[Toten Kopf]

Here's the latest on my build. Setting up for the center support. Next will be the "Layout for Installation of The Bolt Carrier" which I would have included with this tutorial but I felt the file was to big. Hope this info helps someone.

 

[sniper69]

Here's the latest on my build. Setting up for the center support. Next will be the "Layout for Installation of The Bolt Carrier" which I would have included with this tutorial but I felt the file was to big. Hope this info helps someone.

It is nice to see the tutorials and the ways that others do their builds. And as for the file being to big? Naw, only took me about 5 seconds to download and save to my computer.

 

[gaucho1]

:thumbup1: :thumbup1: :thumbup1: :thumbup1:
:thumbup1:

 

[Toten Kopf]

It is nice to see the tutorials and the ways that others do their builds. And as for the file being to big? Naw, only took me about 5 seconds to download and save to my computer.

sniper69...

You must either have cable or DSL, of which I have neither. I'm still dial-up and everything takes forever. Can't get cable, DSL or Satellite, to many trees (Satellite) and I'm not close enough to humanity for the others.

Oh well.

 

[sniper69]

sniper69...

You must either have cable or DSL, of which I have neither. I'm still dial-up and everything takes forever. Can't get cable, DSL or Satellite, to many trees (Satellite) and I'm not close enough to humanity for the others.

Oh well.

I used dial-up for years before switching to cable. The cable was not what I expected (old wiring or whatever the case was). I moved to where I am now (been here 4 years) and have DSL. I am just waiting for my ISP to finish upgrades in the area so that i can go from dsl ultra to what is called dsl extreme. Then my speed will about double.

Either way - your tutorials are nice and I like to see how others are doing things to so that something new can be learned. Besides maybe everyone can learn something from these or possibly learn an easier way to do things. And again the tutorials are nice :thumbup1:

 

[fal_shooter]

I love your tutorial. I have been fighting this same issue on my latest build. Since I don't have the nifty inside measuring stick you have and frankly have never even seen one but now I must have one .....

OK I was in a loop and had to take a break. Back to the issue of center supports. I haven't tried this yet but what I was going to do was put both trunnions in and C clamp them in place and measure the outside of the receiver at both trunnions. If that measurement was different I would split the difference for the center support measurement. I was going to put the center support in and remeasure the center section. I was then going to subtract the difference and trim the center support by that much.

Any opinions on my procedure would be appreciated since I don't really know what I am doing on these builds.

I like Toten Koph's procedure but the rails are already in my receiver and I don't have the special tool to do the inside measurements. It seems like the result would be the same measuring from the outside and you would only need a standard caliper.

Suggestions please.

 

[Toten Kopf]

fal_shooter...

I think what your talking about is the metod I use for setting up the top rails to accept the bolt carrier. I will be posting that operation tomorrow.

The critical locations are at the trunnions and center support. You want the top of the receiver to be almost the same (same would be great) width the length of the receiver. This is from measuring the outside of the receiver. What you don't want is to have the center support pull in or push out the sides of the receiver when you rivet/screw it together. If that happens you will have a gap when you put your top cover in place (it would be more noticable on the LH side of the receiver). Also your upper rail width would be uneven.

I've had the gauges for some time and they were really inexpensive for the job they do. Like a lot of tools used in building the AK, most are really not needed, they only make the job easier.

Here's a link to the telescoping gauges. $10.00 for a 6 piece set. Damn...that's cheap!!!
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?PMPAGE=212

Hope this helps.

 

[fal_shooter]

Thanks I look forward to the top rail posting.

I was talking about doing the center support. My thinking is if you take a reading of the outside of the receiver with the center support snugged in place you should be able to take a reading on the outside of the receiver to see if the width of the receiver at the center support is the same as the width of the receiver at the trunnions. The reason why I think it should be a accurate reading is as follows:

1. My rails are already in place. They were spotwelded in place before I bent the flat. The bending jig we have will bend the top rails then you can weld the lower rails in place before doing the lower bend. This makes it much easier to work on the receivers. (I will post pictures when the manufacturer released the bending jig for sale.)

2. Sometimes the rail does not snug down exactly flush when it is being spotwelded so that could be a variable.

3. Once the rail is attached it becomes for all intents and purposes part of the thickness of the receiver. That being the case it seems that measuring the outside of the receiver in all three locations would produce the same results. If you measure with the center support in place and measure with the center support removed it should tell you how much the center support will need to be trimmed or builtup.

Look I am VERY new at building AKs and working with metal so this theory may be full of it but it seems logical to me. If I'm wrong about this producing the same type of reading on the center support length PLEASE tell me where I am wrong. I'm doing the same measurements you are doing except I am doing them from the outside and not the inside.

Thanks again for doing these tutorials. They have been a really big help to me.

 

[Toten Kopf]

As long as you subtract the thickness of both lower rails and receiver (both sides) you should be in the ball park (and yes if the lower rails don't snug down it will make a difference). Remember that you want your receiver to be as true as possible. It doesn't make any real difference how you measure as long as the center support doesn't bow in or bow out the receiver.

If your center support is to long or short when you make your measurements to cut the top rails, the rails won't be even.

 

[fal_shooter]

Thanks for clearing that up. I wasn't argueing with your method. I was just trying to learn how to do this. It just so happens I am in the middle of a build and this information is very timely. I followed your receiver layout procedure and made great progress on that. I really look forward to the top rail layout because I have never been happy with mine. They work ok but their just not "right". Your tutorials are the best I have ever seen so please keep them up until you have covered all of the bases. Other people have good information but they could learn something from your presentation of the information. Thank you for doing this.

 

[yosuthnmasa]

Very nice TK. This makes the decision on the center support length very easy. No more guess work and/or trying to bend the receiver out after it is too tight from a short center support. Where do you get the nifty guage?

 

[Toten Kopf]

yosuthnmasa...

Thanks, the telescoping gauges are from ENCO ($10.00 for a 6 gauge set). I posted the link to the gauges on the first page of this thread when fal_shooter asked about them also.