Bradrock said:
Buzgun said:
I have done it on several russian kits , i used 4130 aircraft plate 5/23" thick , the russian steel is purty close to a U.S. 86-20 type casehardened steel- i know this from how it welds , and for the russiand to have had massproduced these - this would make the most sense-, to put one together right & have it look decent -it is alot of work, best to use a TIG to put it back together - i can post some pics if it would help !
Pictures would be great! I don't have Tig yet, but may before this project gets done. At least the RPK. Actually I preffer stick welding for this type of work. My welders got ruined along with everything else in Hurricane Charley & I have only replaced the MIG so far.The mig wire I found is made for joining hard and spring steels of dissimilar types. Stainless or carbon. I like doing things others say can't be done.
Brad & OZZIE , you could use mild-( 10-18 ) steel to make these side plates- it would be easier to weld this metal - less chance of warping , but you would HAVE TO weld around fire controll group holes with a 4130 type weld rod to harden up these holes -( make sure you get full penetration with rod) - otherwise your hammer & trigger pins will "egg out" holes on U-after about 200 rds. - cus of the soft metal-----
this is the method i have used , you may have to change some things - from below "directions" to suit your needs or the equipment U are using.
HERE IS WHAT u WILL NEED BOYS :
12/12" - 5/32" - 4130 steel aircraft plate(to make sideplates)
.080 - 2" wide ground flatstock ( to make trigger guard piece)- not O-1 oil harding ! -- this sht turns to glass when U weld on it !!
for MIG -- ER70S2 wire ( to weld receiver components together)
some harder weld wire (4130) to make upper rail -weld bead- harder for bearing surface.
1/4" x2" ground flat stock - to use as a straight edge to weld sideplates on flush with Yugo cut receiver stub
.009 -- 9 thous. of inch THICK-copper shim foil - ( if U want the gun to look bad ass , and not be just a shooter)
MIG would work - cept when it comes to the right sideplate --( as the method i use is to fabricate the sideplates first , i.e. make your rails , and grind , or mill slots for bolt carrier the 5/32 material will have to be thined to approx. 80thous. thick inside in F.C.G. areas - so E-clips will go over Ham. & trig pins- - at the point U have both sideplates made - U weld the left one on first , from inside MAG. well - you must only weld a 3/8 -1/4" section at a time & let cool in between , or plates will go squirrley on you , and warp either up-or down - you will have to make sure left plate is welded on to approx. .015 - ( fifteen thous . of inch) tollerance - either tipped up or down within this tollerance - otherwise your bolt carrier will not float smoothly back & forth - & will bind- ( you will be pissed off if you go through with all this work- and this happens-so this is CRITICAL !)-
to acheve this tollerance measure with verniers & a straight edge from the begining point of plate weld joint is - to approx 5-1/2" to rear of plate this will determine if sideplate is tipped up or down - you adjust your weld direction to compensate for this -i.e. if it is tipped up a little you put a little more heat down low on weld joint, ----- you then repeat with right sideplate - once you get right & left sideplates welded on squarley - the rest is purdy easy !!! --- you may run into trouble fitting the MIG torch inside magwell to weld right sideplate from inside first not much room in there,---- then U weld the outside of sideplate --- I have a TIG torch with a small flexible head and a very small - 1/16" Tungsten , so i can do this easly.
The easiest way to weld the sideplates on is to get a piecr of GROUND FLAT STOCK approx. 1/4 " x 2" wide and cut it to approx 4" long - use this to C-clamp sideplates to receiver stubb -- this will hold everything square while U tac it up !!! i weld this with the TIG machine set at approx. 55AMPS - so U really are not puting alot of heat into one of these.
on the welding rod , I use ER70S6 to weld the sideplates on to the receiver stub , and use 4130 rod on the bearing surfaces-i.e. the upper rails & lower rails - but this stuff gets way to hard to weld the receiver stubbs together - i.e. the sideplates to the cut receiver stub , or the back cut receiver piece where the recoil spring goes --- if U build aYugo kit - U are gonna have to fabricate the bottom plate where the trigger guard rivits on , as i think this piece is trashed on the yugos , a piece flat stock approx. 80 thous. thick would work - you will have to weld build up the "pad" area that the mag catch part of trigger guard rivits to .. ===
ya gotta be patient doin yer first one of these -- the first one i did - i almost "lostit" and smashed the thing !!!---- GOOD LUCK ! IF u HAVE MORE QUESTIONS , IM YER GUY !!
NOW IF YER BRAIN IS NOT NUMB AFTER ALL THAT B.S. - GITTA WORK !!!!
