Home Made Floor Plates

Wadman · January 31, 2001, 16:36

Having the general profile of a floor plate cut and punching out the lugs doesn't appear to be difficult. But without the appropriate die and punch press, the embossing can't be done. One thing the embossing does is add structural rigidity to the floor plate. My question is does it need to be that rigid? It's held by lips that run almost the the entire length of three of the sides. In comparison, M14 and M16 mags are just flat; no embossing whatsoever.

Mac's! · January 31, 2001, 20:52

I made all of my own floorplates for my FAL mags with no problems at all. I used steel of the correct thickness, traced the outline, cut rough shape with shears and then ground to proper shape. No, they ain't as pretty as the originals but they work fine and are US Made! Keep yer powder dry, Mac.
Mac's Shootin' Irons http://www.shootiniron.com

frozenchozen · February 01, 2001, 00:00

Easy to do, just cut it out and trim as needed. I made a floorplate for my inch mag which was a little more work, as I had to fold the edges over. I used a hacksaw blade as a form to make the lip, trimmed with a dremel, and cold blued. It works but you can tell it's a "US" made part....
Cheers
Chris

Buk · October 20, 2001, 07:55

I haven't found a way to punch out the lugs but I've made mine from 1+" wide banding material that is scrap where I work. Good stuff, the right thickness, and convenient to work with. You could probably find some at a lumber yard or any plant that ships/receives material banded together.

Templator · October 20, 2001, 09:16

Your post got me wondering, so I got one of my magazines and checked the hardness of the floorplate by hitting it a lick with a file. (the toolmakers tried and true hardness testing method) *shrugg*,.. unless I miss my guess, they're made of garden variety cold rolled steel. True, the embossed area will give it some rigidity, but I don't know if it's necessary. If you want to put your mind at ease, take one of the floorplates down to your local industrial supply house and ask for a sheet of hardened shim stock the same thickness. It has a very nice blue finish on it and should give a bit of flair to the project. Bear in mind though, you'll need to grind it into shape. It's too hard to file. Thanks for the thought! I'm gonna make up a few for myself!

Radio · October 21, 2001, 15:45

Templator: Go to your duplicate post. Click on the icon with the page and pencil, "Edit/Delete Post." Delete. Duplicate post gone, original untouched. Then you can also delete your explanation if desired, saves bandwidth. Maybe I'll come back later and take this post out, too. Fun fun fun.

--Radio

Templator · October 21, 2001, 18:33

Thanks radio,.. it worked. Hope I don't get too adept at manipulating this stuff,.. I got good at punchin the buttons on mIRC and ended up married to a Canadian,... it's a long story,...

January 31, 2001, 16:36	#1
Wadman Registered FALaholic #: 1095 Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: North East Illinois Posts: 2,820	Home Made Floor Plates Having the general profile of a floor plate cut and punching out the lugs doesn't appear to be difficult. But without the appropriate die and punch press, the embossing can't be done. One thing the embossing does is add structural rigidity to the floor plate. My question is does it need to be that rigid? It's held by lips that run almost the the entire length of three of the sides. In comparison, M14 and M16 mags are just flat; no embossing whatsoever. __________________ The low road is frequently a four lane highway with no speed limit. Help Save the Kitties

January 31, 2001, 20:52	#2
Mac's! Registered FALaholic #: 214 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Tucson, Arizona, pima Posts: 130	I made all of my own floorplates for my FAL mags with no problems at all. I used steel of the correct thickness, traced the outline, cut rough shape with shears and then ground to proper shape. No, they ain't as pretty as the originals but they work fine and are US Made! Keep yer powder dry, Mac. Mac's Shootin' Irons http://www.shootiniron.com __________________ Mac's Shootin' Iron Restorations http://www.shootiniron.com shootiniron@msn.com

October 20, 2001, 09:16	#5
Templator Registered FALaholic #: 4460 Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Lexington Posts: 1,760	Your post got me wondering, so I got one of my magazines and checked the hardness of the floorplate by hitting it a lick with a file. (the toolmakers tried and true hardness testing method) shrugg,.. unless I miss my guess, they're made of garden variety cold rolled steel. True, the embossed area will give it some rigidity, but I don't know if it's necessary. If you want to put your mind at ease, take one of the floorplates down to your local industrial supply house and ask for a sheet of hardened shim stock the same thickness. It has a very nice blue finish on it and should give a bit of flair to the project. Bear in mind though, you'll need to grind it into shape. It's too hard to file. Thanks for the thought! I'm gonna make up a few for myself! __________________ I look with commiseration upon the great body of my fellow Americans who, reading newspapers, live and die in the belief that they have known something of what has passed in the world around them. Harry Truman

October 21, 2001, 15:45	#6
Radio Registered FALaholic #: 263 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Eastern Washington State Posts: 9,868	Templator: Go to your duplicate post. Click on the icon with the page and pencil, "Edit/Delete Post." Delete. Duplicate post gone, original untouched. Then you can also delete your explanation if desired, saves bandwidth. Maybe I'll come back later and take this post out, too. Fun fun fun. --Radio __________________ Train Like You Fight: Second PLace is NOT an Option. --E.M. (Ted) Dannemiller II* "You seem to fantasize about me a lot. Maybe you should tell your boyfriend? He could dress up like me or something." --*K.O.A.M.*, November 9th, 2009 "You're better off hoping she don't miss, it's quicker that way." --ce, December 15, 2009

October 21, 2001, 18:33	#7
Templator Registered FALaholic #: 4460 Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Lexington Posts: 1,760	Thanks radio,.. it worked. Hope I don't get too adept at manipulating this stuff,.. I got good at punchin the buttons on mIRC and ended up married to a Canadian,... it's a long story,... __________________ I look with commiseration upon the great body of my fellow Americans who, reading newspapers, live and die in the belief that they have known something of what has passed in the world around them. Harry Truman

February 01, 2001, 00:00	#3
frozenchozen Registered FALaholic #: 1732 Join Date: Dec 2000 Posts: 4	Easy to do, just cut it out and trim as needed. I made a floorplate for my inch mag which was a little more work, as I had to fold the edges over. I used a hacksaw blade as a form to make the lip, trimmed with a dremel, and cold blued. It works but you can tell it's a "US" made part.... Cheers Chris

October 20, 2001, 07:55	#4
Buk Registered FALaholic #: 1720 Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Seminary, MS USA Posts: 61	I haven't found a way to punch out the lugs but I've made mine from 1+" wide banding material that is scrap where I work. Good stuff, the right thickness, and convenient to work with. You could probably find some at a lumber yard or any plant that ships/receives material banded together.

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