ivory sights

[mike blair]

does anyone know of any lit. that explains how to make an ivory front sight.some ideas on the matter would be very appreciated.thanks.

[Acer Saccharum]

Was it Taylor that made one?

If you take an ordinary steel sight, file the blade face toward the shooter flat. Then cut a dovetail across it. Yes, it's small. Cut a piece of Ivory or white micarta fake ivory to fit the dovetail. File flush with the steel sight blade on the sides and top.  The only thing the shooter sees is the white.

Tom

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Beat me to it Tom.  This sight is one I used on my first Hawken rifle for several years.  It is made of moose shin bone - not ivory - but the principal should be the same.  Makes a good hunting sight in poor light, but needs either a big notch rear sight, or an English B sight.

[David Rase]

Here is one where the blade is sandwiched between the sight base and the dovetail bottom.










And another with an ivory insert.

[smylee grouch]

I have made one just like the last one Dave illustrated and several with the cut in the blade filled with silver solder. Just heat,flux,tin and dress the excess off. This silver solder sight shows up quite well in poorer light and regular shooting.

[mike blair]

thanx folks.I've come up with a good size piece of old ivory and Mr.glazener gave me the idea of what to do with it besides inlays.

[sweed]

Smylee and Dave.

How about a little more info on that last photo, and maybe a photo or 2 of the process?

 I'd guess that you drill that hole prior to shaping the sight, then shape and cut??? That correct?

That's a good, "lookin sight"  with that thin contrasting line, AND it will take the abuse of a normal iron sight.

Don't hurt the "looks"  of the rifle either!! 

sweed

[blaksmth]

Mike,
I got a bunch of old keys off of a piano the thickness would be perfect to install in a sight with a line of ivory you may want to look at piano repair shop

[mike blair]

naw,i got enough ivory from what i think is the tip of a walrus tusk.but it may very well be an elephant tusk.i do know its pre-ban and i got it cheap because the prior owner was cutting thin slabs for inlays or some such thing,just like me.plus shes a good size chunk.

[Dave B]

You can rough out the section of bone or ivory that will be slightly over sized and use a cutter made from some drill rod. Drill a center hole deep enough in the middle to allow for the shaft to be cut to have extra length. File teeth into the face of the end of the  blank. This will cut the Ivory to the perfect shaft diam. you have to plug. epoxy in the material and file back to expose the portion of the ivory you want. I made this one out of cold rolled and used Kasonite to harden the cutter end. I have made smaller ones for making smaller shank sections on Ivory beads for front sights.