Anyone here have experience in making their own sights? Tutorials? Advice?
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Sight fabrication.
- Thread starter pooch156
- Start date
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Well yeah sorta.
Grab a chunk of metal and remove the bits that don't belong.
Make front sights high and back sights narrow then file to shape.
Back sights are best to slope slightly so the back is in shadow.
Have a look at examples to see what was around if that is important.
What are you looking at doing?
That's about all I can think of.
Grab a chunk of metal and remove the bits that don't belong.
Make front sights high and back sights narrow then file to shape.
Back sights are best to slope slightly so the back is in shadow.
Have a look at examples to see what was around if that is important.
What are you looking at doing?
That's about all I can think of.
Well yeah sorta.
Grab a chunk of metal and remove the bits that don't belong.
Make front sights high and back sights narrow then file to shape.
Back sights are best to slope slightly so the back is in shadow.
Have a look at examples to see what was around if that is important.
What are you looking at doing?
That's about all I can think of.
[/QUOTE]
Bought a rear sight for my J. Armstrong build and the notch was visibly off center. Not buying another. The base of the front I ordered was thinner on one side than the other side. In both cases I couldn't change what was there. Ugh! Finishing parts is not a problem for me but I'm not going to reorder & take the chance of getting the same thing again. I would rather just make my own. Just looking for tips, advice or maybe a video tutorial.[/QUOTE]
Grab a chunk of metal and remove the bits that don't belong.
Make front sights high and back sights narrow then file to shape.
Back sights are best to slope slightly so the back is in shadow.
Have a look at examples to see what was around if that is important.
What are you looking at doing?
That's about all I can think of.
[/QUOTE]
Bought a rear sight for my J. Armstrong build and the notch was visibly off center. Not buying another. The base of the front I ordered was thinner on one side than the other side. In both cases I couldn't change what was there. Ugh! Finishing parts is not a problem for me but I'm not going to reorder & take the chance of getting the same thing again. I would rather just make my own. Just looking for tips, advice or maybe a video tutorial.[/QUOTE]
Pooch.......... Slot off center? Solder a slice of steel to the rear of the sight , then take a Dremel type tool and a 3/16 " stone and grind the front of the sight with a slight bowl equally across the old slot until old slot is gone. Then file a new slot in the center. ..........oldwood
Ajgall
40 Cal
I’ve made several rear sights out of angle. If you go slow and be careful it’s not hard to make an effective simple rear sight. I’ve played with folded metal front sights and they can be tricky to get a good height too. I like to solder a thin strip of brass in the center.
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Good advice for sure! Thank you. But . . . As I don't mind doing the necessary finishing of a sight, I do mind having to have to refabricate one. If I'm going to do that, I might as well make my own from the ground up. I found a video tutorial on youtube that's pretty informative. I'll try to post it.
Angle works well for rear sights, I had never made one so I started cutting and filing, it came out OK but took a couple of days. I made things up as I forged ahead, didn't really know what I was doing, my next one was much easier.
I usually purchase three or four of different styles of front and rear sights and go from there. If I need something that is not the standard style being sold then I make my own front or rear sight. Most of the "how to books" show you how to make them and as you have discovered YouTube is your friend here. By the way Eric did a fine job on his sight - I would have tilted it to the rear a bit to eliminate any possibility of glare on the back of the sight 
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Nice job!
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They are easy to make: Chunk of metal, vice, hacksaw, files, dremel is handy for back cutting the concave at the rear sight slot. Solder and heat source for front sight.
The video I found on YouTube is under "Homemade History" It will be the Long Rifle Build Lancaster county. Pt. 40. I enjoyed it a lot.
All of you builders always come through when help is needed! Thank you all!
bldtrailer
Pilgrim
That guy is pretty amazing. Makes it all look so easy
I like the brass/steel lamination!
Started whittling on a chunk of steel for my rear sight today. Made the 60° bevel on the front for the dovetail. I'll have to file in the 60° dovetail on the rear yet. Made sure to lean the blade portion back about 30°. A lot of metal to be removed yet.
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rafterob
62 Cal.
Love it! When I was a young Chef learning to carve ice the best advice I ever got was from a wise older Asian Chef. "You want to carve an Eagle? Cut away all the ice that doesn't look like an eagle" It's a change of mindset. I was always trying to do it from a real technical approach. Had to switch to an artistic approach.
rafterob
62 Cal.
Just file a V notch in the top of that and you're ready to go!
Not quite yet! LOL!
