Making a Lower From Soda Cans

Awesome video! Shoulda bead blasted that mirror finish away ;)
 
Bailey Boat said:
I'll just save my pennies, nickels and dimes and pay 49.00 for one. A man that smart shooting at flat water??
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Hahahaha. Yeah that's the one part that got under my skin too.
 
Brilliant! I could watch this sort of thing all day.
 
I might give this a try. I would have done things slightly different but no 2 people think alike.

He did a good job.
 
Bailey Boat said:
I'll just save my pennies, nickels and dimes and pay 49.00 for one. A man that smart shooting at flat water??
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Not an issue if there is nothing on the other side to damage with a ricochet. Maybe he owns the next couple miles of property? LOL
 
A functional lower receiver is not hard at all to make, I could make one out of a block of aluminum. This guy took it to the next level by making the block.

FYI, machining your own is never cost effective.
 
Is there any significant difference between the metal he used and the the alloy in a std forged receiver?
 
spittinfire said:
A functional lower receiver is not hard at all to make, I could make one out of a block of aluminum. This guy took it to the next level by making the block.

FYI, machining your own is never cost effective.
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Yeah this is just one of the things you'd do for the cool factor. Would if I could.
 
Pretty darn cool. I would have had to put the serial number as PBR265 though.
 
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BudE said:
I'm not a machinist. Anybody know how much that machinery he used would cost?
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I was thinking, including the cost of equipment, that lower cost what, about $10,000? :D

I was also wondering why he didn't just use the other lower for his casting form?

BTW, anyone know the current progress of 3D printing as far as durable materials? I've been waiting for the technology to progress and the cost to come down.. ;)
 
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georgel said:
I was also wondering why he didn't just use the other lower for his casting form?
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I actually wondered the same thing when I first watched it. After some thought I figured he was worried about being sued for making a direct copy vs reverse engineering.

But yeah, if I was going to do this I'd make a mold of a lower and go that route.
 
Chdamn said:
I actually wondered the same thing when I first watched it. After some thought I figured he was worried about being sued for making a direct copy vs reverse engineering.

But yeah, if I was going to do this I'd make a mold of a lower and go that route.
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You would probably have to bulk it up some so there'd be material to remove for finishing after casting..
 
bigfelipe said:
You would probably have to bulk it up some so there'd be material to remove for finishing after casting..
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Agreed, and epoxy the major voids and drill holes so you don't have casting defects in your housing. But I would think that would be a heck of a lot easier and take less time to finish.
 
Chdamn said:
Agreed, and epoxy the major voids and drill holes so you don't have casting defects in your housing. But I would think that would be a heck of a lot easier and take less time to finish.
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So basically ruin a lower to make one from scratch...
 
bigfelipe said:
So basically ruin a lower to make one from scratch...
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Well....yeah. But once you have the mold made you could cast multiple lowers. A sacrifice for the greater good man.

I just want enough money to buy one of them great big, CNC 4 axis mills. That way I can just throw in blocks of aluminum and flip the switch. Assuming I can get someone else to program it lol.
 
Would you have to ruin the original lower for the sand cast form? Wouldn't just plugging with hard foam or clay do it?

Chdamn said:
Well....yeah. But once you have the mold made you could cast multiple lowers. A sacrifice for the greater good man.

I just want enough money to buy one of them great big, CNC 4 axis mills. That way I can just throw in blocks of aluminum and flip the switch. Assuming I can get someone else to program it lol.
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I'm sure there are CNC programs already out there.;)

It's been a long time since I dealt in that world, but drafting programs like AutoCAD had add non programs that would produce the CNC code from the drawing.
 
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georgel said:
I was thinking, including the cost of equipment, that lower cost what, about $10,000? :D

I was also wondering why he didn't just use the other lower for his casting form?

BTW, anyone know the current progress of 3D printing as far as durable materials? I've been waiting for the technology to progress and the cost to co.e down.. ;)
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Friend at work is into 3D printing and he has made some really cool stuff. Printed an extended base plate for his Shield that turned out nice and he did some model air planes. Some of the printers now print with metal, like powdered metal, and I bet they are strong enough to act as a lower. Wouldn't be as strong as a forged lower though.
 
DLam said:
Yes, but it really doesnt matter. No significant stresses in a lower. He filled in a casting flaw/void with pewter for crying out loud...

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Just take a look at the polymer lowers, the early did not even have metal inserts in the buffer tube threads.
 
bigfelipe said:
You would probably have to bulk it up some so there'd be material to remove for finishing after casting..
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From the aluminum castings that I have made, you will get 2 to 6 % shrinkage ( no cold water jokes!)from the pattern size. When I cast from an original part, you will have to built it up with filler if it will have to be machined to size. If you build a pattern, you build it oversize.When you fill/plug the holes, the cast part will have the holes in the wrong places. Lots of parts this won't matter.
Also, you have to have some draft or taper in the pattern so it will withdraw from the sand. Usually it is 3 degrees.
 
Chdamn said:
Well....yeah. But once you have the mold made you could cast multiple lowers. A sacrifice for the greater good man.

I just want enough money to buy one of them great big, CNC 4 axis mills. That way I can just throw in blocks of aluminum and flip the switch. Assuming I can get someone else to program it lol.
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It looked like he destroyed the mold when he pulled the part out. Or did you mean the part he used to make the mold?
 
The mold as you call it is destroyed on every pour. It is made of oil bonded sand mix. The wooden block that he removed from the sand mold
is the pattern that is reused over and over.
When I cast old engine parts, I will use my 1 original part or pattern, and make several sand molds called flasks, that way I can cast several at one setup.
 
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