Author Topic: in-letting a silver front sight blade-only  (Read 7663 times)

Offline Dr. Tim-Boone

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in-letting a silver front sight blade-only
« on: November 30, 2011, 06:16:42 PM »
OK I want to install a coin silver sight blade on a round barrel....So I want to cut a 1.2 inch long slot in the barrel surface about .030" deep ...I think??
cut the bottom of the sight slightly concave..chisel up the ends of the slot....install the silver sight and tap it down and then peen the ens of the slot down,,,,,,great concept!!

So I have looked all over for a tutorial or older post....I know I have seen it somewhere!!! No luck.

Can you help me out?  Also a picture and description/name of the type of chisel that you would use on the barrel would help this pilgrim....

Thanks in advance
De Oppresso Liber
Marietta, GA

Liberty is the only thing you cannot have unless you are willing to give it to others. – William Allen White

Learning is not compulsory...........neither is survival! - W. Edwards Deming

Offline rich pierce

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Re: in-letting a silver front sight blade-only
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2011, 07:32:21 PM »
I did this on my RCA 19.  In fact I have to replace the blade because the doggone gun shoots too high.  I used a heavy flat graver to cut the slot, like you said, maybe 0.030 deep.  I undercut the ends and the sides a bit.  I made the blade concave on the bottom, fore-to-aft.  Then when I placed it in and pounded it down, the length effectively increased to catch under the undercuts at the ends of the slots.  I tamped down the sides and ends of the undercut inlet with a polished flat "punch" (a flat file ground off on the end and polished up).

On a fowling piece with a thin barrel I would use a piece of steel rod in the bore to make sure nothing gets dented.



Not a great picture
« Last Edit: January 13, 2020, 06:50:41 PM by rich pierce »
Andover, Vermont

Offline Dr. Tim-Boone

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Re: in-letting a silver front sight blade-only
« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2011, 07:42:36 PM »
Thanks Rich!  As far as I know I have no tool comparable to your large flat graver.....So I will be going out to buy something available here in town.  Any suggestions, or even an idea where I can get such a graver locally rather than having to order it online??
De Oppresso Liber
Marietta, GA

Liberty is the only thing you cannot have unless you are willing to give it to others. – William Allen White

Learning is not compulsory...........neither is survival! - W. Edwards Deming

Offline Dphariss

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Re: in-letting a silver front sight blade-only
« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2011, 07:48:16 PM »

A large flat graver or a caping chisel about 3/32" or smaller.
To reduce stress drilling several holes to remove some metal might be a good idea. In any case make small cuts so that a bulge is not created in the bore if the wall is thin.
Under cut or raise the edges. I would CAREFULLY pean all the way around, light hammer, smooth punch. Again thin wall barrels are easy to damage. Cutting some teeth as per installing gold inlay might be an idea
 Now I also cheat and remove most of the metal with a woodruff keyseat cutter in the mill or a small end mill then deepen or square the ends.
They can be silver soldered in as well.

Dan

He who dares not offend cannot be honest. Thomas Paine

Offline rich pierce

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Re: in-letting a silver front sight blade-only
« Reply #4 on: November 30, 2011, 08:23:46 PM »
Thanks Rich!  As far as I know I have no tool comparable to your large flat graver.....So I will be going out to buy something available here in town.  Any suggestions, or even an idea where I can get such a graver locally rather than having to order it online??

I usually have some drill rod laying around and quickly forge, file or grind something to shape, harden, temper and sharpen, and try to get a working tool done in 20 minutes or less.  Acer would take the time to make the tool a work of art!
Andover, Vermont

Offline Dr. Tim-Boone

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Re: in-letting a silver front sight blade-only
« Reply #5 on: November 30, 2011, 08:32:45 PM »
 ;D ;D
De Oppresso Liber
Marietta, GA

Liberty is the only thing you cannot have unless you are willing to give it to others. – William Allen White

Learning is not compulsory...........neither is survival! - W. Edwards Deming

Offline kutter

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Re: in-letting a silver front sight blade-only
« Reply #6 on: December 01, 2011, 03:02:59 AM »
For cutting a deep straight line of some length like this, put a long heel on the graver.
That will help guide it in the cut each time an new (repetition) pass is made. It'll
have less tendency to wander side to side and widen out the slot.
It won't do for much else as the long heel makes it near useless for turning curves but as a specialty tool for
things like this and cutting for straight line inlay it works nicely.

Cut to depth, then under cut the sides and the ends as already mentioned.
Easy does it,,it doesn't take much to grab the softer metal and a larger undercut doesn't mean a better hold on the inlayed material.

Either file the base concave slightly or as I do on such inlays, I arch (bend) the piece of metal itself. You want it to fit snugly in between the 2 ends of the cut which you have undercut. Those undercuts on the ends of the line are simply done with the same chisel you cut the line with. Just let it dead-end squarely into the end of the finished cut, then a few more gentle taps and it'll spike an undercut wedge shape into the metal as well as raise a small burr for you.
The sides can most likely be undercut with the same chisel run along the bottom edge on both sides if the face angle is acute enough and/or the cut wide enough to allow you to get in there with it.

Place the inlay in place and tap it gently down in. The concave shape or arch will flatten out onto the bottom of the cut and the ends will enter the undercuts at each end if you've prepared the cut and inlay well.
You can't get too much of a raised inlay (like this sight) to upset and enter the side undercuts w/o flattening the thing but a tiny bit will if you anneal the silver first.
Tap the raised burr from the undercutting down flat all the way around the inlay.

For an added hold, just before setting the blade into place, tin the bottom edge with soft solder and put a touch of flux down in the groove.
Set the blade as above, check for square and then heat till you see any visible solder melt. Don't over heat.
You shouldn't have much if any excess solder on the blade or bbl with just the light tinning done to the blade.

You can swipe the parts with a pencil lead before heating if you want to avoid any excess from sticking to the bbl or visible blade. Makes any cleanup easier if you do have some spill out.

A simple graver suitable for this can be made from drill rod.
A friend used to make some of his gravers from small 'allen' wrenches , cut the L portion off, shaped, put into wooden handles  and used w/o further heat treat on brass, silver, copper and some soft steel.
(Some of the allen wrenches I've seen lately probably wouldn't cut linoleum!)
Maybe they can be further hardened too, I do not know. Most M/L bbl steel seems pretty soft though

Offline tallbear

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Re: in-letting a silver front sight blade-only
« Reply #7 on: December 01, 2011, 03:10:43 AM »
Tim
I ground a chisel for doing these slots from a nail set.I will get a pic for you as quick as I can.If you make your own you can make it exactly the width of the metal.




Mitch
« Last Edit: January 13, 2020, 06:51:10 PM by rich pierce »

Online Dave B

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Re: in-letting a silver front sight blade-only
« Reply #8 on: December 01, 2011, 08:07:05 AM »
This is how I did mine using soft solder and some sterling silver sheet stock. The graver is a flat that I have that just happens to be slightly under sized for the silver sheet thickness and I just up set the sides a little with a chisle to drop the blade into the recess cut I tapped down the sides with my punch to help keep it in place. I just fluxed the site heated it up a soldering copper with the propane torch in the micro forge and viola instant joint. The miro forge is made from two fire bricks. It makes a big differece with the heat of the copper being red hot while its heald against the inside of the bore just under the sight base.











« Last Edit: January 13, 2020, 06:51:55 PM by rich pierce »
Dave Blaisdell

Offline Dr. Tim-Boone

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Re: in-letting a silver front sight blade-only
« Reply #9 on: December 01, 2011, 02:41:45 PM »
Thank you gentlemen!  A great tutorial.  DAve I knew I had seen that somewhere but could not find it with a search. Kutter, your explanation is very helpful.

I never cease to be amazed at the giving nature of the really talented people on this forum. :)

Thanks again.  Now its just up to my execution!! ;D
De Oppresso Liber
Marietta, GA

Liberty is the only thing you cannot have unless you are willing to give it to others. – William Allen White

Learning is not compulsory...........neither is survival! - W. Edwards Deming