New Collection. 1911 Grips!

E

EQUALIZER

New member
I am strongly considering collecting high quality, burl, curley, and exotic wood 1911 grips. I'd also include Sig, but then I'd be asking for a miracle. Sig handles are just too complex for me to even consider making.

Story is....I have a collection of some very beautiful curley hardwoods. I can think of no better way to use them than to make them into functional grips. Although I have access to basic wood shop equiptment, I am not a shop smith. Its been years since I've used a table saw. I'm willing to give it a try. 1911 Panels seem the simplist in design but was wondering how to get started w/out messing up my stock. Guys like Kim Ahrends have some great exotics for sale, but nothing like the curley maple, oak, and black walnut that I want. Plus there is the added intrinsic value of having done it myself.

Should I find a local cabinent maker and ask how he would do it? Any suggestions?

robert

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"But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip; and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one." -Jesus Christ (Luke 22:36, see John 3:15-18)
 
Do you have the basic tools needed to make 1911 stocks? Table saw, drill press, rasps, drills and all the rest? I would get some basswood to practice on before "attacking" the good stuff, taht way you would have some idea how to proceed before turning a nice piece of curly maple or whatever into kindling.



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Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"
 
Jim,

I think that I have all of the necessary tools/equiptment except for checkering files. I think my gunsmith friend w/ sell me his since he never used them and never will.
Practicing on basswood sounds like a good idea.
 
When I first read the thread, I was thinking you meant buying them for your collection.
I was going to suggest sending the rest of the 1911 to me!

Another thing you might consider is making yourself a set of drilling fixtures, and a jig for whatever saw you will be using. If you have a set of grips already, this wouldnt be very hard to do.Hobby shops usually sell balsa wood pretty cheap, and some cabinet shops may give you peices of scrap to try on first, they usually use birch, maple and oak on cabinets,which should be closer to the hardness of your wood than the basswood or balsa.Also, I may be mistaken, but some of the finer grain woods have a tendency to break along the grains. Good Luck! Cuz
 
I suggested basswood because it is easy to work and find. I know the woods Equalizer wants to use are much harder but once he made a few pair of practice basswood stocks he would know if he wanted to proceed with the project. If so then he could make a few practice sets out of donated maple, walnut, oak etc scrap wood from cabinet makers.

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Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"
 
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