cutting square sided slots in metal?

[hansg/Ups]

Without having a milling machine,how does one cut a square slot in metal?
I have several immediate projects:slotting a knife guard,sheath throat, and pommel;wedge plate[for muzzleloader].
I'll be using:carbon steel,stainless steel,brass.
Thanks for the help.

[quickdtoo]

A file works fine if its the full width of the material, I've cut dovetails for sights on octagon muzzleloader barrels.

Tim

[trotterlg]

If you have a drill press you can do some very basic milling if you buy a little cross slide table that clamps to the press.  You have to go slow, but it will do the work of a very cheap milling machine.  Larry

http://www.harborfreight.com/5-inch-drill-press-milling-vise-94276.html

[Nobade]

Grind a safe edge on a square file and have at it.

[Frank46]

I have a bunch of files of all shapes, sizes and cuts. Don't have a milling machine. Over the years have modified files to do many jobs. Safe edges for cutting sight slots, knife handle hand guards, and a bunch of stuff when I worked on gunstocks. For what they cost today I probably could buy a small milling machine. They don't call files the "Norwegian milling machine" for nothing. Frank

[DDelle338]

  I like the Dremel Tool. Then clean it up with a file.

[Flint]

If you're talking about square corners, you need a broach, which is a square tool with steps cut to cut increasingly larger as it is pushed through.  We used to use a milling machine to cut the square holes for the Colt 1911 front sight.  Leave the machine turned off, using it (or a drillpress) as an arbor press, not a spinning cutter.  Just keep the spindle oriented to the direction you want the sides to face.  If the spindle can be locked from rotating, all the better..