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rwanttaja
05-23-2020, 03:51 PM
Got bored and needed a Coronavirus Quarantine project... so I used my copy of Solidworks (an EAA member benefit!) to design and build a non-firing, full-scale, replica Lewis Gun. Instructions here:

http://www.wanttaja.com/Lewis/lewis_gun.html
8446
The Solidworks files required for building can be found at:

http://www.wanttaja.com/lewis.zip

Ron Wanttaja
Airmutt
05-23-2020, 04:18 PM
Be sure not to shoot your prop off:eek:
rwanttaja
05-23-2020, 05:57 PM
Be sure not to shoot your prop off:eek:

Hey, I've got a metal prop. If metal wedges were good enough for Roland Garros, it should be good enough for me...

Ron Wanttaja
Frank Giger
05-23-2020, 07:57 PM
Beautiful job!

On the barrel/gas tube attachment to the receiver, it's okay for that to be a bit weak (mine is a wooden circle glued into a PVC tube, held on by a wood screw). In the event of unfortunate circumstances, that's a fine place for it to break, as PVC pipe is inexpensive!

The plus of going with the PVC pipe shroud is that one can 30 foot cheat and run a bolt through it for mounting.

Avoiding politics, the FAA could care less and the BATF would think a wooden gun is cute; it's local folks that might get excited. This is where a 30 foot replica is a good thing, but be aware of where one is. Washington State and Alabama are worlds apart in attitudes of such things.

That said, I'm glad it's a block of wood with plastic. I've seen a number of blank firing examples that are, um, dark gray by the laws on what a firearm is and isn't.

Next up: converting your gun to gas so it goes bang bang bang with a flame out of the barrel!
Vince
05-28-2020, 10:06 PM
Nice looking replica. There's a group here on the Independence airport building DH-2 replicas and one has flown. To complete the replica I built a gas firing Lewis. Some photos are attached. In some DH-2 Lewis installations a small wind screen was mounted on the gun.

Vince Homer
Vince
05-31-2020, 02:04 AM
If you do decide to make a gas powered MG remember that the barrel and breach block get very hot. Any parts made from plastic that are in contact with them will certainly melt. I used high density Masonite for part of the receiver and it begins to smoke after a few seconds of firing on auto.

Vince Homer