As for myself The day off was perfect. I was able to get [...]]]> Here at gun Lab a terrific day was had. My wife cooked an outstanding meal using her new and almost completed kitchen. There was ham,turkey,stuffing,potatoes,and all the necessary fixings to go with them. Friends and family were her to enjoy the meal.

As for myself The day off was perfect. I was able to get the fluting press working, I have completed the first few ops on making the stocks for the VG1-5 using my new router table and the chamber issue with the Vg1-5 barrel was solved. A really good day.

I hope all of you enjoyed the day as much as I did.

The sink and dishwasher are installed and working. The fake fronts in the stove cabinet are made and installed and looks good.

In addition all the walls have been re-painted [...]]]> With the up coming SAR show my wife really wants the kitchen completed. So more time was spent on it this weekend as well.

The sink and dishwasher are installed and working. The fake fronts in the stove cabinet are made and installed and looks good.

In addition all the walls have been re-painted and the covers removed, cleaned and reinstalled.

The stove is the next major item. If we can not buy replacement orifices then I will have to make new ones.

The list this last week was as follows and in no particular order.

1) finish the router table

2) finish the second anvil

3) Do a number of videos for the site

4) [...]]]> Every week starting on Monday I work on  a list for the projects that I want to work on that following weekend.

The list this last week was as follows and in no particular order.

1) finish the router table

2) finish the second anvil

3) Do a number of videos for the site

4) Photograph a number of weapons for upcoming posts

5) finish the hydraulics for the hot forging press

6) work on the control system for the fluting machine

7) fire up the gas forge and beat some metal into submission

8) work on the kitchen and try and wrap it up

So between the excessive work load of last week, not finishing work almost every night until after 8pm and starting at 5am, I needed to write up a number of reports, still not finished. I also needed to work most of Saturday just to catch up. Still not finished with last weeks jobs and it is Sunday night.

The only project that was even started was working on the kitchen. My wife and life partner really would like it completed before the SAR show. Great strides have been taken to accomplish that.

The kitchen has been repainted now that all the moulding around the counters has been edged and finished. The last of the cabinet fronts have been installed. The sink is installed and the dish washer is hooked up, still not usable yet as the insulation blanket was shot and a new one has been ordered.

I still have a couple of false fronts to make for the stove cabinet and one set of cabinets need to be striped and re-finished. Both minor. The big thing is to make new orifices for the stove to convert it to propane from natural gas.

I guess there is always next weekend for everything else.

There were projects that I have been wanting to accomplish that are fun. Some of the things I needed to finish were under the direction of the commander in chief of the house. Some [...]]]> Like all weekends I started out with a list that I could not possibly get done in the time frame allotted.

There were projects that I have been wanting to accomplish that are fun. Some of the things I needed to finish were under the direction of the commander in chief of the house. Some projects are necessary to finish the VG1-5 project. And some just needed to be done.

I started my Saturday morning with trying to get the pistol grip of the AR-16 rifle 3D printed. The PLA that came with the 3D printer is old but seemed to work on the first few projects. That was not going to be the case this weekend. The material did nothing but continue to break off in the feed tubes. After spending a few hours on this I just threw my hands but and ordered some new material.

I hope to back on this project next weekend.

On to the next project. This is doing a little upgrade to by duplicator. I have always found it to set to low for me so I wanted to raise it and changed where is sat slightly. I was able to put the risers on it after a little adaptive engineering.

However, when I went to look for my Johnson bad and skates, about an hour of looking, I could not find them anywhere. A friend borrowed and I will have them back on Tuesday. Then like a fool I tried moving it with out them and not such a good idea. More on this later.

So now off to another project and that is one of the trees at the house has been a little sick and needed to come down, this was a project handed down from the commander. So the task was set into motion. All the limbs had been cut down and taken to the dump all that was left to do was use the backhoe and remove the rest of the stump.

The backhoe decided to take the weekend off. Nothing would get it to start.

I wanted to install new A/C units in the wood shop and machine shop. With the temperatures that we have been having there is no joy in working in the shops. To do this in the machine shop I needed to take down the evap cooler first. This little project took several hours and was not the least bit of fun in the 110 degree heat.

However the A/C guy called about 2 in the afternoon to inform me that he did not pick up the units and it would be next weekend before they would be out. It was okay as I still needed to run the new electric line for the A/C’s and while I was at it I would change the wiring around a little. I also needed to install a return air duct. To do this work I first had to move the bead blaster.Then cut the osb and sheet rock off the wall.

Then the wiring was run for a new 40 amp circuit and set up out side with a new disconnect.

I went to use the small air compressor in the wood shop, the big one needs a new motor and that is another project for another day. It has been acting a little iffy lately so a new pressure switch was ordered and received on Friday.

Once again Murphy came back to visit. The switch that was ordered and suppose to work was not the correct type.

Once again the weekend did not go as planed. In addition to all the fun I had in the 110 degree heat some where along the line I pulled my back and could hardly walk,sit or lay down without being in great pain. Not sure if it was the trying to move the duplicator, taking down the evap, dealing with the tree or running the new electric. At that point I just threw in the town and took my wife to the movies.

The major one was the kitchen. All the tile for the counter top has been laid down. The next is the back splash.

We also finished welding in the cross bolts on the VG1-5 lower receivers and started Tig welding [...]]]> A number of other project were also worked on this last weekend.

The major one was the kitchen. All the tile for the counter top has been laid down. The next is the back splash.

We also finished welding in the cross bolts on the VG1-5 lower receivers and started Tig welding the stock supports.

A look ate the lower receiver. It is now time to fit up the fire control box.

We wanted to add extra security to the stock supports. It was felt that with the amount of material that was just spot welded it would be a good idea.

All the cross pins are now welded

We are testing out a new ejector design for the VG1-5. The original design that we used started to experience problems after several hundred rounds. The newer one will be a little more robust and a slightly better design. [...]]]> This is the run down of the fun and excitement that went on this last weekend.

We are testing out a new ejector design for the VG1-5. The original design that we used started to experience problems after several hundred rounds. The newer one will be a little more robust and a slightly better design. It needs to work with a variety of magazine manufactures as well as our own magazine. So testing was conducted on the bench first and when we think we have all the bugs worked out it will be off to the test fixture.

I have not been able to solve the wire edm problem on my own. So now it is time to send it to the factory to be tested and repaired as necessary. I removed the monitor and it’s circuit board, packaged them up and sent them off to Mcwilliams to check it out.

I would really like to find away to change it out to a flat screen, but no luck yet with that idea.

The new circuity for the cnc router has come in and I have started working on the new layout for the control circuit.

This set up comes from Smooth Stepper (http://www.automationtechnologiesinc.com/products-page/breakout-boards/ethernet-smoothstepper-motion-control-board-with-terminals-for-mach3). With the help of my friend Orin I hope to have the basic wiring completed this next weekend.

I also got back onto the kitchen project and finished the molding for the cabinets.

Then I started on the tiling.

I am also making a parts box for the Hotchkiss portative. I wanted something on the line of a British design Vickers or Lewis box. I have finished about 1/2 of it is solid works and actually cut and planed the first two wood pieces. As the wood is coming from old pallets it took a little time.

Enough for one weekend and it’s back to work for the week.

This first picture is after the cabinets were attached to the wall and the [...]]]> Saturday was spent working on the kitchen as well as a few other projects. Trying to get it operational by Christmas, trying. We will see. Today’s results allow use to set and start the top at least on the opposite wall.

This first picture is after the cabinets were attached to the wall and the frame built for the desk area.

The stove cabinet has been rebuilt.

The 3/4 plywood for the base of the counter top is securely attached to the cabinets and desk area.

Another fun day.

From there I have taken all the fronts off and sent them to a company that will strip and refinish them to the color of the other cabinets.

The filled trench that I still need to compact. The water proof wiring.