makin some grips...

[gottripletsNC]

Ok, everyone buys grips, and some nice ones that I've seen, but none have I seen that I like yet...

So, seein as I piddle with the woodshop a little...I am goin to make my own.

Question I have is, I saw somewhere on the net for a set of plans/drawings of grips to follow for making grips, now I can't find them. I could make them blind, but would be tough to get the dimension right without cutting, fitting, recutting, refitting etc.

I have been known to do that before on other projects, just takes forever.

Anyone know where those plans or that sight is, or does anyone have it themselves?

My SA has been refinished in Matte Black Gun-Kote, and was thinking of black walnut for the grips, or black cherry, I have scrap in both and would look good on matte black I think.

[jsinon]

Try 1911pistolgrips.com, you'll find complete instructions as well as grips for sale. I got all the info that I needed to make my own, although very nice, there was no way I was going to pay $100 for a set of grips. Considering how much work is involved I would consider the prices he gets fair though. Plan on 3-5 hours or more to complete one set. Even with the instructions plan on doing ALOT of fitting and refitting. I can email you some pics of some that I made to give you some ideas and motivation if you would like. I also sell a few sets here and there, but it sound like you are like me and more interested in making your own. Good luck.

[John]

You see the difference between boys and girls here? This guy has three girls, and he still has time to make his own grips. I have only two boys, and I have to try hard to find time to read the posts here!

LoL

[gottripletsNC]

Ya but mine go to bed at 1900 so then I have a couple of hours to do some work, but that is only a few hours. I'm sure those days are quickly coming to an end....

As I'm sure you know there el commandante

[John]

19:00???

That explains everything. My two monsters used to go to bed around 20:00, of course they didn't actually sleep until 21:00 or 21:30. Lately, they do not go to bed until 22:00 and sleep around 23:30. In the morning, they are "rise and shine" at around 07:30!

Then at noon, they used to sleep at around 15:00, now, some times they just don't feel like sleeping at all.

But we have hijacked the thread, apologies folks.

Rgds

[bearandoldman]

Ma and I raised 2 boys and 3 girls and went through all the thigs you have and aqllthe things ahead of you yet. Our youngest turned 40 this year and the oldest 46. Remember this old saying "A son is a son untuil he takes a wife, a daughter is a daughter all of your life, Gottriplets I know your daughters are like 18 months, just think when they are 16 and want to go out with some boy and you think about when you were young and tell them they can not date until they are 30 cause you can remember yourself when you were that age. Have great day guys.

[John]

OK, I just checked, it was gottriplets who started this thread, so he can't complain that we hijacked it.

Old Man, you should have been with us, when we had that first ultra-sound and were told my wife carried two boys. My wife said that I had the saddest expression she had ever seen me with, on my face. I wanted a girl, but as we say in Greece, "I am happy as long as they were both healthy".

Kind regards gentlemen and may you all have a good night. Time to go to bed.

[bearandoldman]

He's got triplets, you have twins, our youngest daughter has 3 sons wit the same birthday Nov 18th and they are not triplets, the twins were 2 and her oldest was 3. Now ain't that a unique situation.

[gottripletsNC]

hijackin my own thread....

John, I'll go ya one even better on the ultrasound, when we got our first ultrasound, the doc started counting 1,2,3...1,2.....WHOA, you started over right doc?

Uh...No was his reply...

I had a sudden fluttering in my chest, and my wallet went into cardiac arrest. Two weeks later we went back and only 3 remained, doc said the others were fluid sacs with no babies...

My heart lightened...just a little... and my wallet coughed back to life albeit, it still hiccups ever now and then...

wouldn't change a thing tho...

back to the thread, the 1911pistolgrips had no plans, any other suggestions? and suggestions on wood color to go with an all matte black gun...

thanks guys...

[bearandoldman]

Damn you might have been the first father lost in the doctors office, good thing you didnt go into cardiac arrest. You must have a ggod heart!!!!!!!!!!!!!1in more ways thatn one.

[jester_s1]

I think fully checkered cocobolo looks the best. Desert ironwood is nice too if you don't care for the red/black look.

[gottripletsNC]

Ok thanks, I do like the Cocobolo wood too, just not sure how it would look on a fully black gun...

[bearandoldman]

Should look good mist 1911's with wood grips are cocobolo. They look good on my green gun, bought them from Aleko alng with some Wilson mags. http://www.geocities.com/oldman1727/SALoadedMicro.jpg

[gottripletsNC]

Those do look good, especially on that parked finish...
might go with that on my Black one, gotta play I guess, make some different until I get what I want, sell the rest, already got some Black walnut, Black cherry, Mahogany, and swirled Maple scraps, the swirled Maple with a dark cherry stain would be awesome, think thats what I decided to go with. Will let ya know how they come out...
Thanks oldman for the pic, helped me out a lot to see a set of cocobolo

[PDshooter]

Yep ! I'm thinking about taking a wood shop class. And I know what I'll try to make.
How many of you folkes have made 1911 grips before ?

[John]

As far as I am concerned, Esmeralda keeps me very happy (grip-wise only, unfortunatelly), and since my wood-working talents are non-existant, I am happy that way.

Nice girl!

Rgds

[PaulX608]

Personally, I like contrasting grips. As in dark wood on nickel or chrome, light wood or other material on dark finishes, which I why I chose these:
http://hometown.aol.com/paulx608/images/condition1.jpg
They're pewter, and the other side says "defend second amendment"

[Defender of Liberty]

I have some nice walnut that I removed from a broken Sauer stock that I hope to fashion into grips. I also have some beautiful pink fossilized coral that I would like to someday cut into slabs, then fashion into grips. I have seen some smaller pieces made into jewelry, and it is very attractive. Unfortunately it is really hard, and I haven't figured out yet how to cut it.

[gottripletsNC]

might would try a ceramic tile cutter on the coral, mite eat up a wheel or two, but that seems to me to be the best, and use lots of water when you cut, I think you would be ok. That would be awesome on a nickel plate or chrome with a low gloss/satin finish over the coral.

would try a scrap piece before tryin to cut a good piece

[jester_s1]

If there is a gem and mineral club in your area, I'll bet there is at least one member who has a diamond saw who could slab it up for you. Might even do it in exchange for some of the material.

[TrooperAllen469]

have you considered DuPont Corian as a grip material? It is tough, relatively easy to work, and engraves well. The best thing is, your local cabinet shop will give you scrap for free, just for you to haul it off. Try some Corian, you won't regret it.
As far as dimensions, I usually just trace off factory grips, using a cabinet makers center punch for grip screw dimensions. I just leave a little extra at front strap and backstrap area to make distinctive curves around mag release, cover hammer/sear pins on right side etc.

[dakota1911]

I am with John. I buy my grips. Not that I didn't try once from the walnut of an old riflestock. First I tried making grips for my Ruger Blackhawk. I ended up throwing those out. Next I tried making grips for a WWII surplus 1911 I had using the crummy looking existing grips as patterns. They came out great and were on the pistol when I traded it off, but if I had charged $100 for them I would have made about 25 cents and hour I think.

I am one of those people that in 7th grade wood shop I shared a bench with a buddy of mine. We both got A's but on a given project, like a cedar box, you would want to buy his although mine was technically perfect, and he would build two in the time I made one; one for his girlfriend and one for his Mum. Mine I would give to my Mum. In my defense the next year in metalshop the situation was reversed, and he went on to take more woodshop courses and I more metalshop courses. A nice end to the story is he wound up a cabinet maker and I a gunsmith. Nope, he's an airline pilot and I work in the computer world, but you could guess what our hobbies are and be right.

[Big Lip]

Trooper Allen 469
I just purchased some very cheap grips Via Ebay. ($15.50 includeing shipping) I was told they weren't cheap poly material didn't really care at that price (bought them because I liked the looks) so I emailed back asking what they were made of, and to my surprise they were corian. This material sounds like it is the ultimate for grips. From what I understand it is basically a generic sort of marble ???? Do you have corian grips or can tell me any downfalls of this great material to be used for grips. I know its used for countertops. If its what I think it is why isn't this the ultimate go to material in grips as you stated easily workable and is very tough. Is it heavy in terms of weight?