Reddit mentions of Performance Tool W3939 Hammer Tough 2-1/2" Drill Press Vise

For this process, I used a Vision Defense 80% Lower Reciever and the Vision Defense jig as, admittedly, they were cheapest options I could find. However, there exist an abundance of different receivers and jigs from different manufacturers. For example, the second lower is from Blitzkrieg Tactical.

Disclaimer: This isn't really meant to be a guide, although you're able to use it as a guide if you wish. I recommend finding a different method to drilling the fire control pocket because, as you can see, mine wasn't the best.

I know you're not supposed to mill with a drill press. They're not made for taking side loads and it's possible to gravely injure yourself doing this, however not likely. Best case, the press breaks. Worst case, the press breaks and kills you. I took that chance and came out with two functioning lowers. Your mileage may vary. If you decide to take on this project, good luck.

Advice:

• GET A VISE. If not for safety, for how much easier it will make the process. I purchased this one and it made milling the fire control pocket on the second lower much easier, as I could mill straight down into the receiver. For the first, I used just my hands and had a few close calls. Just make sure you get the right size for the table on your press.
  
  
• Keep everything lubed up. For this, I used a $2 can of lubricant from walmart. For the second lower, I bought a $2 quart of motor oil and only used a little over an ounce for the entire process. Lubricate the bit and where you're going to be drilling.
  
  
• Keep a good grip. For milling the sides of the fire control pocket, you need to use your hands to move the lower around clockwise until the reciever wall is flush with the jig. If you go counter clockwise, or do not have a steady grip on the jig, it could get away from you and very bad things could happen.
  
  
• Watch videos of people milling these lowers. Before taking on this project, I watched every video of this process I could find. Most of those people have experience with things of this nature and give you other tips throughout.
  
  There are other ways to finish a lower like this, including getting and actual end mill, or using the 80% arms Easy Jig. Going the Easy Jig route means that you can use a hand drill instead of a drill press.
  
  
  Completed rifle.
  
  To finish building the rifle you will need:
  
  
• Lower Parts Kit
  
  
• Buffer Tube Assembly which includes the buffer tube, buffer spring, and buffer.
  
  
• Stock
  
  
• Upper receiver
  
  If this is your first rifle, it is usually recommended you purchase a complete upper assembly which simply attaches to the lower receiver. Palmetto State Armory has a nice selection. These typically do not come with a bolt carrier group or charging handle, which you will also need.

You can always make Amazon URLs more awesome:

https://www.amazon.com/Place-For-Your-Dick/dp/B002RTKFWU/

ok, first off, I'll just emphasise, there's a real big improvement from the previous one you did - each one is clearly showing improvement throughout - especially the shaping of pommel and grip, which are really starting to get into the right sort of ballpark now, compared to your previous one - a huge step forward there.

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main thing I am spotting is that the pommel and particularly the cross are fairly large and bulky - the cross thickness is much more than most real ones are - its a common fault - people tend to see pictures of swords in profile, and dont really get to see the depth of the crosses - they tend to be much more gracile than they expect... let me see if I can find a few photos on auction houses for you:

• http://www.hermann-historica.de/auktion/images72_max/210043_b.jpg
  
• http://www.hermann-historica.de/auktion/images72_max/202206_b.jpg
  
• http://www.hermann-historica.de/auktion/images70_max/91334_a.jpg
  
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  best I can find quickly, those, particularly the last one show clearly how slender hilts can be - the crossguards often taper away to almost be as narrow as the blades. So you might like to think about the 3d nature of the hilt, and how you can shape it to have pretty dramatic curves and shapes which make it quite sculptural, without being bulky at all.
  
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  Given the length of the blade, therefore, I'd have expected it to be much less balanced than it is. What that indicates to me, combined with the weight of about 1.3kg, is that the blade is still pretty chunky along its entire length. Would I be right in saying that the stock you're working from is 1/4 inch thick bar? So, for future ones, you might want to start thinking about making distal taper more dramatic - its a lot of work, and tiring to grind thin, but the results are satisfying when done. These relatively broad cutting blades tend to have fairly agressive distal taper - a blade 75cm (30") long might start at about 4.75mm (3/16ths) thick, 50mm (2") wide at the cross, but by the time it's 10 cm from the tip, they might be just 1.5 mm thick - slightly more than 1/16th of an inch. that sort of dramatic distal taper pulls a lot of mass out of the blade, and that in turn lets you use a more compact pommel and cross, which makes the weapon move much more dynamically. its like the difference between twirling a weightlifting bar with 1kg at each end,like this: |---------| vs trying it with the weight in close to the middle, like this ---|-|---. With exactly the same weight on that bar, just moving the mass into the middle makes it far easier to twirl around and control. Same goes with a sword.
  
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  So, that's the main area I'd look at working on now, tapering the blade down in thickness so there's less mass to it. Other than that, the only thing I can say is, that small spring that came with the larger one is absolutely asking to be used to try a dagger blade. I'd guess the whole thing is about 30cm, 12" long? If so, then its easily big enough to fit a dagger into, working round the holes (you dont want a dagger to be more than about 32mm / 1 1/4" wide, so you can offset it and avoid the holes) , and try out techniques. I'd be inclined to make a small quillon dagger. Cut the bar lengthways for the main blade, but keep the offcut, and then use that to make a steel cross with a curve to it. then saw off a 1/2 inch thick length of the brass you've got, drill it lengthways for a tang and you've got a perfect base shape for a round wheel pommel shape. (also, that lets you practice doing tangs for peined ends, instead to screws, if that's an area you'd like to improve in future.)
  
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  last tip I can give, it looks like you're using a G-clamp and/or mole grips for a lot of your work holding stuff. that's always a nightmare, so I'd thoroughly reccommend one of these little 2-1/2" Drill Press Vises - they're really useful for detail work, in all sorts of crafts applications:
  
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  https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Tool-W3939-Drill-2-Inch/dp/B002RTKFWU/ref=pd_cp_469_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=YCYCRJ61NHKYGG8CCJ5J
  
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  you can clamp it onto the worktop surface, and it'll allow you far more control working on things like crosses, working with a file, all those sort of little fine details. Not big or tough enough to use as a real vise for clamping work ultra-securely for heavy work, but they're a great investment for fine jobs where you just want a secure hold sitting on the table or bench.

Let me start by saying that this would be the bare minimum. This is assuming that you have all the experience to use these tools effectively as someone who has the appropriate skill and knows to do things like not bear down on a saw when cutting, keeping everything square, how to mill boards by hand, how to not kill sandpaper in a few strokes, how to tune and sharpen a hand plane, ETC.


2x$8.69Vise grips Two vise grip clamps. Clamps can be universally adjusted and clamped in almost any direction with some quick thinking. One is never enough.


$9.99Cheap set of chisels Everyone needs a chisel. These will be made from a milder steel, but it's better than nothing.


$22.00Generic ryoba saw A ryoba saw will double for crosscuts and ripcuts. They go as far as you can take them provided you treat them right.


$18.62Bench Plane You need to be able to take down material in terms of thickness. A simple bench plane will due for now.


$20.61Block Plane A block plane will help slightly with end grain smoothing where the bench plane cannot.


$3.47Bundled Sandpaper You need to finish your products somehow. I would get a generic bundle of sandpaper and use it sparingly and tenderly.


$12.85Square Keeping things square is vital.


$6.79Mallet Hammering your chisels is going to be very important since you cannot use a 2x4 reliably.


$3.47Wood Glue Need to be able to glue things together.


$11.80A set of card scrapers Remove material smoother and faster. You don't want to waste sandpaper if you don't have to, and these are quite versatile.


$8.06A bastard file A bastard file will do for now when it comes to heavier shaping and sharpening your card scrapers.


$15.92A small drill viseKeeping something secure in place is very important. A small vise will accommodate small and narrow pieces of lumber and can be bolted to a bench.


$3.97Assorted finer sandpapers You need something to keep your chisels constantly sharp, especially when it is such a mild steel as a set of 9.99 chisels.


$15.59Wipe on polyurethane You need to be able to finish your products somehow.


Comes to $170.52 I would use the rest to make a bench and two sawhorses out of some 2x4's.