 I've been inspired by all the threads with people making their own blasters and have started my own attempt (I am also going to get a kit from Dday / PP once the wait list is open again) I decided to make mine from Aluminium (or however the Americans spell it), and I'm using the templates from the 'best templates in the world ever' thread here I've started with the magazine housing. Attached the paper template to Al sheet, cut it out and shaped with hand tools. Cut and shaped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejb Posted March 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2015 Bent the Al in the vice - with some small encouragement via the "small persuader" Filled gaps with some 'magic Al solder' that actually seems to work really well - it turns harder than the Al itself.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark PWF[Staff] Posted March 22, 2015 Report Share Posted March 22, 2015 Oh... This is interesting!!! Definitely following this one, keep at it John!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuumantroop[TK] Posted March 22, 2015 Report Share Posted March 22, 2015 Ditto with Tim! Will be following this one for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heinous[TK] Posted March 22, 2015 Report Share Posted March 22, 2015 I dare say that you're a higher level than noob. I'm a noob. I just put together kits. I don't manufacture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dday[501st] Posted March 22, 2015 Report Share Posted March 22, 2015 MagHousing-4-Bent.JPG Bent the Al in the vice - with some small encouragement via the "small persuader" MagHousing-5-RoughClean.JPG MagHousing-6-RoughClean.JPG MagHousing-7-RoughClean.JPG Filled gaps with some 'magic Al solder' that actually seems to work really well - it turns harder than the Al itself.... Very cool! Following this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justjoseph63[Staff] Posted March 22, 2015 Report Share Posted March 22, 2015 Nice work, John! Keep the photos coming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Novak Dimon[TK] Posted March 22, 2015 Report Share Posted March 22, 2015 Impressiv work! I'm looking forward to the upcoming updates! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Jay[TK] Posted March 22, 2015 Report Share Posted March 22, 2015 A very interesting start. Definitely worth clicking the Follow-button! May I ask how thick your aluminum sheets are? Will you use different thickness for individual parts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejb Posted March 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2015 Thanks all for the positive comments I dare say that you're a higher level than noob. I'm a noob. I just put together kits. I don't manufacture. I'm definitely a noob - this is the first time I have done anything like this (well since I was very young) I'm keen to put together a kit as well. I'm picking the kit will be my accurate blaster, and this will be, er, um a learning experience.... A very interesting start. Definitely worth clicking the Follow-button! May I ask how thick your aluminum sheets are? Will you use different thickness for individual parts? I have a few different thicknesses of Al 1mm, 2mm, 3mm and 6mm (which is prolly 3/64, 5/64, 1/8 and 1/4 in parts of a toe? footlet??) Small update... I bought a new tool!! Looks a bit like a sewing machine, but is waaaay easier that trying to cut with a hacksaw :-) With that I started on the Trigger Group panel (I now have a rough cut out of one side...) - but I think I have used all my photo upload allowance, so photo will have to wait until I find somewhere to host the pictures.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanTX Posted March 22, 2015 Report Share Posted March 22, 2015 Very nice. I look forward to you making the grip plate. I have my aluminum sheet ready to try the template. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sly11[Admin] Posted March 23, 2015 Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 Loving it so far, I can't miss this, popcorn time. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejb Posted March 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 Here the photo of the rough cutting of the first trigger group panel - still a lot of clean up to do... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejb Posted March 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 Very nice. I look forward to you making the grip plate. I have my aluminum sheet ready to try the template. Thanks - can't wait to see how you do it. From my research I don't think the template is correct (i.e. it doesnt look folded from one piece to me) I think I will do 2x sides and 'magic Al weld' them to a thicker piece for the front. But plenty of time for me to learn from someone that knows what they are doing!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanTX Posted March 23, 2015 Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 It took me a couple tries to get it scaled right but the bracket does match the real sterling i have. Thats just the only part that was chopped in half during demilling. The original wasn't folded. But the block in the front part is pretty seemless so folding isn't a bad idea to get the look right from the outside. I'll post pictures of my sterling later if you like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejb Posted March 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 Pictures are always appreciated. Mainly focused on the trigger group itself, how it hangs together and the shape of the bottom piece that the trigger goes through. The other question I have is the holes in the receiver - the template from 'the best templates in the world ever' thread seems off to me - in that the offset holes do not seem to be evenly between the others above/below - is this correct? i.e a doesnt equal b (excuse bad MS Paint image) is this a template error, my bad eyesight or true to real? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanTX Posted March 23, 2015 Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 I didn't check his math. But it is a bit tricky to navigate the thread and find the final templates. The ones i used had a bunch of different paper options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanTX Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 This is what my braket looks like for reference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanTX Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 I have a cheap harbor frieght brake to bend aluminum but these puppies are worth their weight in gold. http://www.amazon.com/Tools-VISE-GRIP-Locking-Original-23/dp/B0000TFGFU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427162539&sr=8-1&keywords=sheet+metal+vise+grips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejb Posted March 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 This is what my braket looks like for reference. [pictures] Awesome! Thanks for that these puppies are worth their weight in gold. Hmm, I've seen those but never thought of using them for bending! I might have to get a pair or two (never have too many tools, right??) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanTX Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 You can have to many tool but not to many vice grips. They are great for bending consecutive angels you could never achieve on a traditional brake. And way more precise angles than a hammer and the edge of a 2x4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usaeatt2 Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 The other question I have is the holes in the receiver - the template from 'the best templates in the world ever' thread seems off to me - in that the offset holes do not seem to be evenly between the others above/below - is this correct? i.e a doesnt equal b (excuse bad MS Paint image) is this a template error, my bad eyesight or true to real? Nice work John. Geez, I never even considered making aluminum parts...thanks A LOT for adding this to my project list... The template looks wrong. When I made my PVC templates, I started with a template I found online and ended up having to correct the spacing on the entire grid... When I was satisfied, I had literally re-drawn the whole template. This delayed the whole project, but it was worth it in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usaeatt2 Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 This is what my braket looks like for reference. HOLY TORCH CUTS! They REALLY butchered that frame! Did this come from Apex??? I was about to order more parts sets, but this may indicate they're scraping the bottom of the barrel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanTX Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 Mine was from numrich.com. each supplier seems to chop stuff differently. This and the barrel were the only peices cut everything else is flawless. Trigger group all works. And the front end is untouched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejb Posted March 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 Nice work John. Geez, I never even considered making aluminum parts...thanks A LOT for adding this to my project list... Thanks and no problem, you looked like you needed something to do I decided to re-create the front of the template anyway and have stuck that to my last / second piece of Al tube. (the first piece is now a, er, um, aaah, "a test piece???") And also started on the Trigger Plate / Grip Bracket - I did decide to make this in 2 pieces as it will allow me to get both halves the same and give a little flexibility in the size of the gap (in case my trigger group ends up a little narrow or wide) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.