Mark, I absolutely loved this video. What seems like, about a gazillion years ago, I took a machine shop class in junior college. Fell in love with the exactness of what could be created with all those machines. Took that knowledge and experiences & applied them to a 40 year career as a furniture designer. Folks would often comment, my wood furniture looked like it had been built by a machinist. Hah, maybe an amateur machinist :) Thanks for a little trip down machine shop memory lane.
I've done it by hand for almost 60 years My first was a Kentucky rifle from Dixie when I was fifteen. Since then, Hawkens, Jagers, and Pennsylvanias. It helps to fine tune the corners with a jeweler's saw. You have to be careful, but the old timers were.
Great Info Mark I Would If Possible Love to See The Complete Set Up Of The Milling Machine or Lathe In A Future Video as Machining Is of Great Interest Too Me 😀😊😀 Thanks For Your Awesome Tips 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Always love your videos. I don’t run my dovetail cutters anywhere near as high of RPMs as it sound’s like you were running yours they will last longer at 450 to 500 RPMs just a suggestion. Thanks for the video I just love your videos. My long time mentor on Winchester lever actions just passed away he will be sorely missed by me. So you are going to have to be my number 1 mentor now. Keep them coming.
Love this video. Have an old burnt out 7MM Mauser I traded for rebarreled, haven't decided what caliber just yet. The factory that makes the custom barrels doesn't cut dovetails or grooves for Iron Sights. This will defintely come in handy
I don't know if you know of or have seen Mike Bellevue but on his channel he had a series of videos showing him put together one of his muzzleloaders and he showed himself putting his dovetail in by hand so if yours was that hard I can only imagine how hard it was for Mike. If you haven't seen that maybe you should try and find it and watch how he does it by hand. We got the tools we should use them and you surely do have the tool to do that. Thank you so much for this it was very interesting. I don't do Gunsmithing but I really do like to watch it. Thanks again for the video. Keep ye powder dry!
One little tip. Make sure the new barrel is indexed and TIGHT in the receiver. I learned this the hard way. I cut all the dove tails upper and lower on a 94. While test firing fit and function the barrel shot loose. It had not been properly tightened by the owner. I had to set everything back one revolution then rent a chamber reamer to re cut the chamber etc... Was a real can of worms.
Did a lot of work with a Bridgeport Mill, and could see just what and how you were doing that, but it's still a tricky operation. With your setup it's no doubt more doable. Indicators and all.
There is a fairly inexpensive tool you might want to try on your mill. Its called a cool mist by noga. There are cheaper clones as well. Its just a attachment you put on your spindle head. It comes with a tank for coolant. Then you hook up compressed air. It sprays the coolant on the cutting tool and the piece. You can adjust the amount of air or coolant you mist out. It really has helped make my end mills and cutters last much longer. being it keeps the tool cooler. It makes cuts more accurate by keeping the expansion of The metal down.
Excellent video. One question…seeing that sight dimensions vary with manufacturer, why wouldn’t you cut the dovetails to exactly 3/8” and then work the sight to make it fit rather than cutting the dovetail oversized? Just curious.
Very educational. Thank you. I'm early in learning machining and how to do relatively simple work on firearms. Why didn't you mill over over the center of the vise? I notice you cut with a climbing spin on the tool so I ask becasue it sounded like a lot of chatter while milling. That and please forgive I'm still learning. I thought dovetails and pins are always installed left to right from the butt end persepctive. Humbly...seeking to learn, I'm in no place with my knowledge to be critical. p.s. just discovered your channel...the P&W 1860 boring machine and also watch the stuck screw removal video.🤓👍
This video makes me hungry to be elbow deep into this work. Could you address and elaborate on Winchester saddle ring carbine front sight bases? I've got 2 that because of muzzle damage from rust and cleaning rod wear are needing either a counter bore or a barrel shortening to trapper configuration. If shortened, the front sight base is a huge question.
Most of those pinned front sight bases were soldered on. They can be heated to melt the solder and then reused by having them soldered back on the shortened barrel. Good luck!
@@thecinnabar8442 Thank you so much. I had heard that those sight bases were actually milled from the barrel stock. I couldn't tell by looking if there was a dove tail there or not and couldn't see the signs of soldering. Eyes not adequately trained to read what was there. But the story of them being part of the barrel didn't make sense from a machining difficulty and indexing stand point. So were the sight bases soldered in before or after bluing?
Some were milled, but the vast majority of them were soldered on. Winchester was very good at installing these and it's very hard to see which one's were soldered and which one's were milled.
A very useful video. Just to bad I don't have the eyesight to accomplish this anymore. As I have a special plan for my own personal Walker. Along with it's new addition still in a box. Something this ol mountain man G.S. thinks would be a proper 1850's fix. Curiosity killed the cat? A mutual contact knows my answer.
I had asked you a question in a former video I was just wondering if you would know where to can find a butt stock for a 1894 marlin 44 magnum Born in 1980
![[Full] 4 ต่อ 4 Celebrity EP.920 | 3 พ.ย. 67 | one31](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/KwiW2M_kAg4/mqdefault.jpg)
Great video. Surprised you didn't get more chatter with that much hanging out of the vise
Mark, I absolutely loved this video. What seems like, about a gazillion years ago, I took a machine shop class in junior college. Fell in love with the exactness of what could be created with all those machines. Took that knowledge and experiences & applied them to a 40 year career as a furniture designer. Folks would often comment, my wood furniture looked like it had been built by a machinist. Hah, maybe an amateur machinist :) Thanks for a little trip down machine shop memory lane.
Hahaha I was coming to comment you sounded alot like Larry potterfield at the end then you said that’s the way it is! Lol
Haha! I get a kick out of Larry's videos. It's like watching Mr. Rogers - if he was a gunsmith.
@@thecinnabar8442 Yup noticed that too.
I've done it by hand for almost 60 years My first was a Kentucky rifle from Dixie when I was fifteen. Since then, Hawkens, Jagers, and Pennsylvanias. It helps to fine tune the corners with a jeweler's saw.
You have to be careful, but the old timers were.
I built a Hawken kit one time. Probably just buy a completed gun next time.
Cheers for the video, always great to watch a skilled craftsman at work.
Darn it Mark I thought you were going to show us how to do this with a die grinder and a file. LOL! Great video as always.
Sorry, I don't have those kinds of skills. 😃
It's just very slow. I built a muzzleloader kit one time with hand tools.
Great Info Mark I Would If Possible Love to See The Complete Set Up Of The Milling Machine or Lathe In A Future Video as Machining Is of Great Interest Too Me 😀😊😀 Thanks For Your Awesome Tips 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I always wondered what tthe proper depth was, Thanks for the video keep on keeping on.
I really enjoyed this machining tutorial! And I did learn something! Thanks for the video!
Always love your videos. I don’t run my dovetail cutters anywhere near as high of RPMs as it sound’s like you were running yours they will last longer at 450 to 500 RPMs just a suggestion. Thanks for the video I just love your videos. My long time mentor on Winchester lever actions just passed away he will be sorely missed by me. So you are going to have to be my number 1 mentor now. Keep them coming.
Slow and easy with a lot of skill and the proper tools give great results. Interestning
Love this video. Have an old burnt out 7MM Mauser I traded for rebarreled, haven't decided what caliber just yet. The factory that makes the custom barrels doesn't cut dovetails or grooves for Iron Sights. This will defintely come in handy
Hey Mark, you nailed it. Nice job!
Always fun to watch machining in progress. Thanks.
“And that’s the way it is,” We may have to nickname you Mark Potterfield!😁
I don't know if you know of or have seen Mike Bellevue but on his channel he had a series of videos showing him put together one of his muzzleloaders and he showed himself putting his dovetail in by hand so if yours was that hard I can only imagine how hard it was for Mike. If you haven't seen that maybe you should try and find it and watch how he does it by hand. We got the tools we should use them and you surely do have the tool to do that. Thank you so much for this it was very interesting. I don't do Gunsmithing but I really do like to watch it. Thanks again for the video. Keep ye powder dry!
You do absolutely amazing work
One little tip. Make sure the new barrel is indexed and TIGHT in the receiver. I learned this the hard way. I cut all the dove tails upper and lower on a 94. While test firing fit and function the barrel shot loose. It had not been properly tightened by the owner. I had to set everything back one revolution then rent a chamber reamer to re cut the chamber etc... Was a real can of worms.
Did a lot of work with a Bridgeport Mill, and could see just what and how you were doing that, but it's still a tricky operation. With your setup it's no doubt more doable. Indicators and all.
There is a fairly inexpensive tool you might want to try on your mill. Its called a cool mist by noga. There are cheaper clones as well. Its just a attachment you put on your spindle head. It comes with a tank for coolant. Then you hook up compressed air. It sprays the coolant on the cutting tool and the piece. You can adjust the amount of air or coolant you mist out. It really has helped make my end mills and cutters last much longer. being it keeps the tool cooler. It makes cuts more accurate by keeping the expansion of The metal down.
Excellent video. One question…seeing that sight dimensions vary with manufacturer, why wouldn’t you cut the dovetails to exactly 3/8” and then work the sight to make it fit rather than cutting the dovetail oversized? Just curious.
Very educational. Thank you. I'm early in learning machining and how to do relatively simple work on firearms. Why didn't you mill over over the center of the vise? I notice you cut with a climbing spin on the tool so I ask becasue it sounded like a lot of chatter while milling. That and please forgive I'm still learning. I thought dovetails and pins are always installed left to right from the butt end persepctive. Humbly...seeking to learn, I'm in no place with my knowledge to be critical.
p.s. just discovered your channel...the P&W 1860 boring machine and also watch the stuck screw removal video.🤓👍
Seen my dad cut a dovetail in with a hacksaw and a file
Going slowly is sometimes the fastest path toward a good, positive ending.
Good lesson thanks.
Great channel. Curious what model lathe you have in your shop. Looks like a Grizzly. Getting ready to purchase one.
Thanks mark!
Cool content be safe
How about showing us how hand cutting dovetails ?? I remember Midways house gunsmith brand used to have a jig for doing it.
This video makes me hungry to be elbow deep into this work. Could you address and elaborate on Winchester saddle ring carbine front sight bases? I've got 2 that because of muzzle damage from rust and cleaning rod wear are needing either a counter bore or a barrel shortening to trapper configuration. If shortened, the front sight base is a huge question.
Most of those pinned front sight bases were soldered on. They can be heated to melt the solder and then reused by having them soldered back on the shortened barrel. Good luck!
@@thecinnabar8442 Thank you so much. I had heard that those sight bases were actually milled from the barrel stock. I couldn't tell by looking if there was a dove tail there or not and couldn't see the signs of soldering. Eyes not adequately trained to read what was there. But the story of them being part of the barrel didn't make sense from a machining difficulty and indexing stand point. So were the sight bases soldered in before or after bluing?
Some were milled, but the vast majority of them were soldered on. Winchester was very good at installing these and it's very hard to see which one's were soldered and which one's were milled.
A very useful video. Just to bad I don't have the eyesight to accomplish this anymore. As I have a special plan for my own personal Walker. Along with it's new addition still in a box. Something this ol mountain man G.S. thinks would be a proper 1850's fix. Curiosity killed the cat? A mutual contact knows my answer.
It's always been my understanding that Winshester rear sight and magazine hangers dove tails are cut so thay are turned in rather than drifted in.
Only the mag tube hanger is dovetailed in to be installed with a quarter turn. The sights drift in from the right side of the barrel to the left.
how is a ramp sight attached , ive never paid attention to it, ive only ever looked at dovetails
Most are soldered in place. In rare cases, they are machined on the barrel.
I've cut them by hand.
🙂👍☕
Lol 😂 yeah you probably shouldn’t use a hand drill for that operation.
I had asked you a question in a former video I was just wondering if you would know where to can find a butt stock for a 1894 marlin 44 magnum Born in 1980
Sorry, I don't
@@thecinnabar8442 I used to buy parts for older firearms from Numrich (sp ?). I don't know if they're still in business though.