Crsswift70 1 Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 (edited) I just finished ventilating the hand guard on my rifle and thought i would post the process. I found a template in the .308 section that i used as a basis for the cut out. I printed it and cut them out as well as i could. After eyeballing the location i wanted them to be cut, i took a small drill bit and put a hole at each end of the cut out right where the lines cross. Not all the way through, just enough to make a mark. That plastic is tough and a nail with finger pressure did nothing. After i did one side, i made a small pencil mark above each hole so that i could see it while marking the other side. I wanted to make sure the holes were lined up. I then used a larger bit (close to the actual width i wanted the cut out) and drilled through my pilot hole. I did not try to go all the way through both sides. I used what is called a brad point bit to make the holes. It has a small sharp point on the tip that can be used to precisely cut the hole along the line. You can see the pencil line i tried to run through the middle of all the "end" holes. I used this as my guide and drilled out as much as i could of the middle. Also note the pieces of wood i placed in the hand guard to keep from collapsing or possibly breaking it while in the vice. I used a small file (those things saved me during my conversion!) and opened up the rest of the area and tried to straighten all my cut outs. Pretty much finished here. I also added this hole in the bottom for air to flow up in to the hand guard. I may add another further back. CAUTION! There is a metal plate in the front and i suspect the back of the hand guard. The area towards the front of this hole was a pain as i had to file down part of that plate. I finished all the edges and any scuffs i created by rubbing them with 0000 wool. It recreated the dull finish already on the hand guards perfectly. And voila! Not perfect by any means, but i am sure it will aid in cooling off the barrel and keep the guard a little cooler. Edited March 8, 2010 by Crsswift70 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lone Star Arms 2,047 Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 Very nice work. Great photos and tutorial! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cowtown 1 Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 That looks good... how long did it take... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Crsswift70 1 Posted March 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 That looks good... how long did it take... Longer than it should have I bet i spent close to 2 hours in the garage. I'm sure a Dremmel would have saved a lot of time, but i've really had good luck using my files. I just seem to have finer control using a small file. My arm did get a little tired though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
photoshooter 5 Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 You did a great job and I really like the finished rifle Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kresk 10,063 Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 Excellent job! Worth the time and effort. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sailor 6 Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 Yes, nice job. I also drilled a forward hole on the underside of the HG - not very big, but air is what it wants. It looks like we both went for the same venting idea, with the same method - I did sort of "route" the connected holes with the bit in a drill press - saved a bunch of hand filing. I do like the "Saiga look" keeping the original HG on, but do have concerns of melting, however unlikely. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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