The two items that been of most use in my gun work: oily rags and toothbrushes. I can't say how many times these have made work easier. Great video, man!!
There is a certain magic in giving someone their gun back and seeing the joy of knowing it's either fixed, improved or looks new again. Keep up the vids man, they're great. My shop looks like yours, but with automotive tools shoved all over where there is room.
After working a short time in a real shop, when the job ran out, I started assembling my own "gun shop" of sorts in my garage, I got lots of stuff used like my vice and such. It IS a whole lot of fun.
Another nice video. When cutting those square holes with simple tools, try scribing the metal for a more precise line, and drilling the corners before cutting, with a bit that matches the thickness of the cutting wheel you are using.
@jiggawoo Fiber wheels should be run between 2-3,000 rpm. Overheating & to much pressure can cause them to blow up. Sand base cutting wheels are a waste of money IMHO. Make sure they`re tight ,but not too tight, Snug is good. Hope this helps you.
You kind of skipped over things like marking/center and drift punches, and a good scratch awl. You want to use drift punches to take out pins in mechanisms. really simple devices, but they hold things together for controlled dis-assembly & reassembly. Center punches let you locate the center point for drilling on smooth metal or plastic surfaces - you get a dimple that centers the drill bit. The scratch awl or scribe is used to scribe lines to locate holes before you cut...
hoppes9 is one of the best solvents someone makes, me and my dad use only hoppes products to clean out guns, does a wonderful job, but watch if you put some on the stock with white on it, it turns tan
great video man, love the setup. Mine is very similar just a larger scale. And i would never go without a dremmal tool. there are 5 million different uses for a dremmal.
Big tip on the Dremel..... when the wheels get worn down and you replace them, SAVE THEM! Often, those worn down wheels get you in them tight spots a full size wheel can't!
Hey, Thanks for all the effort you put into the videos on here. I'm learning alot of things. I'm looking to become a gunsmith as well (not full time though). I'm looking to buy my own guns here and there (mil-surps) in both good and rough shape to fix up, clean up, and shoot. I've had people tel me that I'd be spending thousands of dollars in this type of work, and to find something else to do.
Eric, my junk drawer is one of the most valuable things in my shop. When cutting a square hole in metal with a dremel, I drill small holes in each corner first to use as a guide. I have found it makes it alot easier to finish off the cut. I gotta have the belt sander. How much and where did it come from? Thanks Man, please keep 'em coming.
he's very close to telling the truth i'm a full time police armorer for a fairly large agency and my shop has very similar tooling. i have a 2x42 sander and the 1x32 a drill press a fordom and a dremal four different vices depending what i'm working on and the rest. but i also do ceracoat so i have blast rig, a small booth and an electric oven but like the man says you can do alot with mostly hand tools and a very small group of power equipment.
one thing that is not mentioned in this video that is minor is that, when you use a dremel cutting wheel, it contains silica which can cause porosity if you go to tig weld that part, diamond tip dremel bits can also cause porosity.
what kind of insurance do you have for a liability for mod-ing and working on firearms? also is there a type of ffl you have to have since your converting items to 922r compliance with the siagas?
+ArtisanTony One of the reasons why SDI uses his videos besides them being pretty good. Is that he is also one of the instructors for SDI. I'm also attending SDI for the Advanced Gunsmithing Certificate.
a chrome finish is a chemical reaction that actually plates the part. you should talk to your local gun smith to see who they go through for chroming or do a little research and find a chrome show in your area. they might do gun parts.
@jiggawoo Happened to me too a couple of times. I was grinding some traction grooves on top of a knife, and the wheel just broke. From then on I use diamon cutter wheels. They are a bit more expensive, but last 3x as long from my experience.
No, he was correct. He has a vernier caliper (digital) , a micrometer measures o.d. only unless you are using telescoping gauges in conjunction with it.
im 16 and my dad said i would make a very good gunsmith because i like making things out of nothing and always had a driving passion for guns and how they work and modify them so the fit the standards or person its meant for.
I'm wondering if you got my PM about shortening a .410 to shoot 45 long colt? I haven't been getting responses to PMs. I think it is a RUclips problem.
I’ve been subscribed and fallowing you for quite some time i just got into SDI and bought some tools you suggested I didn’t own almost everything.. 560 bucks most new considering this video is from ten years ago I’d say I did pretty well looking forward to classes are you still helping out at SDI
Ok, so I want to know about the legal aspects of gunsmithing. I've always wanted to work on my own guns, but there's so much fog around what I can and can't do and what licenses or permits I need or don't need.
What's the real bread and butter for a gunsmith, the jobs that make the gunsmith the most money, I know some jobs they break even on due to tooling costs, basically what is the most performed job a gunsmith does. With the deer hunter folks I would think it was scope mounting, drilling, sling swivels, etc. Maybe it would be better to specialize, like was mentioned in the lever action shotgun video, you could then start to establish an online business rather than relying on walk ups.
@colinmoriarty also not true...changing the internals is also fine as long as what you do to the gun doesnt change its class...like if you wanted to change a ar to a piston drive platform thats fine, but if you went and upgraded it to a select fire weapon then you have issues...dont try to validate what crimson said cuz there is no validity to it...by his logic, when my firing pin broke in my ruger i replaced it illegally...
I would really like to be a gunsmith, can I come for training, at maximum, how many weeks or month do I need to bee fully equipped..finally how much will be my cost of training?
Great video and thanks for sharing... I 100% agree with what you were talking about at the end of the video too... It's like I always say. Let's all learn from each other. Joe Tactical
@Iraqveteran8888 ive used both of their cutting wheels, i did have one of the non reinforced ones shatter on me, but just one, the reinforced ones i have put through heavy work and they cut great
Your options are pretty slim. Either you can attend one of the handful of gunsmithing colleges scattered around the U.S., purchase the American Gunsmithing Institute's Master Gunsmithing Course for a minimum of $5,500, or you can look for a local gunsmithing that is willing to allow you to apprentice with him. There are also a fair number of good gunsmithing books out there, many of which are decades old but still quite relevant today.
Iraqveteran, I plan on enlisting as machinist in the Army soon, and I hope to start a career in gunsmithing whilst having a hobby in blacksmithing. Do you have any insight?
Dear Sir, I have a query on T97A rifle which has a flash hider almost similar to AR15. How do I removed this flash hider without cutting the barrel. Thanks.
Just tweet something that i am curious about making it happen. This is what my question. For example if a guy have a rifle that has 18" barrel lenght and very unfortunate that this is the only available lenght for that particular rifle and there are no aftermarket barrels made. But there is a 16" barrel available but the guy wants it a much longer than 18" barrel lenght for long distance shooting. Can you buy the 16"barrel cut it to 10" in length (same barrel intended for same rifle but short lenght option) then try to find a machine shop that can attach the 10" barrel on the existing 18"barrel in the rifle.can it be done safely? What does diy should have to do to make it done safely? When the gun is fired the bullet still goes thru the rifled attached extension at the end of the 18"barrel.can it be done ?did some already made this successfully and safely.possible?
my bad, I watched the vid a second time, and yes that is barqs and not coors. how about a vid on your version of proper gun cleaning. by the way i am also a ballistol fan
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
The two items that been of most use in my gun work: oily rags and toothbrushes. I can't say how many times these have made work easier.
Great video, man!!
There is a certain magic in giving someone their gun back and seeing the joy of knowing it's either fixed, improved or looks new again. Keep up the vids man, they're great. My shop looks like yours, but with automotive tools shoved all over where there is room.
After working a short time in a real shop, when the job ran out, I started assembling my own "gun shop" of sorts in my garage, I got lots of stuff used like my vice and such. It IS a whole lot of fun.
I'm attending the Colorado School of Trade's gunsmithing school in 2014, thanks for an awesome shop set up.
Great Video! im in the process if getting my own shop set up and this was a great visual aid!
definately would love to see more videos like this one.
hey im 16 and have been around guns my whole life. this really helped knowing what i would need to do some gunsmithing
Great video, Eric, thanks! I'd be lost without my workshop. Take care, Rob
This channel has quickly grown to be my most watched channel. Good job with the videos.
Another nice video. When cutting those square holes with simple tools, try scribing the metal for a more precise line, and drilling the corners before cutting, with a bit that matches the thickness of the cutting wheel you are using.
I love how the belt sander is just chilling in a chair. Reminds me of my bench grinder.
@jiggawoo Fiber wheels should be run between 2-3,000 rpm. Overheating & to much pressure can cause them to blow up. Sand base cutting wheels are a waste of money IMHO. Make sure they`re tight ,but not too tight, Snug is good. Hope this helps you.
Also, you want to locate the center point of your holes with a marking punch and dimple the surface of the metal *before* going to the drill.
If you have one, step drills (the christmas tree shaped gold ones) are perfect for chamfering holes.
It doesn't have to look professional but it has to be functional and this shop clearly is.
really enjoy the videos....next time I am in ATL area I plan to stop by the shop
You kind of skipped over things like marking/center and drift punches, and a good scratch awl.
You want to use drift punches to take out pins in mechanisms. really simple devices, but they hold things together for controlled dis-assembly & reassembly.
Center punches let you locate the center point for drilling on smooth metal or plastic surfaces - you get a dimple that centers the drill bit.
The scratch awl or scribe is used to scribe lines to locate holes before you cut...
Move that vise closer to the edge and you will be able to hold long stuff that goes down below bench top level.
Very good layout! These are my favorite videos by you. Thanks for the the great content!
hoppes9 is one of the best solvents someone makes, me and my dad use only hoppes products to clean out guns, does a wonderful job, but watch if you put some on the stock with white on it, it turns tan
Great. Thanks to this video, I don't mind taking the gunsmith course. I have most of the tools now.
Whats the VHT for they use that as a traction compound at the drag races they spray it on the track so the cars get a better hook up when the run.
great video man, love the setup. Mine is very similar just a larger scale. And i would never go without a dremmal tool. there are 5 million different uses for a dremmal.
Big tip on the Dremel..... when the wheels get worn down and you replace them, SAVE THEM! Often, those worn down wheels get you in them tight spots a full size wheel can't!
Hey,
Thanks for all the effort you put into the videos on here. I'm learning alot of things. I'm looking to become a gunsmith as well (not full time though). I'm looking to buy my own guns here and there (mil-surps) in both good and rough shape to fix up, clean up, and shoot. I've had people tel me that I'd be spending thousands of dollars in this type of work, and to find something else to do.
Eric, my junk drawer is one of the most valuable things in my shop. When cutting a square hole in metal with a dremel, I drill small holes in each corner first to use as a guide. I have found it makes it alot easier to finish off the cut. I gotta have the belt sander. How much and where did it come from? Thanks Man, please keep 'em coming.
get you a 12 ton press and a block of steel to rivet stuff on AKs. Much better than screws
he's very close to telling the truth i'm a full time police armorer for a fairly large agency and my shop has very similar tooling. i have a 2x42 sander and the 1x32 a drill press a fordom and a dremal four different vices depending what i'm working on and the rest. but i also do ceracoat so i have blast rig, a small booth and an electric oven but like the man says you can do alot with mostly hand tools and a very small group of power equipment.
Could you do a good video showing basic cleaning on a Ruger 10/22 without a full strip down,
What order and products to use, Thanks.
best gun channel on youtube.
one thing that is not mentioned in this video that is minor is that, when you use a dremel cutting wheel, it contains silica which can cause porosity if you go to tig weld that part, diamond tip dremel bits can also cause porosity.
what kind of insurance do you have for a liability for mod-ing and working on firearms? also is there a type of ffl you have to have since your converting items to 922r compliance with the siagas?
The way you've got your shop set up is pretty much what I would do as well. I have no problen going for 2nd hand tools.
i didnt know i wanted this vid until i watched it...learned a LOT....thank you!
one of the best gunsmithing videos around.
One of the most important things and often overlooked is lighting your shop has to have proper lighting
Tony Stark was able to build this in a cave! With a box of scraps!
"Pardon the mess, I've been working" thats a clean looking workshop if you ask me.
I love all of your gunsmithing vids thanks for the info!
awesome combination man.
alcohol, power tools and guns
I've been waiting on a video like this for awhile, thanks.
Great video Eric. The SDI Gunsmithing course is bringing me a lot of videos you made before I met you. Going back and seeing them is fun :)
+ArtisanTony One of the reasons why SDI uses his videos besides them being pretty good. Is that he is also one of the instructors for SDI. I'm also attending SDI for the Advanced Gunsmithing Certificate.
+Ken Lebowitz I am auditing the course for them. I need to get caught up :)
Love the coats you guys have, any particular reason for the German flecktarn coats, and where can i get one?
your videos are very informative and I enjoy wacthing them. I have been looking in becoming a gunsmith myself.
a chrome finish is a chemical reaction that actually plates the part. you should talk to your local gun smith to see who they go through for chroming or do a little research and find a chrome show in your area. they might do gun parts.
Did you go to a gunsmithing trade school or is it something you've picked up through your own experiments and projects?
@jiggawoo Happened to me too a couple of times. I was grinding some traction grooves on top of a knife, and the wheel just broke. From then on I use diamon cutter wheels. They are a bit more expensive, but last 3x as long from my experience.
No, he was correct. He has a vernier caliper (digital) , a micrometer measures o.d. only unless you are using telescoping gauges in conjunction with it.
great video again, i discovered your channel last week and i'm already addict !!
"bonjour" from France
Hoppes 9 is my favorite brand for gun cleaning.
Great video. Getting ready to build so work benches. Could you please tell me the heights of your two working surfaces?
im 16 and my dad said i would make a very good gunsmith because i like making things out of nothing and always had a driving passion for guns and how they work and modify them so the fit the standards or person its meant for.
i have all this tools and i like the flat green for my guns if not useing wood
Thank you for this video! Besides being informative it's very encouraging.
I would suggest a small drill press also
Great video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Thanks for serving your country.
i've been using mobile 1 5w-20w as a lube for years works great
fun fact. i used to work at kano laboratories that makes kroil. :)
Thanks for the info, I've been looking into gunsmithing.
Great video. Becoming a Gunsmith. Looking into a quality vise now...
Great video and thanks for the valuable information. I am just starting and this really helps.keep it up. Greetings from The Netherlands.
If you're a veteran, I just wanted to say thank you for your service.
What would you recommend for rust on a bore?
Great vid.. What type of bench vise is that?
I'm wondering if you got my PM about shortening a .410 to shoot 45 long colt? I haven't been getting responses to PMs. I think it is a RUclips problem.
guns and coors light, nothing like the south!
when I first saw the Barq's I thought you were going to recommend that to loosen screws or something lol
I’ve been subscribed and fallowing you for quite some time i just got into SDI and bought some tools you suggested I didn’t own almost everything.. 560 bucks most new considering this video is from ten years ago I’d say I did pretty well looking forward to classes are you still helping out at SDI
Would love to see more vids like this
Ok, so I want to know about the legal aspects of gunsmithing. I've always wanted to work on my own guns, but there's so much fog around what I can and can't do and what licenses or permits I need or don't need.
Nice video mate just show's what you can do with not a lot of tools
what do you use on the vise jaws to not marr up your guns?
Don't overlook auctions for picking up tools, I've gotten most of my power tools from auctions, in really good shape and at about 1/5 retail cost.
As always great video. Thanks for posting all your stuff. I watch lots of your videos and they are always a big help, so thanks!
What's the real bread and butter for a gunsmith, the jobs that make the gunsmith the most money, I know some jobs they break even on due to tooling costs, basically what is the most performed job a gunsmith does. With the deer hunter folks I would think it was scope mounting, drilling, sling swivels, etc. Maybe it would be better to specialize, like was mentioned in the lever action shotgun video, you could then start to establish an online business rather than relying on walk ups.
im looking to be a gunsmith professionally. are there any schools that you know of that offer classes from a professional standpoint?
@colinmoriarty also not true...changing the internals is also fine as long as what you do to the gun doesnt change its class...like if you wanted to change a ar to a piston drive platform thats fine, but if you went and upgraded it to a select fire weapon then you have issues...dont try to validate what crimson said cuz there is no validity to it...by his logic, when my firing pin broke in my ruger i replaced it illegally...
caliper, which is correct along with micrometer
do you have any stones for trigger jobs?
Wow, great video. I like your set up too. Thanks
Very professional video, good info!
I would really like to be a gunsmith, can I come for training, at maximum, how many weeks or month do I need to bee fully equipped..finally how much will be my cost of training?
I bought my sander somewhere else, but you said it, It's paid for it self over and over
i found butches bore shine is a great barrel cleaner
Sorry we caught you, did the youtube camera come looking for U?
What tools you use to cut ramp on frame for para Clark barrel
my saiga 12 needs the barrel threaded. how much for you to do it?
Great video and thanks for sharing... I 100% agree with what you were talking about at the end of the video too... It's like I always say. Let's all learn from each other. Joe Tactical
@Iraqveteran8888 ive used both of their cutting wheels, i did have one of the non reinforced ones shatter on me, but just one, the reinforced ones i have put through heavy work and they cut great
Belive it or not all my gunsmith tools fit in one tool box except the clesning rod for the rifles. Black paint NO. At least cold blue it.
funny, im doing a SAIGA 308 conversion this weekend...and i use the same tools, who would have though :)
Is it really wise to sharpen a knife with the belt sander, you can ruin the heat treatment of the blade
Your options are pretty slim. Either you can attend one of the handful of gunsmithing colleges scattered around the U.S., purchase the American Gunsmithing Institute's Master Gunsmithing Course for a minimum of $5,500, or you can look for a local gunsmithing that is willing to allow you to apprentice with him. There are also a fair number of good gunsmithing books out there, many of which are decades old but still quite relevant today.
@CrimsonVanquisher only if you change the internals
Iraqveteran, I plan on enlisting as machinist in the Army soon, and I hope to start a career in gunsmithing whilst having a hobby in blacksmithing. Do you have any insight?
@Iraqveteran8888 The reinforced ones do work amazing, only time I have broken one is when it gets twisted on a deep cut.
Do you have a tap & die and some WD40?
the scredriver tips terminology for those that dont know is that you want Hollow Ground like what he shows
Dear Sir, I have a query on T97A rifle which has a flash hider almost similar to AR15. How do I removed this flash hider without cutting the barrel. Thanks.
Just tweet something that i am curious about making it happen.
This is what my question. For example if a guy have a rifle that has 18" barrel lenght and very unfortunate that this is the only available lenght for that particular rifle and there are no aftermarket barrels made. But there is a 16" barrel available but the guy wants it a much longer than 18" barrel lenght for long distance shooting.
Can you buy the 16"barrel cut it to 10" in length (same barrel intended for same rifle but short lenght option) then try to find a machine shop that can attach the 10" barrel on the existing 18"barrel in the rifle.can it be done safely? What does diy should have to do to make it done safely? When the gun is fired the bullet still goes thru the rifled attached extension at the end of the 18"barrel.can it be done ?did some already made this successfully and safely.possible?
my bad, I watched the vid a second time, and yes that is barqs and not coors. how about a vid on your version of proper gun cleaning. by the way i am also a ballistol fan
I have the same vise and ball peen. Thanks for the vid.