Dovetail jig

[Mountainman56]

Does anyone know where I can get a dovetail jig so I can cut my own sight dovetails rather than send my barrel away for someone else to do? I've checked TOTW and Brownells, not sure who else may have such a thing.

 

[rabjr]

Cains I believe,[url] http://www.cainsoutdoor.com/default.htm[/url]

 

[boar]

I think Pitchypines buddy, I think Twobellys bought one for 20.00 when he was making agun. He liked it and they posted that he didn't need to cut them that deep. If I remember right he was going at breakneck speed. This could be wrong,as might have wrong person. Dilly

 

[rabjr]

That was 82nd...

 

[jtmattison]

Here's one
Jedediah Starr

HD

 

[paulvallandigham]

Have you looked at Brownell's catalogue? There is a link to their site here.

 

[ian45662]

Is a dovetail jig better than useing a slim taper file?

 

[Birddog6]

You don't need a jig, just cut them with a hacksaw & use a modified 3 corner x-slim 8" file. I have cut several hundred of them and never needed a jig. Well, unless ya just want to buy a jig......

 

[LRB]

What Birddog6 said.

 

[George Holton]

Birddog 6 Has it right, a jig is not necessary to cut dovetails, hacksaw and a file with one flat ground smooth, or a dremel with metal cutting discs works just fine. Bob

 

[oldarmy]

The best way to cut dovetails is with a marker, hacksaw, coldchisle, and files.
Sorry, you will need a punch, just to give them that finished look, after a perfect fit :thumbsup:
It just takes some pracitce. Every traditional gunbuilding book I have seen has good details on cutting dovetails.
But worce comes to worce, Solder them in place.

 

[Mike Brooks]

What Birddog6 said.

DITTO

 

[Vaino]

For the underlugs and rear sight dovetails I use the hacksaw, chisel and safe sided triangular file and then use an upset chisel and then the file for a good fit. The raised metal is then pounded down unto the underlugs for an extremely tight fit. The raised metal at the rear sight dovetail is filed into a molding. The front sight dovetail isn't upset w/ the chisel.....Fred

 

[Mountainman56]

Okay guys thanks. A hacksaw and a file it will be. All the other muzzleloaders I have built have been factory kits or re-builds and have had the dovetails cut already. The modern rifles I build I get the rear dovetail cut and usually solder the front sight (when they have sights at all).

This will be my first build where I'm just starting with a pile of parts. I hope to get started next week when we're through with harvest. I would like to have it done for spring turkey but I think that may be pushin it.

Thanks again :hatsoff:

 

[Birddog6]

If you don't have the The Gunsmiths of Grenville County builders book, I suggest ya get it imediately. You will learn more there in a day than you will in a year on the internet & it Shows you the stuff to do....... It's an absolutely wonderful book !

 

[Old40Rod]

Just take a swig of your favorite courage lubricant and start cutting. The key is to measure carefully, go slowly and sneak up on it. I purchased some key slot underlugs for my first parts build and cut the first slot too wide for the store bought parts... no worries, I just followed Mr. Brook's tutorial and made an underlug to fit the slot. I am going that route on the TN Mt rifle I'm building.

 

[flashpanner]

Here's a simple helper that I tried that worked great for my dovetailing. I used a standard 3 square( misnomer) file. I like to call them triangular files. I make one side safe and flat by grinding off the teeth and then final smoothing on a flat sharpening stone. I use a level guide under the tang side to help me keep a flat bottom dovetail. I hacksaw CAREFULLY to 3/4 depth that is desired. I make several cuts to the needed width, remembering that the open part is narrower than the under cut. Hope pic helps

 

[reddogge]

I prefer to cut my own like the others. Don't be too hung up on level and precision. When you work slowly with hand tools you develope the skill to do this automatically and judge it with your eye and a rule while progressing through the process.