Dove tail Jig

[Ky Ken]

Could anyone tell me is there a dove tail jig for setting sights and tennons in the barrel?

[elk killer]

i have one,,
some one just gave it to me,,i tryed it,,
worked ok,,but its very hard steel and i wasnt sure of its affect on the files,,
its faster and easier just to cut them free hand
just my opinion

[Michigan Flinter]

 Ken I use a square to scribe two lines on the barrel  a little bit smaller than the minor width of the male dovetail ,hack saw down a bit less than the depth of the male dovetail,use a square file to cleanup the slot to proper depth and width (a depth gauge is handy to check you work), take a three corner "SAFE file"(one that has one flat"s teeth ground off) and cut in the female dovetail to finish the task. Pratice on an old barrel and you will see how simple it is to do.  Good luck.  Eric D. Lau  Riverdale Mi.

[elk killer]

forgot to add..
it only fits barrels up to 15/16ths

[Acer Saccharum]

Hacksaw, chisel, triangular file.

I make a series of shallow cuts with the hacksaw, then chip the in-between fins off with a narrow chisel, flattening the floor of the cut as I go. file the floor all smooth. I then use a heavy wide chisel with the faces ground and polished ( ground at the same angle as a the dovetail, 60 degrees) to punch the dovetails in on either side of the opening. I will use the triangular file and the punch alternately until I am satisfied with the fit and finish.

What's nice about raising the dovetail is that you can tap the lifted metal down and around the underlugs. They haint ever going nowhere when totally captured.

The next best thing is a bridgeport milling machine, but it takes a lot of time to get it set up. The above method is really quite fast and accurate.

Tom

[Jim Kibler]

Another advantage of using a chisel to raise metal at the ends of the dovetails is that the slot depth can be pretty shallow.  I have used depths as small as .020" on underlugs before with no fear of them ever coming free.

[Scott Semmel]

Ken -If this is your first go at sights and tennons I might know where your at with your question. I remember the first time I stood with an expensive barrel in my vise and a hacksaw in my hand and thinking, what are the blinkin chances of this ending well? After getting over my anxiety attack I followed the directions in Dixons book and low and behold tennons were tight and sights were straight. The first time can be a bit daunting but if you follow the guidence of the wise gentlemen above all we be well. Now it doesn't always work out right the first time, you can ask Roger F. how his first rear sight installation went. He might not tell you but Chuck Dixon will.

[Scott Semmel]

Dah- forgot to say that I find I have better control and results with a hacksaw if I put the blade in backwards so that I am cutting on the pull stroke.

[Roger Fisher]

Ken -If this is your first go at sights and tennons I might know where your at with your question. I remember the first time I stood with an expensive barrel in my vise and a hacksaw in my hand and thinking, what are the blinkin chances of this ending well? After getting over my anxiety attack I followed the directions in Dixons book and low and behold tennons were tight and sights were straight. The first time can be a bit daunting but if you follow the guidence of the wise gentlemen above all we be well. Now it doesn't always work out right the first time, you can ask Roger F. how his first rear sight installation went. He might not tell you but Chuck Dixon will.

Now, now youngster respect your elders!   That was on the rifle I have hidden away        somewhere!      Luckily it was a heavy barrel.

[Ky Ken]

Thanks to everyone for your imput.  Ken

[g.pennell]

Hey Ken, where are ya located in Kentucky?  I'm over in Pike County, maybe we can get together and work through some of this together...I have an early VA rifle in the vise right now.

Greg

[msw]

got mine from Cains, if memory serves.  The jig needed some shimming to make it fit snug, but then worked great (instructions were included and, yes, i know that 'real men' don't read the instructions, so please don't tell anyone).

the advice about using a 'safe' file is good- you should make yourself one of these clever and useful gadgets as soon as you can.

the note about having the hacksaw cut on the pull stroke is also good; turned the quality of my work from 'completely hopeless' into 'moderately clumsy but well meaning.'

[fm tim]

Wheeler Engineering used to offer one through Midway USA.

If I am not mistaken, it was designed for round barrels.

[smylee grouch]

Another aid in that job is a parallel sided safe files, not the tappered type. Brownells sells them and they work great because that is the job they were made to do. You can use the tappered style too but the parallel sided are better IMHO.    Gary

[omark]

all of the above advice is good, i would like to add 1 more thing i do. i have 2 strips of strap that i drilled a couple holes in to use screws to clamp it to the hack saw blade. the holes are drilled so that the screws also act as stops, giving a set depth so when i cut the dove tail several times to break out the remaining steel, as posted by acer, all cuts are the same depth. does this make any sense?? its getting late.  mark

[bluenoser]

Prior to my Epiphany (boy, I hope it isn't just another brain @$#%) I clamped the suitably protected barrel in the vise with the flat projecting 1/16" above the surface of the vise jaws.  I then used a hacksaw and file to cut down to the jaws and clean up the cut.  Finished up with a safe-edge file and sometimes a dovetail chisel.  It has worked well for me, but getting the barrel lined up has been a pain.

It recently occurred to me to make two flat metal bars about 1" x 1/8" x 4" in length and attach two 1/16" pads to one face of each bar.  There will be a gap of about 3/4" between the pads.  I figure I can clamp a bar, pads down, to the barrel on each side of and outboard from the dovetail, put the barrel in the vise with the pads resting on the tops of the jaws and tighten her up with the barrel standing proud by a perfect 1/16" each time.  Once in the vise, the bars could either be left in place or taken off.

The only dovetail left to do on my current build is the rear sight.  I intend to try the jig when I get around to cutting it.


Has anyone tried this or a similar setup?

Laurie

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Laurie,

Ya better show me a picture.............

Thanks

[Wyoming Mike]

I have one I picked up at Cain's.  I have used it on barrels from 3/4" to 1".  For shallow dovetails I shim it up.  For wider dovetails I move it back and forth.  Right now I'm putting in a dove tail on an old FIE plains type rifle with one of those weird slotted front sights.  I can't use it on this one and have to go about it like the others mentioned.  I do miss the jig.

Using one is not less work than hand cutting but it does line you up nice and when you are finished it looks like a machine cut dovetail.  Going free hand work alright.  It just takes more time to make sure everything lines up while you are working.

[bluenoser]

Laurie,

Ya better show me a picture.............

Thanks

Dr Tim,

I will do that,  However, since it is just in the idea stage, it will be awhile.

Laurie

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Looked at the one on Cain's site. $36.00.  Does it determine a set depth of say .050 or such??

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

IMHO, .050" is very deep.  Whey do you need to go so deep?

[bluenoser]

IMHO, .050" is very deep.  Whey do you need to go so deep?

Personally, I'd have to say because I didn't know better.  Recreating ..... and, I believe, other books recommends 1/16".  What depth do you recommend?  The same for sights and lugs?

BTW liked your tutorial pix.  Anxious to see the completed tutorial.

Laurie

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

1/16" is a good solid dovetail, especially for front and rear sights, and I've used that depth hundreds of times.  But I try for half of that in the least and then if I need to, because things haven't gone as I had intended, I can deepen to accommodate the new sight or underlug.  A depth of 1/32 - .040" is lots of holding material, and I think they are easier to cut.  On thin walled barrels, you want skinny dovetails, if you are going that route.  

1/16" deep is just fine...I guess it's just that lately I've been happier with 1/32".

[Mark Elliott]

I use Acer's method with two additions.   I made a stop the fits over the hacksaw blade, and I use a dovetail file from Brownells.  The file is safe on two sides so that you only cut one surface at a time.   The stop is just a piece of 1/16" sheet folded in half and tightened around the blade with screws.  I set the depth of cut at 1/32".   My max depth is .040" when finished.   I try to keep it as close to 1/32" as possible.  The chisel raised dovetail makes this possible.  Also, a die sinker chisel for removing the remaining material after the hacksaw cuts, really speeds things up.   

Mark E.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Another aid in that job is a parallel sided safe files, not the tappered type. Brownells sells them and they work great because that is the job they were made to do. You can use the tappered style too but the parallel sided are better IMHO.    Gary

My most effective and useful tool!!