I just got my first Romy Ak kit from SG before I found the $90 ones.  Ordered 3 different flats.  1 with trun holes 1 without and another 1 I found that had the bends laser cut, cause I'm paranoid know I'll F one up.  I ordered a single hook trigger kit, a screw kit (cause I don't know jack about hardware) and some gunkote from brownells.  I'm going to do a screw build unless I get pissed and get my hands on a welder.  My biggest question is do I have to remove the barrel?  That looks scary and I dont have a press.  I have access to a metal brake and a vise and lots of hammers, files, drill press, and a dremel tool.  Please share all info on bending receivers without a press.  
I will probably have a friend make me a jig I can screw to the middle of the flat to make sure the bends are correct.  

Please share all tips and tricks and first time success stories about how you built your ak with a stick and rock while drunk.

Thank you,

I'm in KCMO if anyone can help.

There's really nothing to it, if you have some of the basic tools handy.  I just completed my very first build a couple of days ago and am now just trying to decide what finish I want to apply.  I started off by purchasing 5 parts kit at a gunshow last October.  That's when I started my research to see what it took to build one, and once I got over my nervousness, went out to Harbor Freight, bought a cheap 12 ton press, a couple punches, a vise, and with the dremel I already had, went to work.  The press helps making the removal and repressing much easier, but there are different methods to do the same task.  I bought a 4" gear puller, and that is what I used to actually remove the barrel from the trunion.  I used the press to help remove the barrel pin, reinstall the barrel, and crush the rivets on the trigger guard assembly.

Once you get over that hump of being not confident enough to do a build, things get easy.  I now have 4 more to build.

Thank you!

Forgot to answer your question in regards to having to remove your barrel to complete this build.  My initial intention with my first build was to do a screw build; that way, I didn't have to remove the barrel to do the trunion rivets.  After spending some time drilling out the old rivets, using a 10/32 drill bit and being careful not to drill into the barrel itself, I decided it was too much work, and that's when I decided to do rivets.  Removing the barrel ain't all that difficult.  Like I said earlier, I used the press, and a piece from a hex wrench, to remove the barrel pin.  I then used the gear puller and 3 pennies to remove the barrel.  To install the barrel, I used 3 pennies and a 1/2 socket extension to drive the barrel back into the trunion.  I made sure that I took my time and that the barrel went in straight.  There were moments that I though thte barrel was bending a bit too much and would snap, but it never did and it was really a piece of cake.  I may know a couple of guys in your neck of the woods; check out  the www.cetmerifles.com forum.  We have a small AK forum section that I frequently visit to chat with the guys.

Quoted: To install the barrel, I used 3 pennies and a 1/2 socket extension to drive the barrel back into the trunion.

Can you clarify on how you do this?  

I'm using a friend's [warthog] picture at the moment since I didn't take any during of this step during my build.  I support the barrel assembly on the cross bar of the press; put 3 pennies in the bore to protect it from getting marred up and pressed it down using the 12 ton press.  I used a 1/2" socket to help push the  trunion/receiver assembly down onto the barrel.

http://www.gunsnet.net/album/data//500/631818_-_FINISHING_-_5-med.jpg

The bottom AK is what I am currently finishing up on.  It still needs a FCG and refinishing.  Once that is completed, I will try and decide if I want to put a folding stock on her...similar to the top AK, which is a WASR-10.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/knobcreek/IMG_4623.jpg

look great, did you build them from flats

No, I used 100% Ewbank receivers that I got for a pretty decent price.  Sorry to have hijacked this thread.

cool thanks for the info KnobCreek1, what do you think about the EWbanks reciever?
i recently ordered a Romey kit and going to try my hand at doing a build.

You can do a screw build without removing the barrel. The most inportant thing is to set the stop on the drill press so you don't drill into the barrel. I used a dremel bit made for sharpening chain saw blades to square up the bottom of the hole in the trunnion.  I did that by chucking the bit in the drill press so I could control the depth of the hole.
Real Estate Salesman posted a thread about bending a flat without a press sometime ago. His method works! I built a jig similar to his and bent a flat. The rifle I built works.  Maybe someone can get you a link to that thread.

Thanks guys.  Another quick question.  When disassembling the kit do you just dremel off the rivets and drill them out?  Ok I thought of something else.  I take it that the trunion rivets do not go all the way through on the barrel end?  Can I use the existing pins to put the FCG back in?
Does anyone have any experience with brownells Gunkote?

Thanks.

Ok some more.  I've ordered the trigger kit and screw kit.  What else would I have to put on it to keep it legal?  

Quoted: cool thanks for the info KnobCreek1, what do you think about the EWbanks reciever? i recently ordered a Romey kit and going to try my hand at doing a build.

The Ewbank receivers that I have required some minor dremeling to work; I had to grind down the ejector since it was a bit too long.  On the right side rail, I needed to ground down the section that prevented me from loading a doublestack mag, and also, the section just in front of the mag release needed to be grounded down to allow for the mag to lock into place.  All of the predrilled holes seemed to match up well, so no extra work needed to be done.

Quoted: Ok some more.  I've ordered the trigger kit and screw kit.  What else would I have to put on it to keep it legal?

The FCG, if US made, will give you 3 compliance parts.  You may want to order a US made pistol grip, a US made piston and the receiver should give you 6 compliant parts.  I plan on getting some mag floor plates, follwers and a US made flash suppressor to round out my parts count.

How do you remove the existing flash hider? I would rather have a bird cage (M-16) type, how hard is that to change?

The existing flash hider simply screws on/off (1x14 LH screw).  You can get it rethreaded to 1/2"x28 to use a US birdcage that you can purchase from Sportsmans guide or Bushmaster/QP.

They make US left hand thread bird cage flash suppressors too, no need to re-thread the barrel.