Snowbound Sunday

Well. we’ve missed all the others, and this time the shoe’s on the other foot. A few miles to the south, the People’s Republic got a relative dusting, but we got schmacked.

It was worth it just to see Little Dog in snow up to his shaggy eyebrows and ears.

We’re at a transitory holdup on the airplane project as we’re waiting on tools (needed number drills, had fractions and metric, except for the two or three number drills one needs for ARs — #3, #40, #42). Numbered drills are used to get the proper amount of clearance under ASME and ASTM standards, where the next 64th or 32nd of an inch would be too small or too large. In the metric world, such clearance requirements can necessitate an odd sized drill bit, which can take some finding.For example, the AR drills mentioned are used, in order, for: the pistol grip screw hole, (which is then tapped 1/4-28); the pivot pin & takedown pin detent holes; and the bolt release hinge-pin hole. The other AR holes can all be drilled with fractional drills, but you can finesse the pivot-pin and hinge-pin holes (which are called out at 0.25 ± .001) by cutting them slightly undersize with a Letter D or metric 6.26mm drill, and then ream to finish size.

We suspect a lot of shops just fudge the clearances!

Since we don’t know what surprises lurk in the next sections of the plans, we just ordered a set of standard gage sized, letter and number, drills (which takes us down to #60). MSC Direct will have the drills to us this week. (We also bought $400 worth of other tools that were on sale. Because tools, and MSC is great to deal with).

We’re kicking around ideas for a new logo for WeaponsMan.com. Something based on this:

weaponsman_com_logo_transparent

 

That would seem to cover it. Vintage weapon, in depth, combat focus. But we’d get the name in there, somewhere, too. Our colors are a little dark, too.

Fun fact: while the M16A1 is a lot shorter than the Springfield M1795 Musket that has adorned the CIB (in more or less stylized version) since 1943, and the Infantry branch insignia since 1924, it’s a lot higher, vertically, making for completely different proportions. It was tough getting even this far. But then, we are not artistes around this place, except maybe with an M16A1 like in the picture.


13 thoughts on “Snowbound Sunday

  1. Matt

    Have you thought (blasphemy I know) of using the CAB as a template instead of the CIB? Its shorter,and might fit the the M16A1 a little better, and without the grenade and bayonet you won’t be able to tell it was a CAB.


  2. Justin

    Dunno if you’d feel like paying for it, but I’d bet the Animagraffs guy could make something amazing.


    1. Pathfinder

      I hit post before I was done. Speaking of the Springfield M1795, know of anybody that does a re-pro of them? Had an idea for the “bunker” as my Frau calls it, but haven’t run across anything.


  3. Dyspeptic Gunsmith

    Get good drill bits. ie, not ChiCom crap.

    Then obtain the means to sharpen them. You will need a drill point gage for the larger bits, and then something like a Drill Doctor for the smaller bits.

    You’re of course correct about the drill undersize and ream to finish size for hitting a size to 0.001. There is no way to drill a hole with a twist drill and not end up with a hole that isn’t at least 0.002 oversize. When I’m drilling undersize and reaming-to-size, I use a chucking reamer for the finish size. Never turn a reamer backwards in the hole. Never use a reamer without cutting oil or some sort of cutting lube. WD40 makes excellent cutting lube in aluminum, which you’ll be using on both the RV and AR’s. Boelube is another good lube which I use for tapping.

    When using reamers, remember “half the speed, twice the feed.” They need to be turned slower than a drill bit, but they need to be kept loaded. Drill a hole no more than 0.005 to 0.015 (the latter in only aluminum) under-sized, and ream to the finish size. This preserves the lifespan of your reamers. Oh, and again, don’t ever turn a reamer backwards in the hole – I don’t care whether it is a chucking reamer or a chamber reamer. Don’t turn it backwards in the hole.

    There, I’ve said enough on the matter. And yes, MSC is an outfit you will get to know well. That said, in things like drill bits, end mills, reamers, etc, there are some outfits that MSC doesn’t carry that make some Very Nice Tooling, especially in hand taps and very small cutting tools.


      1. Dyspeptic Gunsmith

        Good. It is a lesson you don’t want to learn on a nice gun.

        Hertel, OSG, Chicago-Latrobe, Precision Twist Drill, Triumph – they’re all good in HSS bits. The coatings vary – for most non-production work, a “black oxide” (so they don’t rust) is enough. #1 thing to avoid is ChiCom “steel.”

        When you get into carbide bits, or production rates, things change a bit and then you might need to become fussier.


  4. gbob

    You dont need a whole set of bits, just 40, 30, 21, 13, 10, d, and e. That will cover almost everything that you will be doing on an rv. The hss bits are great, k prefer them to cobalt, but they do dull faster. As far as resharps are concerned, good luck, I have never been impressed. They can be used if you’re real careful, and center punch, but you’ll cuss a storm if you drill walk over that pretty aluminum. Good websites for tools are browntools, and yardstore. Good luck, have fun. Those rvs are great fun, not great for beginners, but lots of fun. P.s.you can’t have too many clecos, don’t cheap out.


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