Gearbox Closing Fixture.
 

Ever SCREAMED at an A/R latch? No?

NOOB. At least PRETEND to know our pain.

"Three seconds to open, three hours to close back up."

Had many gearboxes open? If you have, the above sentence made you shudder uncontrollably.

You have to hold the piston down, you have to set the A/R latch just so... and then set the top cover in place.

Oh, you're not done, all those bits need to find home, and it seems like every last one is spring-loaded. Crying in frustration may help, but probably not.

My first gearbox didn't last long. I think the tears contaminated the grease.

The idea is a small clamp table that holds the piston/spring down, and has a small arm to steady the A/R latch in place, so it doesn't FREEEKING keep foiling me. Hate the things.

Here's the basic design.
http://www.air-sharp.com/GEARBOX_CLOSING_JIG_LAYOUT.jpg
This is the design drawing. Transfer these dim's* to 3mm ABS sheet, and quit cursing the small-fingered.

I've been envisioning this thing since day ONE. Parts are drying right now, but later on I should be able to show how it works.

This one's a freebie to the airsoft community, in the interest of cleaner language habits.

*Feeling lazy?
Because the PATTERN is huge, it's LINKED here:
http://www.air-sharp.com/pattern_description.html

I have honestly NEVER had problems getting everything back together in a mech box from anti reversal latches to trigger springs both V2 and V3

The only mechboxes I've had problems closing were all cheap Chinese clones (JG, Kart). The tolerances are so poor that the anti-reversal latch almost never seats straight up.

Never had a problem with Systema, TM, G&G, Star, or CA.

Excellent point, and true. But for the rest of us who embrace the affordable, it's a handy item.
It's 95 out today. Going to go see if the parts are set up enough for pics yet.

I just use a small flat-head to get everything seated properly.

I have a very nice day when i work on a TM or CA mechbox, but when somebody brings me a Kraken or a Broxa or something, I start with the shivers and cold sweats, I've literally spent HOURS trying to get the trigger and AR latch to fit on some of the crappy clones I've worked on, I freaking HATE clones >.<

Spend 15 minutes making this doo-jiggy, and you'll do those things for more PROFIT!

dude, Kraken is so easy!

I have a little "pick" i used when I get the gear box seated before the close. I adjust the shafts with it and it works really, really well. Usually the AR latch and the Bevel Gear want to hang out and not seat properly.

I get more use out of my set of picks, than just about any other thing on the bench. I don't know how I got by without them.

Set things up in it, and the box half needs a few more bits to locate it on the sheet.

Shot the fridge with a spring guide already!

Pics in a bit...

HAHA... yeah, I've done that too... spent more time trying to locate the guide than putting the box back together.

A/R latches, and triggers. If you could skip those two alone, most boxes would be a piece of cake.
http://www.air-sharp.com/heigl.jpg
Mmmm, cake!

There's already a solution to the AR latch problem - the Modify AR latch.

Link to item? I came up empty.

TRIGGERS are the real bugger here, seems there's "fix" for most other issues.

to keep the trigger from busting out, i use my keys... i hang them on the trigger to keep it down...

Reminds me of all the little things I needed to know, to keep this old misty memory alive:
http://www.air-sharp.com/spitfire67killbuckets.jpg
Image above SHOULD be a 60's Triumph Spitfire. Apologies if it looks like Lucifer Himself to you

The worst I've had, I couldn't close the shell because the modify gear carousel didnt fit in the G36's V3 mechbox...
The worst mechbox that I eventually closed took me about 12 minutes lol
I'm sure I had the same problem you had where they made the socket for the A/R latch like twice as big as the fucking shaft so it only ever stays in place by god's will lol
coupled with a trigger that didn't want to stay in, and the rare case of having to hold down both spring guide and cylinder (I usually only have to hold down the spring guide). Quite the ordeal lol

It suddenly hit me,embed rare-earth magnets into the plate at the gear-axle and A/R latch centerlines. Duh.
To the toolbox!

modify modular kits + a piece of twisted bare wire to hold the ar latch down. basically, I loop the wire around the ar latch and then take the 2 ends of the wire and wrap it under the mech box. AR doesn't move and the wire slides out which ever hole you route it through.

or pack the ar hole with white lithium grease. offers enough resistant and holds it in place but will no hinder it