Want a new AR, but can’t afford it? No problem. Just collect soda cans and make one. Posted on 09/29/2017 10:56:19 AM PDT by w1n1
Want a new AR, but can’t afford it? No problem. Just collect soda cans and make one.
Everybody loves getting new guns. Unfortunately for some of us, they are just aren’t in the budget. If you don’t have the cash for a new AR, you can always just start collecting soda cans. No, you don’t sell the cans; you melt them down and make your own AR.
This guy is dedicated and pays attention to detail. After all the time and effort put into making an AR out of aluminum cans, you could probably buy one several times over, but what’s the challenge in that?
This may not be for the average do-it-yourself hobbyist. But hey, if you have the machine tools and a whole lot of extra time on your hands, give it a try. See the full footage on how to make an AR-15 lower with soda cans here.
Cool.
A sorta related observation: with 3D printers and, IIRC, PLA plastic you can make lost wax castings.
This would be a neat trick for making model engine parts, jewelry, and other fun stuff.
You should be able to make one out of wood, too.
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Just be sure to budget for $6000 worth of machine tools and have the knowledge and skills to use them.
I didn’t read the article, so I don’t know if this was addressed, but...
...the aluminum in soda cans is probably of a low grade, whereas the aluminum in even a base AR (let alone a high-grade lower receiver) is of very high quality (i.e. it is not pure aluminum, but an alloy with much higher tensile strength).
While you COULD make an AR lower this way, I wouldn’t recommend it- it just won’t last.
I love getting OLD guns.
I love my circa 1882 Winchester 73. WW2 circa Garand and 1911 A1 and 1961 made Second generation SAA. Also an 1884 trapdoor and an 1850s bown &tetley Pennsylvania cap and ball rifle.
Unfortunately all lost in that canoe axle-dent.
pfff- that’s nuttin- a gradeschool kid made an ultra dangerous pistol out of a chewed pop tart- got suspended for and and the police got involved i believe
i had a woodstove once, but it burned up
He actually had a casting defect that he patched with a pewter plug. For crapsake, if you’re going to the trouble to machine a lower from scratch, forgo a homemade casting out of unknown quality material and buy a chunk of bar stock and do a little more machining. Remelting Al cans produces a lot of dross and crap that affect the quality of the metal. Why go to all this effort based on poor quality material?
AGreed. It’d be easier to buy an 80% lower, a drill press and a jig, and make your own (or 10 of them). That way you get the high-quality aluminum, it is machined already to pretty tight tolerances, and all that you need to do is drill out some holes. The drill press will last nearly forever, and most jigs can be used to make at least 10-20 of the things, so the cost per lower will be quite reduced...not to mention the time saved vs. melting down crap aluminum and machining it.
It is a great practical exercise, just to see if you can do it...but not real-world practical for all but the very best engineering types.
Nope - couple hundred in a bench top drill press plus a set of drill bits and a jig. Even if you count in a metal furnace capable of melting aluminum. less than a grand.
Remember that according to BATF, the “gun” in an AR-15 is the lower receiver. Uppers, stock, grips, trigger groups would need to be added as well.
He made nothing, simply took timer out of case and repackaged it.
By the time you buy the rest of the parts (barrel, upper, furniture, gas block and tube, sights, rails, etc.) and the tools necessary to get the job done, not to mention your time, you will be into it for more than the $500 it costs now to get a decent AR-15 new.
It is also anodized to make it stronger. I suppose one would have to buy a Wham-O Eazy Bake anodizing machine.
This reminds me of the .22LR reloading kit I thought about buying. For about 9 minutes.
I built my first 24 hour station clock for my Ham station from total scratch. Masked and etched the boards, procured the components, built the power supply, assembled (soldered) the boards and put it in case made from aluminum box. It served me a very long time.
Nobody does that type of stuff now. But it was once done.
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