AK Flat Bending/Build help

[ar15barrels]

Looks great. How are those screws working out for you? I cant decide if i want to use screws or rivets

Rivets are where it's at.
The only reason for screws is lack of proper tooling to to the job right.
Find a build party and do it right.

[sspen003]

do you recommend buying a flat or just buying the finished receiver?

[motorhead]

chunk built his on a bent blank. (very quickly i might add) maybe he'll speak up here on whose he used.

[ar15barrels]

do you recommend buying a flat or just buying the finished receiver?

The general consensus is to buy a pre-bent receiver.
I wanted a truly "clean" (no papers) gun so I bent a flat.

[AaronHorrocks]

Typically it's cheaper too. If you have a few buddies, anyhow.

[sspen003]

Just bought a flat. Ill try to get it bent at a build party

[Chunky_lover]

http://redhotgundeals.com/

Im the type of person that hates to wait, so I went with this flat above.

Took around 8 hours to do this flat, but it was my first time and I was being extra careful. Its a very nice kit. So far on the screws I have shot 150 rounds and checked them twice while shooting and none of them moved. I used alot of red loktite when building the kit, the nice thing with the screws was I was able to headspace the barrel very easily out of the receiver, and screw it in later. It just made things go smoother using screws I could fit pieces temporarily then take out and file the receiver away some more not worrying about grinding on the barrel.

At the first sign of problems with the screws I will replace with rivets, or if there is a build party I can go to, but at least I have the ability to easily modify parts or receivers just by unscrewing everything and swapping it out.

If you do a screw build get 2 screw kits, I did and was glad because I would use some screws for temp work, and ended up scraping the threads from tight fits or miss aligned holes, had reamed everything out then used fresh screws for the build.

[sspen003]

Very nice kit. Good job finding it. I would have loved to pick it up but I just got a flat today..dammit. So far the hardest part seems to be putting rivets in. I still reluctant to put screws in

[Chunky_lover]

Very nice kit. Good job finding it. I would have loved to pick it up but I just got a flat today..dammit. So far the hardest part seems to be putting rivets in. I still reluctant to put screws in

save the flat, order the pre bent one and next week you could be done.

[sspen003]

save the flat, order the pre bent one and next week you could be done.

Thats only if I use screws right? ahh I'm trying to keep my build under 400

[Chunky_lover]

Thats only if I use screws right? ahh I'm trying to keep my build under 400

using screws correctly and not messing up it could get done in a long day, if all the parts are in. looks like mine including ak parts, receiver and accessories were around $600, thats including mags, the finish etc.

[sspen003]

using screws correctly and not messing up it could get done in a long day, if all the parts are in. looks like mine including ak parts, receiver and accessories were around $600, thats including mags, the finish etc.

What did you do to finish it?

Im looking at a cold blue or maybe just Krylon

[Noonanda]

My first build back in the day of $120 dollar AMD-63 kits (right before the federal AWB ended) was a screw build but since then I have done nothing but rivets. Rivets are not harder to do than the time and effort you put into a screw build, making a pair of bolt-cutter rivet crushers is pretty easy. the hardest thing is the long rear trunnion rivets

[sspen003]

I am trying to pick up a rivet jig and use it for a build party. Trade riveting for flat bending or something, then just sell the rivet jig at the end

[Chunky_lover]

What did you do to finish it?

Im looking at a cold blue or maybe just Krylon

most of the kit was already media blasted, I did the receiver myself to have the same texture finish, then 1-2 coats of birchwood super blue ( cold blue in bright blue bottle) , then steel wool for the old type of look. Very easy to apply with a brush, around $10 for the blue, $10 for glass bead media, and I have a cheap sandblaster I used. Re did the rear stock and stained to match the front then some coats of a gun store type of stock sealer/clear finish. Im going for the old look, but im sure more coats of blue would darken it, but I would recommend media blasting everything for a more even finish on all parts unless you paint it.