Vise for Sights

[Acer Saccharum]

This is a little mini-vise that goes between the jaws of a regular vise to hold sights by their bases.


The jaws have a dovetail cut on both sides, and the blocks are aligned with dowel pins.


this can be used in a bench vise, engraving vise, milling machine, four jaw chuck on a lathe.




I hope you like this idea.

Tom

[Don Stith]

What does it allow you to do that can't be done with the sight in the barrel?
Don

[Acer Saccharum]

Don, I got notice of your post by e-mail. I had checked the preferences to notify me if someone had posted.

Let's see, that's something I have to think about.

1)The barrel I am working on has extreme swamp, so it's difficult to pop it in and out of the vise, and to get it level and square.

2)This will allow me to hold the sight for milling, filing, engraving, etc. without risk to the barrel itself.

3) extreme angles for milling are easily attained.

I guess I could make up more reasons.

[Ken G]

My first thought was just what Don thought but I thought back and I ended up putting the last sight I made in the vise a couple of times.  pretty cool.
Ken

[Daryl]

That sight-vise is really a good idea, Tom.  Unfortunately, with sights in the barrel, the barrel suffers from back- nerve spasms jerking the file into the top flats.  The sight vise would be a VERY good idea for me. Too, it's a good place to make sights, soldering on blades, beads, etc.

[Candle Snuffer]

I like the idea, and I like the thought of being able to work a sight with such a vise.  I believe I will try my hand at making one.  Thanks for the excellent idea!

[Acer Saccharum]

I added  a screw in the center to tighten the two blocks together. Much handier.

Tom

[holzwurm]

I'd drill a hole through to hold screws of varioius diameters to engrave the heads

[ironwolf]

   I have he same thing made onto the ends of two pieces of 1/2" square stock. I can get up close to the sight without interference.
   I do like the guide pins though, very good Tom.
KW

[don getz]

Tom.....pretty ingenious.  Will have to make one.  I have been using Reeves cast brass sights that come in a strip and
a little gadget like this would make it easier to hold and get them filed to proper shape......Don       
P.S......have you given the CLA show any more thought....would be nice to have you along.

[Roger Fisher]

Nice piece of machined equipment and great in it's place for the builder that builds multiple rifles/guns per year.

We old 2 thumbs etc that manage 'maybe' one per year find that we struggle but get along with working the blade etc mostly in the barrel. i.e cleaning up the base and file work on base ends, cutting the notch, trimiming the blade top level etc etc with the help of masking and good ol duct tape to protect the barrel..

Besides my shop and it's operator is/are unable to produce such a nice item of machine work. 

I make my own rear sights as per Buchele's 'light trap' sight.  Takes about 5 hrs messing around with hacksaw, files of many styles, straight edge and a flourescent light,  small T square.    Made several out of an old pipe wrench jaw.

[smallpatch]

Acer, 

This is a nice tool.  I made mine a little simpler.  Kind of the old "primitive Pete" version.

Here's a picture.  (I hope). 

[Acer Saccharum]

Dane, that's cool. More than one way to skin a mule, they say. It's a mini- vise. Leave the end long, and you have a handle!

T

[smallpatch]

Acer,

Yeah, that's what I've done.  It's also only 1/2" bar stock, so you can get to the sides really easy. 

Put it in a vice, or had hold it.

Took about 20mins to make.

[TENdriver]

Dane,
What a neat idea from a very basic design!  I have held sights by hand, used a machinist's vise and a hand vise and not been happy with any.  This looks like something you could easily work your files in and around.

Have you used it to file a sight yet?

Any movement or twist from side to side?

Kevin H

[smallpatch]

TEN,

I've filed lots of sights with it.  The two set screws hold the sight nice and snug.
Again, the nicest part, is that it's only 1/2" wide.  Give great clearance all around for filing.

Very easy to make. 

The screws I used are kinda long.  I've since gone to a shorter Allen head cap screw.  Really works well now.

Hope that helps.

[Rick]

What angle is the dovetail filed to or doesn't it really matter?  Rick

[TENdriver]

I'll have to wait till I get back home to build it but the dovetail angle shouldn't matter with that type of clamping. 

Dane, I looked at the screws and tried to figure out how they could be made better.  I was thinking a small knurled knob but a shorter Allen head sounds much better and easier to use then the screw driver.

I'm assuming you clearanced drilled the top screw through the shorter bar?

[smallpatch]

Rick,

It's just a standard 60deg dovetail. 

Bolted them together, milled them flush on the end, and then cut the dovetail.

Ten,

Yeah, the top screw is clearanced through the short bar, and tapped into the long one.

The bottom screw is tapped in the short bar, and nothing on the longer one.  That gives an almost unlimited dovetail length.

[TENdriver]

Dane,

You "milled" yours...

I was thinking hacksaw, grinder, file and drill press with an authentic sweat brown finish. 

Sounds like I'll need to allocate a bit more time than your 20 minutes and I can stop daydreaming about the engine turned heirloom version with the brass and rosewood handle.

[lew wetzel]

dane,i made one of your vises last night at work,i used 1/4-20 allen heads though for the screws.works sweet.....thanks for the idea.

[Acer Saccharum]

If you make the dovetails in the vise the same as you make on your barrels, there will be no damage done when you grip the sights in the vise. I think most folks use 6o degrees, as triangular files and milling cutters are so standard.

[Stan]

Danes vise looks familiar! I have been making & selling them for quite a few years, have sold lots of them at Dixons!  Stan

[Rick]

What do you charge for them, Stan?  Rick

[erdillonjr]

Great idea for soldering on blades and engraving.