The project in itself, or the block that the OP talked about?

If it is the project itself that you frown on, why is it a waste to have a DIY optics ready project? If the OP wants a folding front sight, I fail to see the waste there.

As for the adjustable block, if it adjusts the amount of gas that cycles the action, I could see where that would be a waste unless someone had a, say, 300 whisper upper and were going to use a silencer and subsonic rounds. Other than that maybe, the adjustable block is useless.