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Author Topic: Rear site from RR spike  (Read 5627 times)

Offline Tom Currie

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Rear site from RR spike
« on: June 23, 2014, 09:56:38 PM »
Made a rear sight yesterday from whats left of an old RR spike. This is sort of a small Lehigh style sight with a vertical center section in the middle. This method provides plenty of exercise and requires soem elbow grease. I did this in about an hour.

First drilled a hole in the top and then ground it out smooth.



next made 2 vertical  cuts one of them bisecting the hole



next made 2 horizontal cuts to relieve the raised bar



after measuring twice  I cut the base to size. Also filing in some decorative grooves on each side.



turning the spike horizontal I then cut off the sight



and finally after some filing and polishing its ready to be installed



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Offline D. Taylor Sapergia

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Re: Rear site from RR spike
« Reply #1 on: June 23, 2014, 11:40:55 PM »
Nicely done.  Very satisfying, ain't it?
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D. Taylor Sapergia
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Art is not an object.  It is the excitement inspired by the object.

Offline Ed Wenger

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Re: Rear site from RR spike
« Reply #2 on: June 23, 2014, 11:48:20 PM »
Nicely done indeed, and a great tutorial!  Thanks for posting, Tom!


    Ed
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Ed Wenger

Sawatis

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Re: Rear site from RR spike
« Reply #3 on: June 24, 2014, 09:47:49 PM »
Sure makes it easier to handle that little sight when its attached to a honking slab of metal! Nice post!!
Thanks
John
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Thom

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Re: Rear site from RR spike
« Reply #4 on: June 25, 2014, 03:46:48 AM »
I like your ideas. I made my last three rear sights out of the same RR spike.

I worked for the County Surveyor in the 70's. We would walk the tracks picking up spikes to use as survey  markers. County didn't have much money for such things then. I kept a few.

Thom
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kaintuck

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Re: Rear site from RR spike
« Reply #5 on: June 25, 2014, 01:58:30 PM »
You can also get some flat bar stock.......works just as well.
Easy to clamp in the drill press, and vise.......making your own sights teaches how to use a hacksaw and files!!!!!!!
 ;D :P
Marc
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Offline Flint62Smoothie

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Re: Rear site from RR spike
« Reply #6 on: May 12, 2017, 05:59:28 AM »
Quote from: kaintuck on June 25, 2014, 01:58:30 PM
...making your own sights teaches how to use a hacksaw and files!!!!!!!
Apprentice machinists in Germany used to spend (circa 1985) their 1st year of their apprenticeship on the bench using nothing but hand tools. Some of the 'test pieces' I've seen that were needed to graduate (they term it as progressing ... ) to the next level was simply amazing!
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All of my muzzleloaders will shoot into one ragged hole ALL DAY LONG ... it's just the 2nd or 3rd & other shots that tend to open up my groups ... !

Offline Bigmon

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Re: Rear site from RR spike
« Reply #7 on: May 12, 2017, 12:10:06 PM »
Thanks for showing this, it is very helpful.
I didnt realize a RR spike would be as soft and easy to work?
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Offline Bob Roller

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Re: Rear site from RR spike
« Reply #8 on: May 12, 2017, 02:17:17 PM »
Quote from: D. Taylor Sapergia on June 23, 2014, 11:40:55 PM
Nicely done.  Very satisfying, ain't it?

It's 7;07AM as I write this and already I am tired from thinking about this job ;D
George Killen was gunsmith here and made tumblers for breech loading shotguns
from barge spikes that are a bit bigger that the track spike you used.I can see the work
you put into this sight and it looks good but to see a lock tumbler made from a square
piece of tough steel by hand is another thing altogether.

Bob Roler
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Offline P.W.Berkuta

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Re: Rear site from RR spike
« Reply #9 on: May 12, 2017, 06:22:14 PM »
Nice work -- you make it look easy - good going ;).
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Offline Acer Saccharum

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Re: Rear site from RR spike
« Reply #10 on: May 12, 2017, 09:13:34 PM »
I once made a rear sight from an anvil. It was a lot of work, but it sure was purty.
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Online oldtravler61

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Re: Rear site from RR spike
« Reply #11 on: May 13, 2017, 04:05:42 AM »
  Tom nice work. Always appreciate your gun building tips. Also thanks for showing how to make a one piece nose cap at Dixon's. Oldtravler
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Offline BOB HILL

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Re: Rear site from RR spike
« Reply #12 on: May 13, 2017, 04:14:05 PM »
Nice job, Tom. Thanks for posting. Acer that anvil didn't make your gun feel a little out of balance?     Bob
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South Carolina Lowcountry

Online Marcruger

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Re: Rear site from RR spike
« Reply #13 on: May 13, 2017, 04:24:55 PM »
"Acer that anvil didn't make your gun feel a little out of balance?" 

Hah!   Well played Bob.  I'll bet it would need a tall front sight to be able to get it on paper too.  ;-)   

Best wishes, and God Bless,   Marc
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