Compression Rifle Project

With only two days left to go on this project, things are really heating up. This post features photos that were taken a few days ago, but they're still relevant.

The main push this day was to fabricate and install a new bar that runs horizontally between grips.

I already built the rail, and now it was really time to attach it. Glue wasn't going to be enough, so I decided to use two wood screws on each end to fully secure it. I started by counter sinking some holes on each end of the rail.

Here's the countersunk holes.



And in place.




Here's a couple of pics of the rail fitted into place, with and without the screws.



Keep in mind that before screwing it in, I did a glob of epoxy under each side.







Here's the rifle with the first coat of primer laid down.



And lastly, a little sanding to totally smooth out the putty and the counter sunk screws.



Now it's time to paint the body. My approach is to get the entire thing in one blast. I don't want to do one side, let it dry, then flip it over. That sucks. My plan is to suspend it from the ceiling so I can paint it from all sides at once. To do this, I drill a hole through the body, through which I will run some wire and hang it up. The location of the hole is great, as it will be covered by two pieces that are glued on in final assembly.