Dovetail cutter???

[G.T.]

Hi Rich, they may have been roughed out and broached to the final dimension?? If I was running production, that would be a real consideration for speed and efficiency?? And, I might add.. accuracy... It might explain some of the taper found in the original dovetail slots... I don't know for sure, but I would guess it could be so... best to all, til...lat'r...GT...

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by G.T.

Hi Rich, they may have been roughed out and broached to the final dimension?

I dunno...My broaching experience has been limited to cutting keyway slots in gears, pulleys, etc. While in a production job, I've never cut a dovetail.

We did our broaching with a 24" geared arbor press, with a hand lever, .010" at a time. I never saw a dovetail cutter until I got into gunhacking. I now have some big ones, but they're for cleaning up milling machine/lathe ways. And cutting the adjustment shims for the ways.

A tapered dovetail...I don't know if that's even possible...Is it??? You would have to stop the broach at a specific point of the broach stroke, to get the same size taper each time...And have some way to push the broach back out in the opposite direction...

Beyond my experience...

[G.T.]

Yes, beyond my experience as well... but, I think a big massive broach with the dove tail cut on the length face could be used on a very fast production scale... just too much leisure time is my excuse! .........til..lat'r...GT

[Olle]

Originally Posted by G.T.

Yes, beyond my experience as well... but, I think a big massive broach with the dove tail cut on the length face could be used on a very fast production scale... just too much leisure time is my excuse! .........til..lat'r...GT

When I was experimenting with the sight leveling tool, I realized that the size of the dovetail can vary well beyond the tolerances for a press fit. I can't remember how much of a taper I put on it (3-4/1000" in 4"?), but it was still just barely enough for the barrels I tried it on.

I'm not sure how they solved this in the factories, but one or two quick strokes with an angled file would cut a taper wide enough to start the sight blade. This is what I would do for a DIY job, and it might be what they had to do in the factories as well. Unless it's the sight blade being tapered... It's kind of difficult to measure, so I don't know for sure.