need a link to show me how exactly to rivet an ak receiver with either the hammer and punch trick or an air chisel. I mainly need to know what you need to modify to do it. ANY information on this would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Jeremy

I realize you asked for a link, I haven't got one.  How many AK's are you planning to build?  If it's only one, you'd be better off screwing it together.  The bucking bars are a pain to build for only one.  It takes longer to build them, than the AK!

well this will be my first but im sure there will be many to follow. procedures, ideas, links, anything to aid me would be appreciated.
I just couldnt stand the look of anything other than original.
Thanks,
Jeremy

I take it that you are not gonna use a press??

If you aren't then how you gonna deal with putting the barrel into the trunion?

If the barrel is already in the trunion, I guess you are gonna use longer rivets so the are tight(gonna use the barrel as the bucking bar?)

There is a couple people on the AK47.net that are selling some building kits.

Kit #1, Sold by Plinker762, is for riveting the trunions to the receivers. It is a press anvil(lack of a better word?)  Several people have it and it has very good reviews.

Kit #2, sold by XEBEC,
•Trunnion push block assembly
• Hex key
• Shim set
•Barrel blocks ( also functions as receiver support blocks for barrel crosspin installation/removal)
•2 Piece trunnion support blocks for barrel press–out
•3 Piece punch set for barrel crosspin installation/removal
•Press ram extension bar
•Barrel assembly paste (enough for several builds)


You really might consider since you are only building a couple that you farm out some of the assembly work.
Troy @INRANGE or Jayson@IGF can do all the hard work for around $135.
They will rivet everything up(frt&rear trunions and trigger guard), press in the barrel and headspace.  You would then need to refinish and assemble.

I was able to get my build price down to $115 per kit, I sent in 4 kits.

But if you intend to build a dozen or so AK's then by all means buy a press, buy the 2 above mention kits, and buy a park tank so you can refinish the complete guns.

CHARLES

look, all i need to know is if theres a place i can look some of this stuff up at or not. Thats all i wanna know. Thats exactly what im trying to avoid, is buying "kits" of that sort and paying somebody to do it. I would rather buy a completed gun. It defeats the purpose of building one. Now, is there a place that offers some info on riveting ak's together?(no i dont want to screw)
Thanks alot,
Jeremy

Quoted: look, all i need to know is if theres a place i can look some of this stuff up at or not. Thats all i wanna know. Thats exactly what im trying to avoid, is buying "kits" of that sort and paying somebody to do it. I would rather buy a completed gun. It defeats the purpose of building one. Now, is there a place that offers some info on riveting ak's together?(no i dont want to screw) Thanks alot, Jeremy

Gee, come on guys, I really want to help out a guy with such a pleasant demeanor.

Drugrunr Obviously spent quite a bit of his time, giving you, what he thought was a helpful reply, and this is how you thank him?

I wouldn't waste 1 minute of my time trying to help anybody with such a sh***y attitude

No i think your missunderstand. I do appreciate the time, but what I asked was for some info for riveting. Not a directory for somebody to do it for me. Im just used to somebody saying stuff thats comepletely irrelavent. I guess id just sat here for so long waiting for a reply i got a little anxious. Sorry guys.
Thanks for your time, I probably wouldnt make it without this place.

Go to Roderus and AK47.net and do a search on the subject.  I like this forum and the folks who post here but unfortunately the 30 day cap on the search feature sucks.

Quoted: No i think your missunderstand. I do appreciate the time, but what I asked was for some info for riveting. Not a directory for somebody to do it for me. Im just used to somebody saying stuff thats comepletely irrelavent. I guess id just sat here for so long waiting for a reply i got a little anxious. Sorry guys. Thanks for your time, I probably wouldnt make it without this place.

I asked you some frigging questions that would better help me help you. But since you have not then here is my blanket reply that should cover the basics.
Please read it entirely before you reply.

In order to properly build a AK you will need a press. A 12-ton press should be big enough.
This is REQUIRED to put the barrel into the receiver. Yeah you can make a jig that uses a large bolt and some nuts that will do the same thing, but most everyone is using a press.

NOW
Since you need a press to put the barrel in, then you should use the press to do the rivets.
In my above reply, I listed 2 sources on building KITS.  Not people that would build it for you. These were people that sold tools that made it easier for YOU to build a AK.

And lastly I said that if you are just gonna build one or two AK's that it would be cheaper to farm out the hard stuff of the build and you build the rest.

The way I look at it, you will need the following items

12 ton press
Head-space gauges
Jigs for pressing barrel(you can build if you got a mini-machine shop)
Jigs for riveting

I will just toss this low figure out there and say it will cost you $200 to get all the above items.  If you are just building one or two guns then for another $50 you can pay someone to do the hard stuff, not build the complete weapon.  But on the other hand, AK build tools hold their value, so you can just about sell the stuff for what you bought it for.

Now... Any more questions?

And yeah you asked about how to RIVET.  Good luck on getting that info. With the Exception of Plinker, listed in previous post above, you will not find much info out there. Apparently it is a big secret. Kinda like how to make Russian Red finish one a AK wood.

CHARLES

Thanks alot for the response.I'm sure i will be able to get my hands on a press. If i cant i will buy one. ive priced 12 tons for around 100.That would be of some use other than for ak's of course. Ive helped a guy with a krink build when i worked at a gunshop about a year ago. I helped with alot of stuff except for the damn rivets. and i never really got around to asking how he accomplished them, all i remember was him saying he used a hand tool.i can locate and drill holes and stuff but the only thing im unsure of is the rivets. does anyone sell just the bucking bars, no offense but i dont think i would need the rest of the stuff. Ive done the other stuff but never riveting.***anyone offer bucking bars alone and how much?**
P.S. Does the impact to the rivets strike the shank end or the head? keep in mind im 18 and really dont have ALOT of mechanical experiance but alot of common sense to figure it out, with a little help along the way =-)

THANKS alot Charles, and CampyBOB

You might want to email Plinker on the ak site.
He might be able to sell you some that will work.
Bucking bars are not that hard to really make.
Patriot of Many has made some when he pressed his stuff together.

Still all the info about riveting has been kept a secret. No matter what site you go to.

CHARLES

1 Patriot-of-many would probably sell you his bucking bars, now that he has one of plinker762's riveting fixtures.

This thread shows exactly how he did it including pics.

http://www.gunsnet.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=106617&highlight=riveting+success

There is no big secret to riveting.
Get a rivet that exposes 1 and 1/2 times the diameter, back it up with something solid and mash it with a BFH or a press.

Now if you want a pretty rivet, you need a rivet set that matches the profile of the head of the rivet you are using.

Which can be made out of a drift punch and ball mill.

I also bought one of Plinkers fixtures, If you are going to build more than one or two, and you want to use rivets, it's the best $85 you can spend.

Thanks alot maxxx93, most helpfull reply yet. The pictures look like you actually press the rivets in from the preformed head side? if so that would have to be some killer timing involved so the heads would end up flush with the outside of the receiver. P.S. anyone have any comments on the stripped 47/74 receiver from JoeKen(((both of them on his site from hesse)))??????it looks good but wondering about heat treatment and thickness, that sort of stuff. Good price and looks like the right pattern for a Krink.If it sucks i would just get an OOW receiver.
Thanks alot guys,
Jeremy

I had no great difficulties installing a rear trunion (for underfold stock) with rivets, thanks to DrugRunr, Campybob and others here.

Anyway - my rear trunnion rivets came out at least as pretty as Independence arms photos of same (interior and exterior). I used a rivet buck and forming tool I bought at Boeing Surplus, and a 2# hammer, and a friend to hold. Some of the pounding was done with the rivet buck in a vise, but I also had an anvil available (been in the family for a long time).  Some of the diagrams I got here were helpful, but the trunnion made an excellent template, and I looked and thought and figured a lot before I used the drill press.

My only problem was that the rifle had a paint finish and some dents were made - not in the metal, but in the paint - hemicircular divots from the rivet forming tool (essentially a sort of chisel with a concave head - you hammer on one end).  The Egyptian paint is identical to plasti-kote #360 Flat Black "Rust-Not" enamel spray paint from Lowe's, but it looks fine, but it is not as pretty as could be.  I will eventually refinish it with a moly coat.

I understand that the trigger guard and barrel trunnion riveting is considered more fraught with peril, but people are doing it. It's a fun project.

IHMO this is the BEST ak site on the web. I posted RFI on the ak-47.net site and got people complaining about SAI/Informer troubles. When I commented that it wasn't germane to the post, the mod commented that I should let the guy vent. Um....

Quoted: Thanks alot maxxx93, most helpfull reply yet. Jeremy

Well I changed my mind and decided to post, because I believed you were sincere in your reply to my original post.

Anyway, This link will take you to the thread concerning Plinker762's riveting jig that Drugrunr mentioned.

I have one of these that I bought from Plinker762, It works the balls.

I'm not suggesting you buy one (we've already been down that road) The reason I'm posting this link is so that you can see pics of how his works.

http://www.gunsnet.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=124615

Also, here is a link to the plans to build one.

http://www.gunsnet.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=126423

WOW guys thanks a million, I'm saved again. This info has helped me tremendously. Thanks for all the time, replies and effort. I know this has helped me abunch and i know there are alot others like me seeking this stuff as well, so i hope it helps many other and not just me.

Thanks alot!!!,
Jeremy

Hi all;
Could someone post the info on riviting tools and fixtures? I can't access the gunsnet site as I was a bad boy and got banned for life.I guess I need the email addy for those 2 guys who are making the tools and fixtures, and/or a downloadable file showing what they made and how it works. Thanks for any imput!

                         OJF

Plinker762's rivet jig
[email protected]

AK assembly/disassembly press kits
Xebec
[email protected]