Misc Custom Machined Parts

[-=OGGY=-]

Wow that looks great! (top picture) Now I really want to see a better pic of it in black.

[dobey]

The camera I have is a piece of ###### (Christmas present). Almost all the pics I take with it are all blurry, even on a tripod. Have a new one coming now and will post up more pics as soon as it gets here. Just did a bunch of anodizing today. The black is odd, it seems to age a little starting out with a purple hue right after I seal it and then over a few hours it gets darker and darker till it is very black. Anyone have any experience with this, I am using RIT powder Dye.

[cafemondo]

1: Only n00bs use a milling cutter mounted in a chuck. Get an auto locking milling chuck. Worth EVERY penny!

2: If you havent got enough space between the cutter and the table, get some finger collets.

3: Get a piece of thick cardboard and cut it into a T shape, so you can get the chips out of the T slots.

4: If you need to cut large diameter holes, dont bother trying to bodge it using a rotary table, get a boring head. Far easier to set up, and far more accurate.

5: Fly cutters are far better for milling large flat surfaces than using multiple passes with an end mill.

 

THX QQexdera - All good stuff, pity I dont understand about 50% of it, a mill should make more sense of this when I get one. Not so much as new thread coming up but possibly a new airsoft engineers/manufacturing category.

 

The camera I have is a piece of ###### (Christmas present). Almost all the pics I take with it are all blurry, even on a tripod. Have a new one coming now and will post up more pics as soon as it gets here. Just did a bunch of anodizing today. The black is odd, it seems to age a little starting out with a purple hue right after I seal it and then over a few hours it gets darker and darker till it is very black. Anyone have any experience with this, I am using RIT powder Dye.

Great form on the vertical grip, and lovely knurling, if this was back in the old days and we were a bit closer Id be on your doorstep refusing to move until you took me in as apprentice. Gaaaaaaw I want a Mill. Cant advise you on your professional dye choice, I use woolworths clothes dye which gives me a more interesting result, probably not what youre after.

 

Looking at the ammount of interest In this post and you being a manufacturer I can see that you are fairly busy but any chance of a quick walkthrough on your anodising procedure? Or even better a walkthrough on making that vertical grip would make for a very enjoyable/educational bit of learning.

Thanks

[dobey]

My anodizing setup is fairly simple. I have 7 one gallon buckets set up on a bench with an exhaust fan for the fumes (although they are minor at this size setup).

 

First bucket has an etching solution (just drain cleaner that etches aluminum)

 

Second is a bucket of distilled water for cleaning off the etching solution.

 

Third is the Sulfuric acid and distilled water solution. This is where the anodizing happens with a 12v 10 amp batter charger (negative to the aluminum plate at the bottom and positive to the part)

 

Fourth is a bucket of distilled water and baking soda to neutralize the acid and clean the part after anodizing.

 

Five, six, and seven are different colors of dye and distilled water. Just dunk the part in the color for about the same time it was in the acid. I use a small fish tank compressor to agitate the tanks and keep them mixxed up while in process. The battery charger was the most expensive part at around $45.00 the rest was under $10.00.

 

After the part is dyed just boil it for about 10 min in water to seal it and you are done. It is really very simple once you have it setup. When I get the new camera (should come tomorrow) I will take pics of the process, and a walk through on making a part.

[dobey]

Some more stuff, sorry for the crappy web-cam pics but the new camera isn't here yet KJW Mk1 I made a new aluminum outer barrel with threaded end and a thread cap for when the silencer is not in use (it needs to be anodized still). Also made some new grips from Wenge wood which I think turned out nice. Couple threaded end caps that fit stock barrel (PM me if you want one of these).

 

 

 

 

 

[gundam2000]

very nice work. You mentioned the knurling tool. how does that work?

[Docv400]

This goes in the tool holder and is simply wound onto the item to be knurled as it's spinning in the chuck.

The hardened 'teeth' on the rollers form the knurling marks on the surface and you wind the tool as far as you want along the piece.

[dobey]

Yep, you have to have the right size part diameter for the tooth pattern though or else the pattern wont line up on a full rotation and it goes to ######.

[Docv400]

ive been looking for a 14mm CCW tap and die set. havnt been able to fine one though. if any one knows where to get one please tell me. i need to make a threaded barrel for one of my projects

Depends where in the world you are really.

In the UK they're pretty rare, and therefore expensive.

I only found two listed while I was searching for one, one on e-bay for £82, and the one I got through a local engineering supplier which was £52...just for the one tap (second cut)

In comparison, I also got a set of three 14mm CW taps (first & second cut, & plug) for £20.

 

The first thing I used the CCW tap for;

 

I made this a couple of years ago when I first got into Airsoft (Oct05);

 

And these more recently;

9mm adaptor for BFG and priming tools that slip into the adaptor and cap (which are used as the 'handle' instead of the original 'ball-handled' tool)

 

Made this piston and cylinder set for a friend's UTG M324;

 

And turned up this piece to fix the infamous Thompson barrel weakness on mine;

 

Did a similar thing on my ICS MP5;

[ruzzz]

Depends where in the world you are really.

In the UK they're pretty rare, and therefore expensive.

I only found two listed while I was searching for one, one on e-bay for £82, and the one I got through a local engineering supplier which was £52...just for the one tap (second cut)

In comparison, I also got a set of three 14mm CW taps (first & second cut, & plug) for £20.

 

 

Have you tried Tracytools ?

 

http://www.tracytools.com/

 

I dont have their catalogue here at work, but I seem to remember they charge 100% more for CCW and their 14mm x 1 is only £6

[Docv400]

Thanks for that link Ruzzz, I'll try them for a l/h die.

[dobey]

Some new stuff:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I started etching with pure Sodium Hydroxide and I am getting much better results with the black dye as you can see in the last part there, the black is very dark and rich where before it could have a slight purple tint to it.

[s85sss]

would you be able to make a WA officer threaded 14mm barrel?From what i see i am pretty sure you can...In this case contact me by pm.

[dobey]

PM sent. On another note here are some sneak peaks at the new m4 mag conversion block for the ak47:

 

 

 

 

 

more to come as it gets closer to being finished, I will toss up a video showing the switch from ak mag to m16 mag.

[digger68]

Thats really neat. Keep up the good work.

[-FIDO-]

good work but

oh my..poor little ak

[PlasticMag]

Oh... Wow.

[my_plague_666]

nifty mod there... sickening, but nifty

[dobey]

lol I agree it is fugly, the part is purely for a Mag compatibility issue.

[dobey]

Little update with some newer stuff.

 

An extended inner barrel for a pistol:

 

Concept

 

 

finished part next to stock part

 

 

 

A Compensator for a glock (next to a real steel compensator)

 

 

And all anodized up

 

 

Aug Flash Hider made in steel:

 

 

 

Custom G36 flash hider

 

 

 

 

an M4 concept flash hider

 

 

 

 

[slo_one]

Nice work. Please keep posting all those neat flashiders.

[Docv400]

Very, very nice Dobey.

Nothing makes me smile like a lump of freshly machined Alloy

I got some new cutting inserts for my lathe tools and a new tool-holder.

Made these recently, spacer kits for the STAR L85 piston mod (Fit standard AEG (16-tooth) pistons instead of the long ones).

They're Delrin™...

And the first one I made for a friend's L85, in Alloy...

 

What's your technique for doing the twisted flutes/slots Dobey.

Do you have a lathe with a milling attachment or is it a mill with a rotary table/other?

[dobey]

I have a lathe/mill combo that I used on the original parts in this thread, but recently picked up a mini stand alone mill. The twisted flute parts are made with a rotary table mounted on that mill at an angle.

[Docv400]

I should be getting a small mill in the next few months, can't wait

Do you use dividing plates with your rotary table or just use rough counting on the turning handle...if you know what I mean

[dobey]

It came with a couple sets of plates but I haven't used them yet. The table is marked all the way around in degrees, so far I have just used them, making cuts every 120 if 3 or every 90 if 4 etc, if that makes sense.