Adding antler veneer to iron or brass blade of front sight?

[Skychief]

I want to overlay a "veneer" of antler material to the face of some front sight blades.  Some are iron, others are brass.

How would you go about adhering the two together.  Please realize, I'm not a builder, so simpler is better.

I've got gorilla glue at the ready!

Just hoping for any hints you can give to make the antler veneers "stay put" on the blades.

Thanks a lot, Skychief.

[rich pierce]

Gluing is not a great idea, because any little splinter of horn or ivory or bone is liable to break off easily. I would take a standard sight and cut a sizable, deep dovetail in the blade. Fit the natural material very tightly into the dovetail and glue it in.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

What Rich said...and use CA thin...cyanoactrylate glue

[Skychief]

Thanks Mr. Pierce and Mr. Sapergia.

If the dovetail were made so the antler would slide in horizontally, is there a way that I can get the antler to show at the very top of the sight picture  versus having a bit of iron or brass of the blade showing atop the antler piece?

I can't imagine trying to file a dovetail so the antler would slide down the face of the blade vertically.  Perhaps it can be done.

Thanks much for your help/thoughts!

Best regards, Skychief

[smylee grouch]

I have done what you are thinking of with silver solder. I cut a slit in the center of the sight blade then fluxed and used silver solder to fill in the slit. Then dressed it off flush so when you sight down the barrel you will see that silver line in the center of two steel uprights. It works OK in the woods or under a shadder. Antler or bone might show up better, an interesting test it might be.

[B.Barker]

I've seen a few sights with a tiny hole drilled down through them and small pieces of ivory inserted then the sight was filed until the amount of white showing was satisfactory.

[Skychief]

I've seen a few sights with a tiny hole drilled down through them and small pieces of ivory inserted then the sight was filed until the amount of white showing was satisfactory.

That's an interesting idea.  Thanks.

[rich pierce]

Thanks Mr. Pierce and Mr. Sapergia.

If the dovetail were made so the antler would slide in horizontally, is there a way that I can get the antler to show at the very top of the sight picture  versus having a bit of iron or brass of the blade showing atop the antler piece?

I can't imagine trying to file a dovetail so the antler would slide down the face of the blade vertically.  Perhaps it can be done.

Thanks much for your help/thoughts!

Best regards, Skychief

[45-110]

take a look at the old lyman hunter sight construction, they drilled the blade down from the top. then inserted a ivory peg and contoured it so that the white is exposed at the top. i think it was called the model #21 sight...not sure though. i have built a couple using this construction and done right it is not a fragile glued on applique.
best
kw

[codger]

Skychief...I epoxied a bit of ivory piano key to the face of the brass blade on a .32 rifle so I could see it in the woods... a bit crude; but still there after years of use.

Don

[Skychief]

Thanks again to all for the replies.

D.E. Powell, I think that looks great and simple.  I take it that you have fired the rifle a good bit in the years after applying it to the sight blade.

What kind/brand of epoxy did you use please?

Best regards, Skychief.

[Stophel]

Does that ivory piano key face have a "peg" shaped in it that is inserted into the sight blade and staked in (the way they stake in brass and ivory beads on Marble's-type rifle sights)?  The little crease that I see on top of the sight made me think of that.

[codger]

Skychief ... first rifle built ; probably 30 years ago so yes lots of use ...Stophel... can't remember what epoxy used
. No post in the sight. Never noticed the line until I looked at the photo ...probably a file mark to keep track of the amount taken off when filing the front sight down. My best...Don

[FDR]

Here is a link to the best epoxy.

https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/stock-work-finishing/stock-bedding-adhesives/acra-weld-refill-kit-sku081025004-20983-46336.aspx?rrec=true

Expensive yes. I have an ivory sight insert installed about 40 years ago that is still in place. I use it for all my custom knife handles. Over 400 made/sold and never one returned for a loose handle.

Fred

[Waksupi]

I've done overlay bone front sights, using Acragel. They hold up okay, but in some light conditions, they tend to wash out. A cloud covered day with snow on the ground can make the sight disappear.
I settled on making the rear of a front sight vertical, and then filing a very small angle on the tip. It catches light well in most conditions, and has worked better than the overlay sights for me.

[redheart]

Before you go to a lot of trouble take a tiny piece of what you're thinking of using, glue it on with any cheap glue or tape it on the sides and look at it in many variations of light and dark and targets of different colors and shades. the best sight I have seen used horn, not antler or bone. Maybe it doesn't make any difference, but make sure.

[FDR]

Warthog ivory is the classic sight material for high end British rifles. It never turns yellow.

Fred

[redheart]

take a look at the old lyman hunter sight construction, they drilled the blade down from the top. then inserted a ivory peg and contoured it so that the white is exposed at the top. i think it was called the model #21 sight...not sure though. i have built a couple using this construction and done right it is not a fragile glued on applique.
best
kw

Great idea! Where'd ya get the ivory peg?

[Buffaload]

This is what I did with a slitting saw and a slice of ivory. It’s a lot easier to slit the blade and slice the ivory than make a pin of ivory and drill that little hole-straight.  The ivory stands out in low light and the dark steel sides stand out in light conditions. For me anyway.
This rifle has seen a lot of rough service in the saddle and crawling around Wyoming.  I think the fact the face is not completely ivory has protected the slice I put in there.
Ed

[Percy]

Ed, I like that sight a lot. Thanks for adding the picture.  Now if I can get me a warthog_ _ _

Percy

[Old Ford2]

What Rich said...and use CA thin...cyanoactrylate glue

Question:  After you have dovetailed a slot for the ivory applied the CA glue, how do you get the ivory sliver released from your finger, that got stuck there while attempting to get in CA glued slot?  Along with the other tools and pieces of paper.
Fred

[Skychief]

This is what I did with a slitting saw and a slice of ivory. It’s a lot easier to slit the blade and slice the ivory than make a pin of ivory and drill that little hole-straight.  The ivory stands out in low light and the dark steel sides stand out in light conditions. For me anyway.
This rifle has seen a lot of rough service in the saddle and crawling around Wyoming.  I think the fact the face is not completely ivory has protected the slice I put in there.
Ed

That is EXACTLY what I am hoping to achieve Ed.  What did you use to fix the material within the slit?  Epoxy?  CA glue?  Other?

Thanks a lot for taking the time to post this picture.

Best regards, Skychief

[Buffaload]

 I have done several of these. I glued one but the others were tight fits. I haven’t lost one yet.  The only ivory I have is from an elephant tusk but you could likely use the ivory from elk teeth. Shouldn’t be hard to find.  I would be careful if you go with the tight fit though. Ivory is fragile when it’s that thin. A little glue is probably smart. Super glue is what I would use. Flows like water into a tight slot.
Ed

[Skychief]

Much obliged. Thanks Ed.