Gunsmithing AR from Aluminum Soda Cans
- Thread starter fx77
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I gotta applaud this guy but man that is a long walk for a short drink of water. Having the skills and ability are certainly commendable but he just invested about. 20 hours into a 35.00 part. I'm not downing the guy, far from it. I think he could have spent his time and skills making something cooler. Still pretty cool casting your own parts and machining them to a finished product.
Myfordboy says Aluminum cans are a poor choice for casting.
He has hundreds of casting videos, but here is the one where he explains that:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FJRCgHjdeA
He has hundreds of casting videos, but here is the one where he explains that:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FJRCgHjdeA
Thats a TON of work for a end result that is not nearly as strong or perfect as a $50 forged lower you can buy today. I mean man you can get Anderson lowers for $30 now.
Still super cool.
I agree on all the work for the limited result, but without melting cans and starting from that it just wouldn't be as cool.
I think the time would have been better spent making a SS lower. Don't ask me why, but I've always wanted a polished and fully engraved SS receiver set (and matching engraved barrel) with gunstock cherry furniture or similar. An all Damascus build would be second to this. It'd be a 20lb. 20" rifle, but I don't care, I think it would be an awesome wall hanger. There is/used to be a place that made a wood furniture AR set, but not like I'm talking about.
I agree on all the work for the limited result, but without melting cans and starting from that it just wouldn't be as cool.
I think the time would have been better spent making a SS lower. Don't ask me why, but I've always wanted a polished and fully engraved SS receiver set (and matching engraved barrel) with gunstock cherry furniture or similar. An all Damascus build would be second to this. It'd be a 20lb. 20" rifle, but I don't care, I think it would be an awesome wall hanger. There is/used to be a place that made a wood furniture AR set, but not like I'm talking about.
Or melt down all of that collected scrap brass you have in a bucket and make one from that. You could add a bit more zinc and a small amount of aluminum to make it harder and more corrosion resistant. Then use a wood furniture set and you'd have a useful and beautiful one-of-a-kind piece.
I mean, if you're going to go crazy, why not go full crazy?
I mean, if you're going to go crazy, why not go full crazy?
In jr high shop in 1965 we cast Aluminum alloy.
The shop teacher told us it was possible to cast brass with the furnace we were using, by putting glass in that melted, floated to the top, and acted as insulator so the brass got hotter.
But we never did.
Aluminum melts at 1200 F and brass melts at 1700F.
We had better equipment than Myfordboy in my above video, but we turned out garbage, unlike Myfordboy [David Abbott] who makes model engines every day.
The shop teacher told us it was possible to cast brass with the furnace we were using, by putting glass in that melted, floated to the top, and acted as insulator so the brass got hotter.
But we never did.
Aluminum melts at 1200 F and brass melts at 1700F.
We had better equipment than Myfordboy in my above video, but we turned out garbage, unlike Myfordboy [David Abbott] who makes model engines every day.
Maaaaannn is that a lot of time invested into a $50 part that would be made better and anodized. I guess to the tinkering type it may be a fun project to say you did it, but I'd rather be out shooting lol. To each his own, the guy definitely has some skills.
LOL! Seriously? I'm not knocking it per se, you like what you like, right? We had a guy at our local range show up for a match with an AR he had polished out, including a handgaurd that had some of the vent flats polished out. Looked like something the Cylons used in the 80's version of Battlestar Galactica, or more accurately, it looked like a pimp's AR.
Again, not knocking it, just not my cup of tea...
The craftsman in me appreciates the project. The engineer in me would look for a more expeditious way to the same end. Freakin' stupid logic....
On the other hand, I once saw a vid wherein a guy turned a bunch of his junk brass into a pair of brass knuckles. I have junk brass, but am casting about (pun intended) to decide on a good project more to my liking.
On the other hand, I once saw a vid wherein a guy turned a bunch of his junk brass into a pair of brass knuckles. I have junk brass, but am casting about (pun intended) to decide on a good project more to my liking.
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