Phobos84 2 Posted August 24, 2011 Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 So I have been lurking here for a while gathering info and ideas for my build. Just figured I would make my first post with some pictures of the progress so far. My welder and 6013 rod became my best friend that's for sure. I'll have the handguard and the Duracoat in the mail soon. I'll post the finished pictures of it when it's done. I wanted it to have a molded look so after I welded the front sight on I put high temp epoxy on it to smooth it out. I think it will look good after Duracoat. To weld on the rear sight I just drilled two holes in the cover and welded from the inside. It just seemed easier that way. I'm going with Snow Gray for the color. Anyone know if Duracoat will stick to the factory finish or will it all have to be striped off first? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ErikTaylor 41 Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 That looks great! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
datrowl 111 Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 so far, so good.... while you have that welder fired up, lay a few beads down over the hexed out import marks and then smooth to finish! it'll look SO much better when your done. unless you just need a permant place to strike kitchen matches lol keep us posted of the progress! and Welcome =o) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mullet Man 2,114 Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 Sweet. How did it run before? Hate to see you have it so far apart and then put back together without doing some reliability work to it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Phobos84 2 Posted August 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 Sweet. How did it run before? Hate to see you have it so far apart and then put back together without doing some reliability work to it. It ran bulk Federal 2 3/4 7 1/2 shot without any issue. I also ran some Remington 2 3/4 00 buck on the "magnum" gas setting and still no issue. I didn't try Winchesters but I'm going to be handloading so it really doesn't matter. I'll just load them to what I need them to be to cycle on low. I also test fired it with the Tapco trigger installed. It didn't have a trigger guard but it ran fine. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
menace667 194 Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 The duracoat needs to be stripped and degreased really well or it will get air pockets and chip. Use gloves, degrease, and dry really well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Phobos84 2 Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Well I got it painted today. Let me first say that Duracoat is a miserable product. Don't get me wrong, it seems to hold up as advertised but I don't see how it can go on without runs and looking bad close up. I went through 8oz of it just to paint my Saiga because it would screw up I would have to strip it back off and do it again. I probably painted it 3 times. I got it as good as I can and when it cures completely I'm going to spot sand and touch up a few spots. Okay so now I'm done bitching. It didn't turn out too bad. If I had to do it all over again I would have used Alumi-hyde instead of Duracoat but this will probably hold up better. I didn't put the handguard on yet because the paint was still curing and I didn't want to scratch it, but you get the idea. Hopefully I'll get the rail tomorrow and I can put the flashlight on it. So what do you guys think? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
evlblkwpnz 3,418 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Well, I think it looks sharp and beats the shit out of my first conversion. I had nylon hole plugs and it was pretty basic. Great job! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Phobos84 2 Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Well, I think it looks sharp and beats the shit out of my first conversion. I had nylon hole plugs and it was pretty basic. Great job! Thanks. I guess if there is one thing I'm good at it's using a stick welder. I'm garbage with a TIG but give me an old AC stick welder and I can do anything. Welding the holes shut only took like 10 minuets. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lidocaine Looney 26 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Didn't have too much splatter? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Phobos84 2 Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Didn't have too much splatter? 5/32" rod 6013 at 40amp and go slow. Anti splatter spray helps but there isn't much anyway. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Yoshi 87 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Very clean. Nice work from my book! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Splat 28 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Impressive! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
evlblkwpnz 3,418 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Impressive! From a stick, for sure it is impressive. I have a small MIG unit and do OK with it, but wouldn;t dare take a stick to a receiver. I tried stick welding once and it was far above and beyond comedy It was downright ridiculous and humbling is a gross understatement. Great work! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Phobos84 2 Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Impressive! From a stick, for sure it is impressive. I have a small MIG unit and do OK with it, but wouldn;t dare take a stick to a receiver. I tried stick welding once and it was far above and beyond comedy It was downright ridiculous and humbling is a gross understatement. Great work! I actually had a 110 volt flux core mig and the only thing I could do well with it was exhaust for my car. Everything else seemed like it wouldn't penetrate or it would punch holes in the work. I'm an industrial maintenance technician in a steel tubing factory so I have to use a stick welder almost everyday. So I traded my little mig to my friend for a 225 amp AC Lincoln buzz box. I couldn't be happier with it. That and 5/32 6013 rod is kind of like using a mig. It can lay a bead that looks like it came from a mig. That's why they call it line rod. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paulyski 2,227 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Didn't have too much splatter? 5/32" rod 6013 at 40amp and go slow. Anti splatter spray helps but there isn't much anyway. +1 Another trick that works well is wrapping all but the part welded in a welding blanket. Also, to get the electrode to strike an arc quickly when running lower than recommended amperage, some use a strike plate (piece of scrap metal) & quickly run a tiny bead to get the electrode hot, then go right to the piece & strike your arc the second your auto-darkening helmet lets you see where you're about to weld. A hot electrode will strike much easier. If a person knows what they're doing, they can do one hell of a lot with a stick welder given the vast array of steels & shielding available. On the other hand, if they don't know what they're doing, they may as well use carbon arc gouging rod, because the results are going to be about the same. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Phobos84 2 Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Didn't have too much splatter? 5/32" rod 6013 at 40amp and go slow. Anti splatter spray helps but there isn't much anyway. +1 Another trick that works well is wrapping all but the part welded in a welding blanket. Also, to get the electrode to strike an arc quickly when running lower than recommended amperage, some use a strike plate (piece of scrap metal) & quickly run a tiny bead to get the electrode hot, then go right to the piece & strike your arc the second your auto-darkening helmet lets you see where you're about to weld. A hot electrode will strike much easier. If a person knows what they're doing, they can do one hell of a lot with a stick welder given the vast array of steels & shielding available. On the other hand, if they don't know what they're doing, they may as well use carbon arc gouging rod, because the results are going to be about the same. It's funny you should say about carbon arc. My friends pick on me because I don't use a cutting torch anymore. Guy at work showed me a trick they used to use on the railroad. Take a piece of 6011 (6010 if DC), soak the rod in water, crank up your amperage to 200 or more. That thing will cut up to 1/4 inch plate and be much faster then a torch. The water stops the flux from melting as fast. Real similar to air/carbon arc but much cheaper. That's good advice on using a hot electrode. I have an old oven in my shop so sometimes I put rods in at 300 deg or so for a bit. Seems to help a lot with bigger 6013 but this thin stuff I used for this build seemed to start fairly easy at room temp. Anyway thanks guys for all the compliments. Hopefully I'll get it out and shoot it today. Maybe I'll see if slugs will light Tannerite. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Parson Julabee Jones 32 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 The gun is beautiful, but your welding skills are outstanding... and even more so if that helmet isn't a self-darkening model! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Phobos84 2 Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 The gun is beautiful, but your welding skills are outstanding... and even more so if that helmet isn't a self-darkening model! I was wondering how long it would take for someone to notice my old helmet. That's just an old one I have laying on my bench. I have a nice auto darkening that I use 99% of the time. I'm okay with a stick welder I guess but that's it. I get inconsistent results from a MIG and I can't use a TIG to save my life. But I'm okay with that. I like the fact that no one comes over to bum my welder anymore. I got rid of that MIG and got a stick and it seemd that none of my friends can use it. hehe. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Las_Vegas_HK 0 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 lay a few beads down over the hexed out import marks and then smooth to finish! it'll look SO much better when your done. unless you just need a permant place to strike kitchen matches lol I wanted to know the answer to this question also. Did you do anything to conceal or cover up the "match strike" area? Although I didn'y try it everyone I spoke to said that if you try to weld over this area it will warp the receiver. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Phobos84 2 Posted August 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 lay a few beads down over the hexed out import marks and then smooth to finish! it'll look SO much better when your done. unless you just need a permant place to strike kitchen matches lol I wanted to know the answer to this question also. Did you do anything to conceal or cover up the "match strike" area? Although I didn'y try it everyone I spoke to said that if you try to weld over this area it will warp the receiver. No I didn't do anything with it. I thought about grinding it down just a little and filling it with JB weld. Then Duracoat over it. That should get rid of it. When I go back and touch up the receiver later on I might do that. I'm about 90% sure I could weld it without doing any damage but whats the point. I think JB would work just as well. Anyway today was lousy. First off the gun wouldn't cycle reliably. I had 5 FTE out of 20 rounds. After taking it apart I found little bits of Duracoat clogged in the gas ports. Not sure where it came from being that I had everything plugged up pretty tight. Then I found out that the 500 deg temperature rating on the epoxy I used around the front sight was a gross over estimate. The epoxy just fell off after the 20 rounds. So to make it look better I cut the front sight back off and will re-weld it sometime in the near future. With the sight off I ground off the rest of the epoxy. I'll weld it the whole way around and grind it down. I should have just done it this way in the first place, I was trying to cut a corner. I guess you get what you put into it. This project has been a major PITA but I think it'll be worth it in the end....I hope. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The_Caged_Bird 474 Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 Didn't have too much splatter? 5/32" rod 6013 at 40amp and go slow. Anti splatter spray helps but there isn't much anyway. +1 Another trick that works well is wrapping all but the part welded in a welding blanket. Also, to get the electrode to strike an arc quickly when running lower than recommended amperage, some use a strike plate (piece of scrap metal) & quickly run a tiny bead to get the electrode hot, then go right to the piece & strike your arc the second your auto-darkening helmet lets you see where you're about to weld. A hot electrode will strike much easier. If a person knows what they're doing, they can do one hell of a lot with a stick welder given the vast array of steels & shielding available. On the other hand, if they don't know what they're doing, they may as well use carbon arc gouging rod, because the results are going to be about the same. It's funny you should say about carbon arc. My friends pick on me because I don't use a cutting torch anymore. Guy at work showed me a trick they used to use on the railroad. Take a piece of 6011 (6010 if DC), soak the rod in water, crank up your amperage to 200 or more. That thing will cut up to 1/4 inch plate and be much faster then a torch. The water stops the flux from melting as fast. Real similar to air/carbon arc but much cheaper. That's good advice on using a hot electrode. I have an old oven in my shop so sometimes I put rods in at 300 deg or so for a bit. Seems to help a lot with bigger 6013 but this thin stuff I used for this build seemed to start fairly easy at room temp. Anyway thanks guys for all the compliments. Hopefully I'll get it out and shoot it today. Maybe I'll see if slugs will light Tannerite. I don't think that slugs will, IIRC, the projectile has to be traveling at 2500 fps or more... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Phobos84 2 Posted September 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 (edited) Just figured I would give an update. After I re-welded the front sight on I tried to reassemble. I went to put the puck back in and it wouldn't fit. I about shit myself when I realized that all that welding warped the gas block! So I was convinced that I just trashed this brand new shotgun. Just on a whim I took a small honing stone and started honing the gas port little by little until the puck fit back in. So I loaded it up with bulk Federal 7 1/2 and gave it a whirl. Low and behold it ran fine! It's now back to cycling bulk low brass. This is a testament to how freaking rigid the AK platform is. Something tells me that if I screwed up a weld job on my AR15 I wouldn't be able to fix it with a honing stone I had laying around my garage. Well anyway I used the last of my Duracoat to finish it up. I put a small rail on it to mount a flashlight. The light mount is just a cheapy from Dealextreem and the light is an Ultrafire 501B with 2 Spiderfire CR123 cells. Sorry the pictures are so bad. The only camera I had on me was my phone. Edited September 13, 2011 by Phobos84 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poolingmyignorance 2,191 Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 (edited) The gun is beautiful, but your welding skills are outstanding... and even more so if that helmet isn't a self-darkening model! I was wondering how long it would take for someone to notice my old helmet. That's just an old one I have laying on my bench. I have a nice auto darkening that I use 99% of the time. I'm okay with a stick welder I guess but that's it. I get inconsistent results from a MIG and I can't use a TIG to save my life. But I'm okay with that. I like the fact that no one comes over to bum my welder anymore. I got rid of that MIG and got a stick and it seemd that none of my friends can use it. hehe. TIG isn't so bad, honestly I prefer it. Some of the tricks I've learned are always keep your tungsten razor sharp, use pure argon instead of that 50/50 mix, and it can be a little costly if your doing large welds, but I use an oxygen regulator for my gas so I can keep the flow really high. I can literally weld with a fan blowing right on me. OH and for tiny welds....smaller than the whole in the receiver, you can use a piece of MIG wire as a filler rod...just some ideas to play with....it's all just practice. OH I forgot to say, great looking work man. Very nicely done. Edited September 13, 2011 by poolingmyignorance Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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