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Pourable AR-15 lowers

I used to work at a polymer factory. Interesting stuff, especially the single part. This is a 2 part pour, caustic as hell, stains your skin permanently, and can glue a door closed. I would not handle without gloves and tyvek sleeves.
 
7.62x39 said:
Have you not seen Boris's thread on arf.com? http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_4/67...IY_100s_of_ARs_cheaper__faster__gentler_.html
It is almost as classic as his shovel AK thread
Click to expand...

Love this line....
If you think that plastic receivers are waste of time consider that worm hearts organizing gun buy backs pay $50-$200 for any firearm. Since we got a fully bonified receiver (regulated by ATF and everything) you could be making a grand / hour easy. Starving artists will starve no more!
Click to expand...
 
Wrench75 said:
Check youtube for the torture tests. Those things are garbage. It's been posted here before.
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reinforcing backing can make them last a long time, mine has lasted over 1000 rounds before I run out of ammo.

1. You can produce them fast. If you got the mold and you can pour coffee, you can make lots of these in an hour, most of the "work" waiting for plastic to cure.

2. They come in many colors, shades and could be customized ... yes, it's childish, but this exactly what AR market demands.

3. They are cheap. Few buck in plastic. One brakes, make 10 more, share the love.

4. They are 1/3 of the weight of the Al one. Pistol builds are easy.
 
My big concern would be the air bubbles. From the vids I've watched it seems like you spend a lot of time trying to get them all out. But still end up with a shitload in the receiver. I can see reinforcing helping. Personally if I was going to make some I would want to build a cabinet first and pull a vacuum on them. I do see the benefits like the coloring, price point, etc... I was excited when I first heard about them but was really put off by one of the vids I watched. I believe it was from demo ranch.
 
These modern 2 part polymers don't pour the way you think. The stuff I made was about 25lbs a gallon and has the viscosity if something you can't possibly imagine. The 2 parts react and make heat. Small samples can reach awesome temps.
 
Wrench75 said:
My big concern would be the air bubbles. From the vids I've watched it seems like you spend a lot of time trying to get them all out. But still end up with a shitload in the receiver. I can see reinforcing helping. Personally if I was going to make some I would want to build a cabinet first and pull a vacuum on them. I do see the benefits like the coloring, price point, etc... I was excited when I first heard about them but was really put off by one of the vids I watched. I believe it was from demo ranch.
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there are way too many products with many subtle differences. Many two part urethane plastics are similar to water viscosity, not like epoxy. Small bubbles isn't a huge problem, you will have some no matter what. Back reinforcement is what makes the big difference by far.
 
Wrench75 said:
My big concern would be the air bubbles. From the vids I've watched it seems like you spend a lot of time trying to get them all out. But still end up with a shitload in the receiver. I can see reinforcing helping. Personally if I was going to make some I would want to build a cabinet first and pull a vacuum on them. I do see the benefits like the coloring, price point, etc... I was excited when I first heard about them but was really put off by one of the vids I watched. I believe it was from demo ranch.
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If not vacuum, a shaker table could do the trick too. i.e. stick an orbital sander to the side for a couple seconds...
 
Wrench75 said:
Check youtube for the torture tests. Those things are garbage. It's been posted here before.
Click to expand...

The torture tests I've seen have been on entirely unreinforced ones. I imagine putting carbon fiber or fiberglass in as well as using the steel reinforcing straps would make something a lot more durable. Plus, if you are spending $10 on materials, does it really need to last forever?
 
Drix said:
I think I'd rather 3d print one.
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Sure. Can't take more than a spool or two of media @ $25 each. Plus the $500 - $2500 printer.

The total investment to cast a lower is $52.49 + a box of Legos. (You can substitute a small ammo can, cigar box etc in place of the Legos if they are too expensive or if your kids give you crap over hogging them).

ETA: Oh. Tax. I forgot sales tax.
 
Drix said:
I think I'd rather 3d print one.
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That would take an awfully good (expensive) printer. I've tried and the overhangs and dimensional creeping from cooling were insurmountable problems. I'm sure a printer in the $10K range could do it though.

Personally I think using Boris' method to cast a plastic part, then using that plastic part to investment cast one out of beer cans and lawn chairs is the way to go. Lots of youtubes on that. It can't be too hard since I sand cast an aluminum ashtray in 8th grade metal shop class.
 
There must be some nifty stuff you can mix in with the pourable plastic like short, tiny fiberglass fibers or carbon fibers. And I really like Boris' technique of embedding metal parts in the cast where you need high strength, like some of the holes.
 
cockpitbob said:
There must be some nifty stuff you can mix in with the pourable plastic like short, tiny fiberglass fibers or carbon fibers. And I really like Boris' technique of embedding metal parts in the cast where you need high strength, like some of the holes.
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Don't forget it is illegal to manufacture a firearm that cannot be detected using x ray equipment. That metal reinforcement makes the plastic lower compliant.

Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 (18 U.S.C. § 922)

And doesn't make it any more difficult to pour in a few minutes. :)
 
namedpipes said:
And doesn't make it any more difficult to pour in a few minutes. :)
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Yeah, probably.
If you have a vacuum pump and chamber you can make some really high quality stuff. Pour it. Put it under vacuum and all the voids and bubbles come out, then release the vacuum and atmospheric pressure pushes it into all the little corners.

I need to unsubscribe from this thread. I have a built-in need to make things, but I already have too many hobbies. I'm getting a very strong itch to get into this casting stuff. I need to nip that in the bud before it takes me over.[laugh]
 
namedpipes said:
Don't forget it is illegal to manufacture a firearm that cannot be detected using x ray equipment. That metal reinforcement makes the plastic lower compliant.

Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 (18 U.S.C. § 922)
Click to expand...

The various (non-reinforced) poly AR lower manufacturers sell the things - so there must be room for them in the cited regulation.

Or do they include some sort of detectable material in the plastic??
 

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