GunLab (KnownHost) » Spot Welder

Update on the VG1-5 lower receiver welding

Chuck — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 08:00:40 +0000

The welding on the lower receiver is now complete. This is the video on that update.

Now for some pictures showing close ups of the work performed.

A side view of the lower receiver

A top view of the receiver

The rear stock supports is first spot welded in place. However, due to the thickness of the number of steel pieces we also tig welded the supports on.

The magazine housing is spot welded and tig welded to the proper angle.

Now the next item to complete is a little grinding on some of the welds.

The project is getting closer. I will be setting up the parkerizing tanks soon to finish the lowers.

Installing the magazine well on the VG1-5

Chuck — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 08:00:06 +0000

The last two video’s showed spot welding and the first op machining for the VG1-5 lower receiver. With this video we are installing the magazine housing into the receiver. Once again there is a certain amount of hand fitting.

A close up of the fixture.

The batch ready for the next step.

VG1-5 update

Chuck — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 08:00:44 +0000

This last 2 weeks has been spent working on the lower receiver of the VG1-5. This weapon was originally design by the Germans to use the most basic of materials and machined tools. There was a very large amount of hand fitting during the process of making this rifle. All the sheet metal that was stamped was done with basic tooling and each rifle was individually fitted. This is the video that shows the first in a series of steps to assemble the VG1-5.

With this phase completed it is on to the next step.

Weekend update 5-31-15

Chuck — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 08:00:52 +0000

Now as much to chat about this weekend. Spent most of Saturday machining the AR-180B selector second op. The second op is now complete and we will be setting up the Sharps for the third op. The material and tooling is in to start on the safety shaft on the lathe then the pivot button for the bolt hold open device.

I added a new isolation valve to the air system.

This will allow us to isolate the air compressor for the air system in the shop. Making it easier for start up and shut down. A new electrical switch is being added as well. This will control the air dryer from inside the shop.

I finished the mods to the shop welder and it is now back together. I still need to finish the water cooling system.

Close up of the lower bar.

The stem wall framing was completed and the concrete poured. I will set up for the slab next weekend.

Forms removed to clean up the wall. This is the sand area.

The larger area is the actual casting area and will be sand filled.

This smaller area will be where the furnaces will set.

Most of Sunday, after the hard work project was completed, was spent on playing with the wire edm.

I learned a great deal but still miles to go.

Modifying the spot welder

Chuck — Thu, 28 May 2015 08:00:23 +0000

This is my first water cooled spot welder in the shop. We have used it with good success in the projects that we do here at Gun Lab. However, we needed to make a few modifications to it to allow use to use it more efficiently.

We removed the old lower bar and started making a new bar that is job specific.

The first thing was to mill the new bar to fit the inside of the VG1-5 receiver.

Next water cooling hole had to be drilled in the end of the bar.

End view of the bar. The stop is being used as a locating point when I drill the next series of holes.

The water inlet hole drilled and taped.

The bottom of the bar water out let hole drilled and the cross flow path hole drilled.

With these modifications the bar will be kept cool during the extended spot welding operations that need to be done to finish the VG1-5 receiver.

The new spot welder in the shop

Chuck — Tue, 26 May 2015 08:00:14 +0000

I went to an auction a few weeks back and bought a series 30 spot welded that the company had taken off the line.

I have not had much time to play with it so this weekend it was on the project list. I wired the shop for the spot welder a few weeks back and now it was time to test it out. I put a new plug on the welder and ran an air line to it and hoped for the best. Nothing happened. Air pressure was good, there was power on the plug but nothing happened. It was time to start trouble shooting the controls and hoped that nothing major was wrong. The welder not working was the reason that it probably went to auction. The good news was that I did not pay much for it, in fact the copper in it was worth more then I paid for it.

After about 30 minutes I traced the problem down to a broken wire in the control box.

You can see the red wire that we found under the mess of wires to the left of the picture. This is part of the control circuit that operates the air operated solenoid. Once it was hooked up this welder works like a champ.

The controls allow a much finer control and the welds are great.

Here is a short video on the spot welder.