Baby's getting new clothes

[berkmberk1]

I plan to start trimming tonite when I get home from work. Couldn't last night the "good woman" came over for dinner..........

I'll post some more pictures tonite. Glad you can finally see them.

 

[berkmberk1]

Slow and easy is the ticket

Tonite I experimented with the spare grip panel.

The material is hard enough, but files, grinding attachments and sandpaper/drums all take it off pretty easily....just some faster than others.

My first step was to take the old grips off and check what sort of overlap/excess I had to work with. As you can see, this panel is already a close fit.

 

[berkmberk1]

The real panels have quite a bit more material to take off, so the moto tool will be the way to go.

The instructions show working on the front of the grip first. This is where the grip butts up against the rear of the main frame. There's quite a bit of excess on the panels, so taking off about an 1/8 in here will alleviate the need to take a lot off the back. The downside is in the front. Where it fits the grip frame good and flush now, it will overlap and require reducing. :barf:

 

[berkmberk1]

I scribed the outline of the frame with a fine mechanical pencil..........said a bunch of prayers.........and then tried out a file (no go), exacto knife (no go), sandpaper (ok), and then my moto tool with a grinding attachment.....)wow )....and finally a drum sander attachment (two thumbs up....

After taking the profile down as far as the scribed line, I attacked the panel with some 150 paper to meld in the spots where I used the grinder (sort of rough) and contour the areas where I used the drum (which I'll use on the final products). After that I progressed to some 400 wet/dry paper to even things out even further.

I'm not the most patient man when it comes to "projects" as I want a finished product NOW! But I spent a little over an hour just on this one panel.....to get a feel for the material. I'll take more time on the real deal.

 

[berkmberk1]

Doing this by hand isn't the easiest thing in the world, but with a little patience I should have the two panels done in a few hours...not tonite....thats when I get the nerve.......probably start tomorrow......

These next photos show the practice grip "mocked up".

The nexts stages will then be: fitting the filler block (which shouldn't be anything), epoxying everything together (no room for error), and then finishing and polishing.

 

[Steve499]

Looking good! As you said, there'll be no room for error in the glue up. I glued mine first and worked both sides down to the grip frame second. Of course, I had a new, unfinished grip frame so I didn't have to worry about the bluing on the frame or anything, just sanded it all down assembled and cold blued the frame later.

I like those grips, may be some in my future.

 

[berkmberk1]

I'd sort of thought about doing that........my grip frame is alloy :barf: but if I used some masking tape on the front and back straps, then glued the pieces together, I could clamp the barrel in the Work Mate (it has integral V clamp slots) and then I'd have two hands free to use my power tool. That would be a whole lot steadier than a two pound moto tool in one hand and grips in the other..

 

[berkmberk1]

Past the point of no return

I'll take some pictures later.

I'm at a point I can't return from. I took a good 3/16 of an inch off the front of the left grip where it butts up against the frame, to get a preliminary fit. I also notched the filler block for the hammer spring screw.

I'm thinking of getting a prelim. fit done on the left side then transfering the shape by pencil scribing to the right, then epoxying the left grip to the block so's I can see whats I'm a doin......then......epoxying the right grip on.

The instructions call for working both panels to where you want them, fitting the filler block, and then epoxy all three pieces together, in the frame, holding the whole thing together with rubber bands...........IIIIIIIII don't know......I think I like the slow step by step method.

 

[Hawg]

I dunno. I've never done it but their way seems to me to be a lil more fool proof.

 

[berkmberk1]

This is what I accomplished last night.

The left grip is cut down to where I want it so far. The filler block is notched and in the process of being thinned. I'm taking a little off at a time with 150 grit paper. When thats done, I think I'll fasten the left panel to it and either finish it and then the right one, OR fasten both and finish shaping. I'd like to use the grip frame as a working reference if I can pull it off without marring it. Otherwise it'll be slow going with sand, install, check, uninstall, and sand some more, reinstall, "Etce'tra, Etce'tra, Etce'tra (Yule Brynner accent)...........potentially days!!

I figure I have about three hours of actual work invested so far.

 

[long rider]

OK looking good so far, but fear not i have six more
that needs new grips so have at it.
Aww just fooling with you, hey if every body likes your
work, shucks start your own business.

 

[Hawg]

I'd like to find another set of stag grips like on my Cimmy even tho they're not period correct. I'd prolly just screw them up tho.

 

[Dmanbass]

Would love to see the finished product!

 

[berkmberk1]

Workin on it as we speak. I need to thin the filler block a little more and rough the right panel to size and then glue it all together for final fitting. I hope to get much if not most of it done tonite......at least the roughing out.........spent half an hour looking for one of my small squares..........its h*ll trying to cram 20 years worth of stuff in a one bedroom apartment...........

 

[berkmberk1]

Put in about another hour (four total so far). The left grip is fastened to the filler at this point, for better or worse.

I used a medium mill file for shaping the forward portion of the grip up near the frame. That area is pretty thick and needs to be thinned down to fit flush with the frame.

So far I've used the file, 150 sandpaper, and the moto tool with a drum sander and cut off wheel. The grinding attachment was just a little too much.

I'm not particularly happy with the fit of the extreme forward edge and the frame, but Hey! this is the first one I've done!

Tomorrow it'll be trim down the right panel and fasten it............then final fitting to the fram and polishing the finished grip.

 

[long rider]

Hey grip maker, looking good so far.
What are you useing for a work bench, in your
pics it looks like a ironing board? if so no insult
ment, i remember them one room apartments
when i lived in the uk, you could not swing a cat,
hey a mans gota do want he can with what hes got.
You said you was in a small pad? do you reload
or is that a dumb question. hey pard just funing with you.
Well looking forward to the next set of pics

 

[berkmberk1]

Its as Black and Decker Work Mate, the large size. The top is a two inch slab of pine. I got it so I wouldn't have to drill holes in the Work Mate to mount my Lee press. The top on the WM looks to be some sort of composite or layered material and I was afraid it would wear with a lot of press use. It's lasted well near 30 years! I don't remember if I took a pic or not but I clamped my moto tool in the WM (the actual top is split and acts like a large vise) and tried using the drum sander in the vertical position.......seemed to work alright.

With a shop light clamped to one end, and a 30 in. bar stool to sit on, it is a right serviceable loading bench or work table. When I'm done I just unclamp the board/loading press, put it in the closet and fold up the table and put it away too!

 

[berkmberk1]

Shoot.........

First real problem.........put the grip back on now that its dry, to check it out. It seems the filler block "migrated" vertically. Now, with the grip in the correct position the filler block doesn't rest at the bottom of the grip frame where it should. I should be able to shim it pretty easily though with some tape, or thin shirt board or something to tighten it up when I'm done............I hope....

 

[berkmberk1]

No going back now......

and no returns or refunds......

The right side is setting up/curing. I'll let it cure until tomorrow night and start final trimming. I think I'll try wrapping the barrel with something like a strip of leather and then clamp it in the Work Mate. With a 7.5 inch barrel, the grips will be just about where I want them to sand with my moto tool. I'll tape the grip frame, take the grips down to where I'm hitting the tape, and then finish up by file and sandpaper.

 

[berkmberk1]

OK, I couldn't wait

I went ahead and disassembled the grip frame in order to tape the backstrap. I reinstalled it and clamped the barrel in the Work Mate and it worked just like I thought. The only iffy part will be the front strap as I'll be working from the bottom side..........unless I figure something out.