Dovetail depth

[frogwalking]

What is the depth of a standard 3/8 inch sight dovetail?  Thanks.

[galamb]

A note from TOTW -

"A standard 3/8" dovetail is .375" long and .062" deep. Sadly, standard sizes are rarely used in this muzzle loading sport, requiring much fitting. Enjoy it!"

[KLMoors]

I thin the bases down quite a bit, so I only have to cut a dovetail .030" deep, or so.

[David Rase]

I thin the bases down quite a bit, so I only have to cut a dovetail .030" deep, or so.

Ditto, what KLMoors says.
David

[Mark Elliott]

I cut the slots .032" deep using a stop on a hacksaw blade.   This is actually the height of the teeth on my 14ppi hacksaw blade.   I then chisel out the waste and file with a sight base file.   I consistently finish up the slot at .040" deep which works out great for using .040" thick brass sheet as the front sight base.   I use .045" thick steel sheet to make the barrel tenons.   I would never consider making a dovetail slot .062".   

[Frank]

I cut the slots .032" deep using a stop on a hacksaw blade.   This is actually the height of the teeth on my 14ppi hacksaw blade.   I then chisel out the waste and file with a sight base file.   I consistently finish up the slot at .040" deep which works out great for using .040" thick brass sheet as the front sight base.   I use .045" thick steel sheet to make the barrel tenons.   I would never consider making a dovetail slot .062".   

Could you please  explain how you use a hacksaw blade stop. I always have a problem getting consistent
depth cuts when putting in dovetails. Thanks

[frogwalking]

Thanks Graham,  I need to buy a globe sight, and their height is given as the distance from the bottom of the dovetail to the center.  I know the lowest  height of my adjustable rear sight above the straight barrel, so the only dimension missing was the height of a standard dovetail.  Now I can order the right one.

[Mark Elliott]

I cut the slots .032" deep using a stop on a hacksaw blade.   This is actually the height of the teeth on my 14ppi hacksaw blade.   I then chisel out the waste and file with a sight base file.   I consistently finish up the slot at .040" deep which works out great for using .040" thick brass sheet as the front sight base.   I use .045" thick steel sheet to make the barrel tenons.   I would never consider making a dovetail slot .062".  

Could you please  explain how you use a hacksaw blade stop. I always have a problem getting consistent
depth cuts when putting in dovetails. Thanks

I have a piece of 16 ga weldably steel about 10" long and folded in half lengthwise  about 1" - 1.5" deep.    I put 3-4 screws in it about .5" up from the flat edge to tighten it on the hacksaw blade.  You need to make sure the flat, open, edges are parallel.   Probably will need to file.  Then you just slip it over the back of the hacksaw blade leaving only .032" (usuall the depth of the teeth themselves) of the teeth exposed and tighten the screws.   It is really pretty simple.   I use a 14tpi bi-metal blade for cutting the slots.  

I just use the thickness of the stop to set the distance between cuts.   When all the cuts are made, I use a .125" flat die sinkers chisel to remove the waste.    Then it is just cleanup with the sight base file.   You use the sight base file (a parallel sided triangular file with only one cutting edge, two safe edges, that I buy from Brownells) to file in the actual 60 degree dovetails.   When you have the dovetails cut such that the sight or tenons will start to go in,  you use a cold chisel to raise the dovetails a little.    I have a cold chisel with the edge ground at such an angle that one bevel sits on the bottom of the dovetail slot and the other bevel matches the actual dovetail.    Once the sight or tenon is in place.  You use a large pin punch to punch the raised dovetail down tight.   It shouldn't take more than 15 minutes to cut a dovetail and fit a sight or tenon if you are doing it right.   The main  thing is to not file the slot too big.  

[sweed]

Thank you again Mr. Elliott

I always pay attention when I see your posts, and many of them wind up in my Howto folder.    Gona have to give you your personal chapter! 

sweed