Arbour press for AK rivets?

[NeoWeird]

Just wondering if anyone here has tried using an arbour press to form the rivets on their AKs? I haven't had the balls to try using the 60 ton press at work for AK rivets but we have a large industrial arbour press that I've been thinking of using on my next build. I figure I can form a mandrel and the forming jig myself, but I wanted to see if anyone here had tried something along these lines. The control over pressure and setup placement seems too good to pass up.

In the back of my head I know it can work, but I always over look the simplest in faults so I was hoping someone would point it out before I go scrap something.

[tankerman]

I have been wondering the same thing for a couple of months now.

[Toten Kopf]

The problem is not just the rivets, it's the barrel pin. I have a 20 ton press and have had pins that won't come out using that press. I've had to drill the pin out.





You can crush the front trunnion rivets using a modified bolt cutter and use a hammer for the rear trunnion/center support rivets, so for that pupose a arbor press would work (the rivets aren't that hard).

Using a 60 ton press would probably work but you need to control what your doing, a slight miscalculation and you could damage your barrel/rsb or whatever.

For most, it's the barrel pin that causes the biggest problem, not the rivets.

[DesertGunner]

The 12 ton Harbor Freight press worked fine for me. I also had to drill some bbl pins out, but it put the new ones in just fine.

[Utha Schleigle]

I would think it should work - especially if you use a lube or graphite on the mushroom side. I don't think you would get any shock effect.

An arbor press would be an important tool for any shop - roll pins - pins.

Some how I feel the 20ton to 30ton press would be better. 60ton press might have too much horse power and would hurt the surrounding assemblies! For me hand hammer with a bolt or air hammering would be best (my opinon) because of the controlability and abillity to start off light and check easily for seating and mushrooming progress.

I have a delux bolt cutter rivit crusher on the way $40.oo USD.

I had a barrel pin that would not move for love or money - the shock waves of the air hammer move it easily. I have a bit for the air hammer now for the rear rivits - again shock waves I think would move these more easily *that was tougher than the barrel pin*. On the other forum one oress technique is to start the press pressure on the barrel pin and then smack the press plate with a 2lbs hammer sendind a shock wave though the front trunion - the barrel pin moves.

[NeoWeird]

My first build was a screw build. It was nice, but I want to do something more interesting. I think I want to try the poor man's AK; and I mean poor. I got the resources at work to make EVERYTHING for it from metal. The receiver could be bent from a flat using a shop brew jig, the barrel could be had cheap from any used 7.62 barrel (I've seen some as cheap as $10 - or I could get one of the cheap $30 Romanian ones from Copes), the major parts are all square and easy to machine on a mill, and the Gas Block shouldn't be too hard if I make it in pieces on the lathe and mill and weld it together. The stock and FCG would be bought (or salvaged from my first build) and I could have an AK pistol at near half the price (or less than) it's costing most people.

I know I can get the barrel pin with an arbour press or a vice. I hear the problem on many of them is rust and penetrating lubricating oils help tremendously. I'll have to try that shock wave trick as well. I saw a poster use what he called an All Thread method where he used 1/4" all thread, some nuts, and washers made from pennies to push the barrel in without having to worry about it getting cocked to one side. I am sure I could make a bearing puller type of device to pull the barrel from the trunion. The rivet jigs would be a piece of cake but the pressing the rivets is the part I am most worried about. I know I can go buy a cheapy pair of chain cutters from Harbor Freights but I think I can do it easier with a shop made mandrel, hardened, and a forming jig on the bottom. Maybe I will try the Arbour press but instead of trying to go one full stroke at a time, I will peck at it with increasingly harder pecks to help it form.

I think I need to go find a cheap-o barrel to get working on...

[Pulsar]

I used an arbor press for my rivets, and just modified an old punch to form the heads. It's not the prettiest looking thing, but it got the job done.

[NeoWeird]

I used an arbor press for my rivets, and just modified an old punch to form the heads. It's not the prettiest looking thing, but it got the job done.

Have a picture of the punch and the finished rivets? I'm trying to find the best combination to give me nice round rivet heads.

[Utha Schleigle]

I bought the power steering puller for the barrell extraction from the front trunion it is like it is custom made to jank the barrell. $15 USD from auto zone.

[DesertGunner]

I bought the power steering puller for the barrell extraction from the front trunion it is like it is custom made to jank the barrell. $15 USD from auto zone.

Did it work ok? I tried a similar device made just for barrel pulling, but it didn't work for ****.

[Pulsar]

Have a picture of the punch and the finished rivets? I'm trying to find the best combination to give me nice round rivet heads.

No I don't. I still need to buy a camera (I can't bring my self to buy the cheap ones). And I lost the punch during the last move, it's probably around here somewhere but I have no idea where.

All I really did to the punch was hogged out a nice half round in it with a dremel with a stone attachment, while quinching it often in water to keep from ruining the heat treat. Finish didn't look bad at all, just make sure you center the punch well or you wind up with some funky looking rivet heads (I missed on one rivet). Mine was actually a PSL, so I'm not sure it's 100% the same, but I'm pretty confident it's close.

I forgot to add that I did have to make a small anvil out of some drill rod to fit inside the reciever for the front rivets. Just make sure your heat treat it so it's harder than the rivets.

[ar15barrels]

I was able to press out the barrel pin with just my Kurt vise and proper spacers.
Kurt vise is rated for 8000lbs clamping force, a measly 4 tons.
I used a 60ton shop press at metal shop to press out the barrel from the trunion.
Once it popped loose, it look less than 1000lbs to press out.

[Utha Schleigle]

Did it work ok? I tried a similar device made just for barrel pulling, but it didn't work for ****.

Yes it did work well. Did you buy a #2510 puller. I removed barrel pin - peeled exterior old reciever off - ground down original rivit stubbs, Then (with no modification to power steering puller) placed barrell and front trunion assemmbly in puller with 3 zinc pennies on camber face to protect. Clamped puller and gun assemble in my large machinist's vice - pour more liquid wrench on (soaking overnight already). When all is aligned start cranking bolt on end with circle end of opened wrench. I though I was going to breack the puller but it it was a fight all the way out.

Next time I will make sure all the pennies stay aligned - as I go. If they move I will stop next time and re-align.

I will take picture tonight.

[motorhead]

ak builder and gunthings have jigs for press riveting.
my first demil i didn't have a press yet. removed bbl. pin with an air chisel and a punch bit i ground flat. removed bbl. with a p/s pulley remover i already had. ya runs what ya brung!