Great thread! Does anyone have more info on the top rail and the best way to bend with limited tool at home.
I am definitely going to try this. I like the idea of an under folder, but in ‘Komifornia’ it’s got to be a minimum of 30” folded. How would I add 7” to the length of an under folder? Are there REALLY longer muzzle brakes/flash hiders?
hk404me - bending the top rail can be done different ways. There are some threads with discussion about here at gunco. As for a long muzzle brake, maybe you could get one custom made to the length that you want.
I've seen some long muzzle brakes, but aren't positive to how long they were.
I bit the bullet and spent the $10 at Lowes. Assembled. Measured 4x.
Although there was a little bowing on the 1" angle iron and the 3/8ths bar stock did bow a little too, the method worked perfectly the first time.
I do see how important getting the bar bolts tight to hold the flat steady, grease, and a press. Piece of cake.
Jeepers. Step up the angle to 1.5 or 2 and the bar stock to 1/4 and forget the $100+ jigs. Only solution they have over this is the dimensions for top rail built in. Poor man's solution is to buy flats with the top rails prebent.
Hello all,
I am new here 1st post and I know I am throwing this on the end of an old but still Germain thread. A buddy and I have decided to start with flat builds and have never been down this road before. I just bought my 1st HF spot welder and powder coating system. Is the "grasshopper" still considered a viable solution or has it been supplanted by still simpler/cheaper idea?
Hello all,
I am new here 1st post and I know I am throwing this on the end of an old but still Germain thread. A buddy and I have decided to start with flat builds and have never been down this road before. I just bought my 1st HF spot welder and powder coating system. Is the "grasshopper" still considered a viable solution or has it been supplanted by still simpler/cheaper idea?
Not by any means. Don't even mess around with anything but an AK Builder flat. They now have a flat that has the top rails bent and stepped down...just like the originals. Before Curtis came up with his new flats with this option you had to spend $250.00 + on an expensive jig to make a quality receiver out of a flat. Now anybody with basic tools can use this "poorman's jig" and patience to bend a beautiful flat. When i did my first build all i heard was " Buy an NDS". This was not what i wanted to hear. At first i had a heck of a time bending the upper rails. Now Curtis at AK Builder has worked his magic once again! Alot of guys are selling there old jigs to replace them with his new $150.00 jig which if you are going to do a couple of builds i suggest buying...especially if a buddy is going half with you. Buy Curtis' spot welder setup as this is the essential tool to making a quality receiver out of a flat. I used to drill holes in the flat and mig weld them shut. Crude but effective. I am on a short income...had to make things work with what i had. Prior warning though... if you build an AK yourself it becomes addicting!
Good luck and have fun,TB
If you want it to be easier to do and weld to the sides of the 1 1/4" spacer ground to add 1.5 mm or .060" to each of the four corners of the 'guide plate'
Just so I understand, you use the angle bars as the die, and use the 2 slats as a sandwich, then place sandwiched flat on top and press it into the die using a hydraulic press?
Yes, that's essentially how it works. Keep in mind that beefier angle iron will resist being distorted in the process. Lube on the die frame and sheet steel flat helps things slide.
The original grasshopper design was rather flexible and flimsy so he used extra clamps and a big vise to help keep it all square.
Something else that puzzles me, is how do you align the flat? are you guys just measuring each side when sandwiched, and then holding your breath as you begin to apply force?
I'm imagining the width of the flat after bend is 1.25 + .036x2. Also, did I read correctly that people are having better luck bending all of one end, then working the other? I was imaging it would be a back and forth easing process.
Measure the placement of the flat carefully to get it centered between the die bar mandrel (slats) and bolt the package together securely. I suggest using a much thicker lead-in die bar to help keep the process oriented squarely while forming.
Pressing or pounding one end of this sandwich at a time was done to ease the forming process and is rather mickey mouse. It risks creating a misshaped product. Thicker die bars (slats) also help maintain orientation of the work being pressed in the die (angle iron assembly). However... the inner die bar slat(s) must accomodate the indentations already present in the flat or you may damage these indentations.
These days we have edge-folded flats available which are a great help obtaining a useful frame.
For me I kept on looking on line and reading and looking at the pictures. I have the bottom portion of poor mans jigg complete. I used one by one angle iron is 19 and 1/8 inch long. I used four three inch boltz spaced 1 and 1/2 inch apart. 1 and 1/2 inch from the ends. The I used 1/2 by 1/2 bar stock 12 inches long to support the rails on both sides. This was tack welded on, am not a good welder, but it is done. Then I took, shorter pices of the 1 inch by 1 inch angle iron and spot welded it to the ends for more support. These supports are 4 and 3/4 of an inch long tacked to the ends.
Someone said those have no heat treatment, and require much more than just drilling, welding in the rails, and completing. Apparently they are too soft and need more than just the fcg heat treatment.
If anyone has more info it would be appreciated. There is a seller here who has heat treated ones for sale though.
Someone said those have no heat treatment, and require much more than just drilling, welding in the rails, and completing. Apparently they are too soft and need more than just the fcg heat treatment.
If anyone has more info it would be appreciated. There is a seller here who has heat treated ones for sale though.
Yeah, I read the threads here, and at another forum. Still confusing It appears that the blanks with the x,y and selector markings are good to go, just need the fcg heat treated, however some have said even those are soft. The ones I have do not deform, so I assume they are not the 1050, which would bend easily.
I'll find out after I have a couple hundred rounds through the first one I guess
Finely got around to starting a bending jig (GRASSHOPPER GRH1) yesterday. Quite by accident as I was at scrap yard and found some stainless bar stock, 1 1/4 " X 5/8" X 24". Enough for two jigs as I already have the angle iron. The bar has 5/16" holes every 1.2 " center to center. $2.00!
1st step in making my GRH1 was to cut out relief holes for the Mag support holes. Not a easy task, at first I thought I had a carbon bar! Used a punch to scar the metal and the drill bit began to work. Used a 5/8ths bit, three holes side by side. Then a little cutting with a worn down grinder disk and that was done! 20 minutes about, had to look for my punch.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Gunco Forums
772.5K posts
34K members
Since 2004
A forum community dedicated to AK-47 and AR-15 firearm owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about optics, hunting, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!