Best tools for an 80% lower

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D.B. Cooper

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Going to take at a crack at an 80% lower. Just for kicks. Planning on using a Gen 2 jig set.

1.) Are the bits and tools that come with it of adequate quality?

2.) The other issue is the router and jig compatibility. Reading the directions and other notes, I've noticed that there is a list of routers that match different tool kits. (The base plates that attach to the router are different; I think the bits are all the same.)

What routers have you guys used that worked well? I've read some troubleshooting on the 80-lower website about rough cuts and jagged surfaces often caused by a slight wobble in the bearing along the drilling axis. I don't own a router and will be buying one for this project. I have a lot of experience with tools, and I generally buy quality tools. (I never EVER buy ANYTHING at Harbor Freight, etc.) So what's going to be the best router to do this with?

And yes, I started a similar thread a week or so back. I let it get derailed and closed, so I'm refocusing the question.
 
If the jig is meant to be used with a router then just about any quality router should work . I think depth control is important , I forget what brand I used (loner) but it had a step control thing so the steps could be changed easily .It was a polymer lower so it went very fast about 30-40 min. it wasn't my 1st one but my 1st one with a router. The bits seemed to be good enough to do the job .

CC
 
For clarification before I respond... are you thinking of a plastic 80% ? Or aluminum? What company / toolkit are you referring to?
 
For clarification before I respond... are you thinking of a plastic 80% ? Or aluminum? What company / toolkit are you referring to?
Forged aluminum. It's the Gen 2 jig (does 5.56 and 9mm lowers.) They're on 80% lowers dot com.
 
If the jig is meant to be used with a router then just about any quality router should work.
That's what I thought, based on my limited woodworking experience with a router. However, after swapping emails with the vendor, they explained that the jig requires the router to be attached to a baseplate; it's the baseplate issue that makes the tool kit specific to certain brand and models of routers.


I think depth control is important

From what I've read, I would agree. It appears that the more accurate and minute of adjustment of the depth of the cut, the better the finished product. I expect that such qualities add to the cost of the tool.
 
I use a smallish DeWalt. I say smallish as it's not the big full-size models but not the smallest they make either. I want to say 1hp but I could be wrong. I've done about 5 with the end mill bit that came with my particular kit and have noticed it doesn't cut as well as it used to. Though I probably over heat the thing. Another end mill might not be a bad idea as a back up. They are a fun project but don't expect a factory quality finish inside. A hand tool is not rigid enough to get that smooth. Unless you feel like sanding and polising the inside of a lower. I don't.
 
I use a smallish DeWalt. I say smallish as it's not the big full-size models but not the smallest they make either. I want to say 1hp but I could be wrong. I've done about 5 with the end mill bit that came with my particular kit and have noticed it doesn't cut as well as it used to. Though I probably over heat the thing. Another end mill might not be a bad idea as a back up. They are a fun project but don't expect a factory quality finish inside. A hand tool is not rigid enough to get that smooth. Unless you feel like sanding and polising the inside of a lower. I don't.

What about using one of the small milling machines?
They’re more expensive than a router but with the 25% off coupon they wind up being $550 from Harbor Freight.

It seems if someone were doing several that this might be a good way to go especially if you can justify the mill for other projects
 
I've had, I mean a friend has had, great success with the 5D Tactical jig and their tools. My friend used a Makita compact router with no issues. A foot switch is handy because it allows both hands on the router at all times.

Their new Pro model, and maybe that's the one you were referring to, does AR15, AR9, AR10 sizes. It also uses a newer model end mill and larger support bearing in the adapter plate.

My friends jig has made at least 12 lowers so far.
 
Take your time, let the tool work. A router is not a mill, *you* supply the cutting force instead of large screws, so you can only cut very shallow depths. Add some WD40 periodically between passes; particularly if your bits are steel, the router will spin them faster than needed & reduce their lifespan. Take breaks so you don't get impatient.

The shallower your cuts, the nicer the result.
 
I would expect the bits and enndmill to be of acceptable quality for 2-3 uses... what will kill them isn’t necessarily their lack of quality but rather the abuse they will take from being used in a router... higher speeds than they are designed for without any rigidity. IMO it’s waste to get any better endmill as the router will destroy it in a couple of uses anyway. If you want more life out of it then pass on the router and jig and put the money towards even a cheapo benchtop mill.
But It sounds to me like you’re into it for the novelty not the long haul so there’s no need to worry about longevity... the bit kit should serve your needs
 
Unless you feel like sanding and polising the inside of a lower. I don't.

Interesting idea. I have a Dremel tool kit with polishing stones, so that might be a good idea. I'm already planning to corrosion treat the bare metal inside with Alumaprep and Alodine. The Dremel would be the second to last step.
 
What about using one of the small milling machines?
They’re more expensive than a router but with the 25% off coupon they wind up being $550 from Harbor Freight.

It seems if someone were doing several that this might be a good way to go especially if you can justify the mill for other projects

Because I live in Alaska and it would cost another $500+ to ship it here, and I really dislike buying stuff from Harbor Freight, even when I lived 5 miles from one of their stores.
 
you’re into it for the novelty not the long haul so there’s no need to worry about longevity... the bit kit should serve your needs

Exactly. I have a friend who might borrow the jig and bits and router when I'm done, but I only want to make one receiver. (So I ordered two because you know I'm going to screw up the first one lol.
 
Sounds to me like I need to be looking for a router with good variable speed and depth controls. The added-on foot switch is a cheap and easy addition.
 
What about using a descent drill press? Surely you have a friend with one of those. I was gonna try my hand with my drill press. Then noticed a friend has a mid size milking machine in his barn that he uses for a drill press.
 
What about using a descent drill press? Surely you have a friend with one of those. I was gonna try my hand with my drill press. Then noticed a friend has a mid size milking machine in his barn that he uses for a drill press.

A drill press is a terrible tool for milling. They aren’t designed for the side load and can be dangerous if the chuck comes out from it. That said, I wonder how much they can take and if you’re using a good bit, going slow and using lots of lubricant if most would be ok.

Note, I don’t recommend it, I’m Just curious. That said, I’ll probably save up for a Mill.
 
I’m not at all familiar with the required finish steps for an 80 lower but if an area such as the magwell needs to be hogged out from solid aluminum then a drill press wouldn’t be bad for removing the bulk of it.

As for routers, I don’t have anything fancy, a small Porter Cable 100, a DeWalt 610, and another DeWalt who’s model escapes me at present. Before purchasing you’ll need the shaft diameter of the end mill to match it to the router’s collet size. Many better models offer both common collet sizes and generally speaking the 1/2” models are heavier duty.

Consider a plunge router, one that moves vertically into the work rather than angling it down. Speed control is a fantastic idea, none of mine offer it because I’ve had them since HS when I was poor poor poor! My work around was a plug-in rheostat to slow things down, a very worthwhile $17 investment back then.

As far as micro adjustments my 610 is my favorite, but Bosch probably makes the best routers overall. Somewhere you might hunt down some comparison charts of features and runout from Wood Magazine or other similar publications.

Whichever you decide on I hope you take lots of pictures and show us your progress from start to finish.
 
I’ll have to stand corrected; my 615 does have speed control, it’s the small adjustment wheel in the upper right corner showing “3”. You also get an idea of the depth control gauge which is graduated in 1/16ths of an inch. The 610 has a zero reset on rack and pinion graduated in 1/64ths which makes it far more precise. Pardon my filthy equipment, it’s far too cold to be in the garage any longer than necessary and my neighbor needed doors trimmed last month.


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Drill press is a better tool than a router for this, but either one will get the job done. Either way you go, material hogging is the name of the game early on, and then finesse on the final pass. 80% isn’t bad, I did a polymer and an alloy about a week and a half apart from each other, poly was a great learning tool, alloy shouldn’t have been a big deal but had a nasty inclusion with some really hard material, probably because I bought the cheapest lower I could find rather than buy a reputable part.
 
What about using one of the small milling machines?
They’re more expensive than a router but with the 25% off coupon they wind up being $550 from Harbor Freight.

It seems if someone were doing several that this might be a good way to go especially if you can justify the mill for other projects

They've gone up!

They're serviceable little machines, but you have to go through them first, thoroughly clean, lube, tighten everything up right. The upgrades offered by Littlemachineshop.com exist for a reason. Also, due to the 16 pitch lead screws, they're a pain to use without DROs. Each revolution of the hand wheel on either axis moves the table .0625". Try keeping track of that over any distance!

In short, you won't be ready to go to work after unboxing your $550 mini mill. At a minimum, you'll need to invest some time in it, and buy an R8 collet set and a vise (or at least clamp blocks, but really, vise for doing lowers without fixtures). Collet sets are cheap, a 4 or 5 inch import vise won't break the bank, and the Igaging DROs work fine for the ~$130 you'll spend on a 3-axis set for the mini, but you're still gonna be pushing a grand for a very basic set up without having bought any cutters, dial indicators, parallels, etc.
 
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