cutting dovetails?

[urgle the danish cow]

i want to put sights on a long term project that is being machined out of aluminuim but how do i make the rails? im not 100% sure on how to cut it. could someone explain? what dove tail tool do i need(idk if there are different types). thanks sorry i didnt know where to post this

[Gippeto]

Do you want "dovetails"...which are typically 3/8" (11mm) wide...some are larger (CZ) as no "standard" truly exists...or Weaver/Picatinny (not quite the same...but close)?

http://www.google.ca/search?tbm=isch&hl ... l0.4.3l7l0

http://www.biggerhammer.net/picatinny/1913_specs.pdf

I've used a HSS dovetail router bit to cut grooves in steel recievers. Router bits work REAL well on aluminum. Not truly the "proper" angle, but it works well none the less.

[urgle the danish cow]

so 11mm wide will fit a scope? and you seemed to imply that there was a better way of mounting a sight. is there?

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

Just buy some pre-made rails and bolt them on

[Zeus]

I concur with JSR and Gippeto, Picatinny rails are the way to go, 11mm rails aren't the simplest option, just tap the receiver and bolt the rails on.

A lot more "tacticool" items are for Picatinny rails, and I daresay you might want tacticool later on.

Although tacticool is fun, f*** Magpul

[Gippeto]

so 11mm wide will fit a scope? and you seemed to imply that there was a better way of mounting a sight. is there?

If you purchase scope rings that are for a "dovetail", they'll fit a dovetail cut to match. CZ makes rings for their stuff...believe it's actually 13mm.

Picatinny is wider, and would seem to be more stable. As Jack suggests, you can buy ready made picatinny rail that simply bolts on any flat surface. If needed, a radius can be machined on the underside of the rail to match the curvature of the receiver.

Ebay is a convenient source of this stuff.

I quite prefer Weaver/Picatinny over "dovetail" if it's an available option.

[urgle the danish cow]

alright well for one of my projects i know that that will work. but the other one i was planning on milling the dovetails right onto the think steel air chamber. to do this with the pre made rails would i drill and tap holes for the rails bolts to screw into the air chamber. what would be the best way to seal those threads? teflon tape? i want better seals then that so would i have to epoxy or would it be possible to solder the screws into the steel chamber?

[Gippeto]

You should not do such things to a pressure vessel IMNSHO.

Perhaps consider something along these lines to mount the rail.