AK build, no shop press, advice?

[Sam1911]

where are the long through-rivets on an AK-74?... dont the rear trunnions have a split in them to use normal rivets?...

The top rivet is still a long through-rivet. The bottom legs of the trunion take shorter rivets.

and if i used a screw-plate for the trigger guard

A what?

I don't know, but why screw on any part of a rivet-built gun? The trigger guard is the EASY part! And with care you should easily be able to set the long top rivet with the tool you use to set the trigger-guard rivets.

wouldnt i only need a single rivet tool such as the bolt cutter tool?...

The bolt cutter tool won't spread widely enough to squeeze the upper rear block trunion. It will do the rest...though some of them are still quite a pain to hit squarely with that tool.

but looking at how the bolt cutter tool works and ak-builder jig works.. it looks like i would be able to take a bar clamp or pipe clamp and grind down one of the edges to fit inside the receiver to crush the rivets with this method... get a rivet as clean as those with a press since its a linear force being applied to it

Never seen it done that way, but maybe.

I think when you go trying to get inside the front trunion to squeeze those, and probably when trying to hit the lower leg rivets on the side-folder rear block, the bolt cutter tool is going to work a whole lot better. Takes a pretty specific piece of gear to be able to reach into those small spaces and still put that much force on the rivet.

 

[candr44]

if i took a steel plate and machined a cup into it to support the rivet head, i could place the plate over the rivet, and then tighten down with the pipe clamp to crush accordingly... also, with the plate over the rivet head i could clamp this down with c-clamps to ensure the outside of the rivet remains flat to the receiver.... about $25 for this tool, plus a steel pipe of any length i need

This is what I did on my AK builds. I then used a modified bolt cutter to crush the rivets. It worked well. The only rivets I couldn't use the bolt cutters on are the long rivets that go all the way through the rear trunion. I had to make a rivet crushing jig from some scrap steel, nuts, and bolts.

If you have access to a mig welder, you can make all the tools you need to build an AK including a press of any tonnage and dimension that suits your needs. I have my own welder and made all my tools from scrap metal laying around my garage.

Check out Gunco.net, Weaponsguild.com, and weaponeer.com. They are all about building all types of guns and have some very knowledgeable/talented people there.

 

[Nickel Plated]

Why not use a pre-bent blank if the press is really that big of an issue for you? Saves you the bending. Just cut all the holes and slots in it, spot weld the rails and rivet everything together.

 

[jason41987]

i thought about going with a bend blank as well.. i have the tools id need to make the holes and cuts where neccessary and it would save me from having to use a sheet metal break.. so thats definitely an option... i guess for the full length rivets for the rear and the center support i could use some metal plates to support the rivet heads and then use a standard pipe clamp i already have to crush them... and make a bolt cutter tool for the rest

i really might go with the 80% bend blank... these work with side folders as well as fixed stocks, right?

 

[Sam1911]

i really might go with the 80% bend blank... these work with side folders as well as fixed stocks, right?

I've never seen one that had the angle and cutout at the back, or the retainer hook and hole up front.

You could make those mods if you have milling skills and tools. The prints are on the web.

 

[jason41987]

yeah.. im thinking ill do that with the pre-bent blank, i do have the tools to cut out and drill the neccessary parts... for the rails, should i actually go for the spot welder, if so, what sort of spot welder should i be looking into?.. or would a mig/flux core welder suffice?

 

[Sam1911]

I've heard that people had good success with the Harbor Freight spot welder, but any spot welder is going to need custom or modified arms to reach into the receiver.

I did TIG a rail in on a flat build. Drilled through the receiver and did rosette welds from the outside. It worked, but it didn't look "right." I supposed I could have built them up and ground them flat and it would have looked fine. My welding skills aren't master-level, though.

And remember, this is very thin stuff. If you aren't practiced up on welding sheet metal -- practice a LOT and get your settings just exactly right. You get one shot at this and have to live with the results.

I would probably not weld them from the inside, though I'm sure it could be done. Rather not have weld bead anywhere on the interior of the receiver where it could cause a rough spot in the action or hang up the carrier.

 

[jason41987]

if i was going to drill the rails out and weld from the inside, id most likely start with a flat and weld these on first.. and as long as you filed down and smoothed out the beads i fail to see how there would be any problems... but... i dont think going from the outside would matter if i was going to paint the receiver, which i probably will with a quality, durable bake on gun paint... so ill probably drill the receiver and mig weld... actually, im getting really talented at welding sheet metal with a small arc welder too... so theres that option as well