safe file for dovetails

[bubba.50]

if I had a grinder I could easily make my own from a three dollar triangle file but I don't so, anybody know where to get a safe file for filin' dovetails without payin' Brownells 40 bucks for one?

 

[Black Hand]

Do you have a belt-sander? Use a 40 or 80 grit belt with a dip in water to keep the heat down.

 

[Zonie]

Do you have a whet stone for sharpening knives?

How about a brick? Or a slab of concrete like a sidewalk or driveway?

Using any of these things to dull the teeth on one face of a 3 corner file will do the job. It will just take a bit longer.

Although removing most of the tooth is the best and safest way to kill the file face, just removing the sharp cutting edges on the teeth will do the job.

To find out how 'safe' the face is, after rubbing it on the stone, brick or concrete, try filing a piece of mild steel with it.
If the face doesn't remove any of the steel, you've got what you need.

Because the side with the dulled teeth won't look like it would if you had ground off all of the teeth with a grinder, put a small touch of a bright colored enamel paint on the surface where the teeth end and the tang for the handle begins.

Just remember to put that face against the steel you don't want to cut before you start using the still sharp edges to cut your dovetails.

 

[bubba.50]

don't have a belt sander either but, thanks for the tip.

 

[bubba.50]

when I was younger, I made a dagger out of an old file on a big shop grinder. polished the grinder marks smooth with a whetrock. talk about a slow go! but I don't guess it would take that much just to knock one side off a small triangle file so, if nothin' else turns up might be the way to go. thanks.

 

[MSW]

if you have a bit of thick glass and some wet/dry sandpaper, you can make a DITY whetstone, and (depending on the grit of the sandpaper) you can take down one side of the triangle in no time.

good luck with your project!

 

[Micah Clark]

I bet you could buy a grinder at Harbor Freight for half of what Brownells wants for that $40 file.

 

[Swamp Rat]

Got a drill? http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=22950156

 

[Vaino]

Took a quality triangular file, taper and all and slid it across the face of a bench grinding wheel which produced a slight hollow ground surface.....of course, there were a few dunks into water. Have cut 100s of dovetails w/ it w/o a problem. You must know somebody who has a bench grinder?.....Fred

 

[bubba.50]

I'm sure I can make a serviceable one either by hand usin' some variation on zonie's theme or with one of the drill grind stones. but, since I have a flat file & a square file with factory safe sides/edges I was hopin' maybe someone besides Brownells with their high-dollar offerin' made a triangular safe file.

thanks all for the help, bubba..

 

[Pete G]

If you are going to do very much work with it, the Brownell's file is worth every penny and then some.

 

[coloradoclyde]

It's good to have tools....But if you don't, it is even better to have friends that do...

 

[bubba.50]

yeh, I used to have friends like that. only trouble is, most of'em moved away somewhere and somehow or other I managed to outlive the rest. about the only gun tinkerin' buddy I got left borrows MY stuff :surrender: :rotf: .


thanks all for the replies & help.

 

[ZUG]

The Brownells dovetail file is high quality and will cut better and last longer than a "hardware or big box store" file that are made in China or Mexico and only cased hardened -- you get what you pay for. That being said I buy about 5 of the "cheap" files and grind my own but if you don't have the equipment then you will have to buy the dovetail file already made :v .
To do a GOOD and DECENT dovetail by hand you need skill and a GOOD dovetail file. Creating one using a brick or concrete block is asking for failure and using a rotary drum sander is also questionable if you don't have the hand-eye coordination. Using a bench stone will work but it will take hours. Think of all the time you will spend on “futzing” with TRYING to make a dovetail file and end up with??? ”“ You will soon see that that original Brownells dovetail file at $40 is a bargain :wink: :wink:

 

[Vaino]

The bbl lug and rear sight dovetails are mainly done w/ a hacksaw, chisel, narrow straight double cut file, an upsetting chisel and the triangular file.

Once the chisel is used to upset the metal, the triangular file is used for fitting. For the bbl lugs, the raised steel is peened down onto the bbl lugs for a very tight fit.

The raised metal at both sides of the dovetail for the rear sight is filed into a molding after the fitting is done w/ the triangular file.

The front sight dovetail after hacksawing and chiseling out the narrow strips between the saw cuts, is mainly done w/ the triangular file......Fred

 

[bubba.50]

interestin' info & I thanks ya for it but, not really interested in that type dovetails. mostly would like to be able to put a dovetail in an occasional shortened pistol or rifle barrel and to be able to enlarge the dovetail when changin'/replacin' front sights on T/C rifles. they evidently used a hydraulic press for installin'em because you can't even get the same sight back in the dovetail if ya remove it to refinish the barrel or somethin'.

again, thanks & have a good'en, bubba :hatsoff: .

 

[Pete G]

Not all dovetails are cut square; some have a slight taper. Traditionally ML dovetailed parts go in the same way as the lock bolts, from left to right. Modern dovetails such as Winchester, etc. are the opposite. I don't know for sure, but I think that transition occurred about the time of metallic cartridges.

 

[bubba.50]

if you ever remove the front sight from a T/C Hawken or Renegade then try to re-install it in the same barrel you'll understand my statement completely. I've actually bent pretty heavy duty punches tryin' to get them out. and put some hickeys on barrels tryin' to re-install them without openin' the dovetail up first.