Lug and sight dovetail help

[flintbuilder]

I have never cut a dovetail before so I had someone show me with a hack saw and straight triangular file. I did one with help but now I am on my own to cut the rest on two barrels? Does anyone have some words of advice or skill they would like to pass along?
The lug just fit into the one I cut and as I started to file it flush with the barrel flat it came loose and it slides in and out now. How can I get it to fit tight again without putting big dents in the barrel by using a center punch, or is that the only way? :hatsoff:

 

[Flint311]

Well, don't put "big dents" in the barrel, but a center punch would be the fix. Don't pound the snot out of it, but just work some metal towards the dovetail and snug it up. I had the same feelings, but it's just to work it snug. There won't be side-to-side movement once in the forearm, but still has to be relatively strong to hold the wood.

 

[Birddog6]

There are several ways to tighten it up, this is just one.

Just take a centerpunch & make a lil divit in the barrel on each side of the lug with it ON the barrel. It will move enough metal to secure if you have a halfway good fit. Once the barrel is in & pinned, really doesn't matter if the underlug can move, it can't go anywhere. I have pulled a many a barrel out & a underlug be loose. Main thing is you don't lose track of what one when into what slot, so best to punch them & go on.

Also a good idea to round off that sharp edge of the blade sticking up after you have inlet the underlug. If not, you will nick your hand on it 40-11 times during the build & quite aggravating, just take a file & lightly round the very tip to keep it from cutting in. This one is filed a lil heavy, as it was close to a RR pipe lug inlet & I wanted minimal wood removed for the underlug because the pipe was close to it, didn't want to catch a edge of the inlet & tear out a sliver, etc.

Keith Lisle

 

[MSW]

What Flint311 said ... you don't have to beat on it too terribly hard.

When i was figuring out the dovetail thing, the hardest part was cutting the channel too deep, which messes up the geometry. if you can avoid that, just get into the habit of 'sneaking up on it;' fit and file and as you'll approach the point where the dovetail is getting big enough so that the lug will slide in tight and be centered. I tap them in and i still do 'stake' the lugs - it's probably not necessary, but it's one less thing to work loose down the road.

Same deal with sights, but be more subtle, if that's the right word. Of course, don't stake the sights until you've got the load worked up and the rifle shoots where you want - put a small scratch as a witness mark, so you can see where you've moved the sight, and you can return it to the start point if you need to.

one guy's free advice, and no doubt worth every penny.

 

[Birddog6]

Cut the slots to the marks, angle the blade & then cut the center parts out, then file, then take the "safe file" and file your angles in each side. MAKING SURE you do not make the slots too wide, thus check it many times while filing.

Fit it in, stake it, file off the edges, done. Go to the next one. Some don't take off the edge of the underlug sticking out, I do cause it is less to inlet & less wood taken out. The more you take out of the forestock barrel inlet, the weaker the forestock gets in these areas you inlet.

First 4 underlugs I did took me an hour per underlug to do them. Having done hundreds of them now, I do 4 underlugs finished in 20 min. So you will get better & faster as you progress in gun building.

:thumbsup:

Keith Lisle

 

[ohio ramrod]

For under lugs which won't show there are two simple methods. 1. "Tin " a thin layer of solder on the base of the lug to build it up and file until you get a tight fit. 2. cut a thin shim (beer cans cut nicely ) and place it under the lug.

 

[flintbuilder]

Thanks guys
That is what I figured youwould do with pinning them in but I guess I was worried about going to far and making big dents. I just cut in three of them and now I have to g buy a triangular file and smooth off one side. Does anyone have advice where to get a good one, straight not tapered? And any advice on how to smooth off the one side?

 

[Birddog6]

Last ones I got were from Fastenal. Also saw them at one of the Lowes I go to as well. You want a Ultra-Slim & I bought 4 of them cause the Ultra-slim is hard to find at times. Sand one side smooth on a belt sander.

Keith Lisle

 

[Bill Hall]

I ran into a problem with a loose fit one time when I changed rear sights. I installed the loose sight, then got a flat peice of steel and hammered it against the overhanging parts of the dovetail. Worked great as it customized the fit right in place.

For a unseen lug that never needs to drift or be removed, I like that punch method of Birddog's. That thing will never move. Bill

 

[Vaino]

The bbl lugs and rear sight dovetails all have raised steel on both sides using a dovetail chisel. The bbl lug is fitted and the raised steel is pounded down for a very tight fit and then filed smooth. The raised steel on either side of the rear sight is filed into a molding and the sight is fitted by file. The bbl lug and rear sight dovetails are .035 deep but the raised moldings at the rear sight make for an effective depth of .060-.070. The dovetail depth for the front sight is .050 and the fit is by file only.....Fred