How to customize your 1911 grips - Page 11 - The Firearms Forum

wyoredot · 07-31-2010, 07:44 AM

What a craft you guys have! I am jealous of the people that can order these babies! If I had the nerve I would love to have a set of the Ceylon Ebony ones. Those really got my attention! Woodnut, would you care to quote a figure? Or send a message? I have a springer.

Woodnut · 07-31-2010, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wyoredot

What a craft you guys have! I am jealous of the people that can order these babies! If I had the nerve I would love to have a set of the Ceylon Ebony ones. Those really got my attention! Woodnut, would you care to quote a figure? Or send a message? I have a springer.

Thanks for the inquiry. Yes I will be glad to send you a PM on the subject. We have plans at the moment, so I will look and see if I have some of that Ebony left and shoot you a PM tonight when we return.
Thank you for the kind words also.
Carl

wyoredot · 08-01-2010, 09:42 AM

I will be looking forward to that! Thank you!

Zane71464 · 08-02-2010, 11:06 PM

Totally awesome/beautiful craftsmanship you guys have going on there!
Hard to say, I like this one or that one the best, but they all are GREAT!
Woodnut, I really like those made of the elk antler, they look really nice!

Woodnut · 08-03-2010, 12:03 PM

I get so busy I forget to photograph all the grips I build. I will try and think to take the pictures and post them, since I think all of you enjoy looking at the different things I do with the grips.

This is a set of laminated wine wood. But it is one that I had the USCG insignia Laser Cut into the grip then filled it with gold. Something like this is just to small and has to much detail to do by hand.

The next set is one that I just shipped to a customer with an inlaid USMC CID
Badge.

As always I enjoy the comments.
ENJOY!

Zane71464 · 08-03-2010, 07:27 PM

NICE Woodnut!
Good to see the works/effects of the Laser Cutter!

Woodnut · 08-17-2010, 06:34 PM

Here is some more of the laser work, one is on Afzelia, the other is on American Oak Laminate. The pictures are not that good but you can see the detail in the globe and anchor. Stuff like this is just to small and detailed for me to do by hand. You can even read the Semper Fidelis on the flag in the Eagle's mouth.
Enjoy!

Zane71464 · 08-18-2010, 01:27 AM

I really like those American Oak Laminate grips! And the detail is something else!
Awesome work Woodnut!

hotsights · 08-19-2010, 12:06 AM

There’s craftsmanship and then there is the Art of craftsmanship. Woodnut, you seem to take us to new levels and with you and the laser-man, there seems to be no limits to what can be achieved. I love all this work and I’m sill very impressed with the grips you made where the right panel was thicker than the left, that was such a cool idea.

I’ve been working on getting my ecrater site opened, but always come back here for motivation and I get, tons of it.

Thank You

Woodnut · 08-26-2010, 10:21 AM

Here is a shot of my latest inlay work. The customer wanted a particular font, so we finally found the one he wanted. Then we decided on mother of pearl for the inlay. I ordered the MOP and starting cutting out the letters with a jewelers saw and the MOP was too brittle for the tiny cuts that had to be made. So I had to scrap that idea. ( I really think it was inferior MOP ). Anyway we decided on a poured inlay with pure Ivory dust in the epoxy. Didn't work, I tried it on a sample of the same wood and when dried and polished it turned gray. Soooooo, then I came up with using the Snow white Holly, boy am I glad I did, because once finished you cannot tell it from real Ivory.
If there is interest in how this inlay was done, just ask here in this thread and I will answer in the sticky at the top of the page.
Thanks for looking.
Carl

PS Hotsights, keep up the good work and thanks for the kind words, always appreciated. Talk to you later.

OcelotZ3 · 08-26-2010, 11:46 PM

Did I miss the thread where the modification to the step drill bit was detailed? I searched for a description of the modification but didn't find it...

Thanks,
Scott

Woodnut · 08-27-2010, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OcelotZ3

Did I miss the thread where the modification to the step drill bit was detailed? I searched for a description of the modification but didn't find it...

Thanks,
Scott

Thanks for asking Scott.
I don't think I ever gave a detailed description of how I altered the bit. I will try to place a PDF file in the Sticky at the top of the page (Step by Step Instructions) with pictures and instructions. If this does not work send me an email and I will send it directly to you. cwgrips@gmail.com

Hope this helps.

hotsights · 08-28-2010, 11:24 PM

The lettering/Inlay is beautiful, so crisp yet, graceful. I've had some inlay problems from the cutting side and its all because I try to go too fast, this is slow art, you can't rush it unless the fire place is short of wood. Carl, I have about 20 little plastic bags of wood-dust from all the woods I've sanded. What I often find is that when the dust is mixed with epoxy, the wood-dust mix becomes much darker than I had expected, To lighten it up as a re-do, I use white maple to get the tone to match the grip.

Guess without mistakes, there is no way to really, learn something on your own, I think I'm aproaching the Wizard level, ha, ha. I'm doing a pair of grips from Bubinga and inlaying a RazorBack Hog in them, have one done, still short a hog to get the other done. As you said Carl, slow & clean cuts are a major key to clean inlay. Your lessons keep coming back to me as I learn more and try more.

Thanks

Xaiver56 · 08-29-2010, 01:55 AM

Woodnut your work is always amazing.

Woodnut · 09-12-2010, 02:31 PM

As usual, I make grips and deliver and do not make pictures. This set is unique in a different way than usual. I would like to post a quote here that the customer conveyed to me, then I will continue.
I am an infantry sniper in the army, a S with an arrow through it is the symbol for the primary position of a sniper, but when our section was formed and we tried to find a design to post on our office surprisingly we couldn't find anything we tried the Google image thing, looked up tattoos etc. and we couldn't find anything. (Snipers through out history have been the most hated and feared combatant on the battlefield, so traditionally snipers don't display the fact that they are snipers. If tabs are made like that of a ranger tab they are concealed on the uniform. Friendly forces back in the day hated snipers almost as much as the enemy.) So was our trouble in finding a design but we have a guy whose fairly artistic who drew us up something and thats where the snake in the design of an S and a arrow came from. Feel free to use it as you like, I appreciate your work.
-mike

This customer sent me a drawing of this design, I then re-drew it on the computer in order to have a clear line drawing of what was expected of me for the inlay work. I then sent it back to him and he approved it. The customer furnished the grips which are made of black polymer, I really did not want to work in the polymer but as a favor to him I chose to do it. They actually turned out rather nice.
Since he gave permission to use the design again, I may change the drawing of the head and use it for other things.
As usual all comments are welcome. Let me know what you think of the white on black thing. The second picture is not very good. He sent it to me after he mounted the grips on his gun. He is going to send me some better pictures and I will post them later.
Thanks for looking.
Carl

johnlives4christ · 09-12-2010, 02:39 PM

nice. cool too

Goneracin · 09-12-2010, 03:48 PM

damn woodnut, some of those USMC grips look amazing. is it possible to buy some from you? I would love to have a pair.

Woodnut · 09-12-2010, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goneracin

damn woodnut, some of those USMC grips look amazing. is it possible to buy some from you? I would love to have a pair.

Absolutely.
Just email me at cwgrips@gmail.com and tell me what you are interested in and we can go from there.
Thanks for looking.
Carl

hotsights · 09-13-2010, 06:31 PM

Jeee Pers, what beautiful artistry. No doubt that Sniper group is very proud of their design and the manner in which you gave it the power of life. That looks almost a fine as some of the laser work you have shown/shared with us. Is wood Ebony?

BTW: Is the design inlay done with some of that White Holly?

Zane71464 · 09-14-2010, 12:14 AM

Those are totally amazing!
VERY nice, and love the white on black!

hotsights · 10-02-2010, 08:28 PM

Carl,

I've been experimenting again. The focus is inlaying Dymondwood into Dymondwood with a few other additions. Its been a lesson for me to try and incorporate techniques you have taught me and bringing them together with different materials at the same time. Of course, I'm not good at it, but I'm getting better. If, you don't have fun then its more work than the result will be worth. I'm having some fun. Thanks Carl, I keep learning your lessons over and over.

Woodnut · 10-15-2010, 04:36 PM

Well Hotsights, you don't need me any more, those are beautiful. I love the idea you came up with for the target. I would like to ask how you cut the circle out of the clam shell. The inlay work is magnificent. You have come a long way my friend.

I am going to show these Ivory grips for the Colt Jr. that I finished about a month ago and just have not posted them yet. This is the set for the young lady that will get the gun in 18 years, she was just born this past summer, the art work is scrimshaw, not inlay, and I was honored with building these grips for her when she grows up. Hope you like them. As you can tell the customer is from Texas.

Enjoy!

hotsights · 10-21-2010, 11:43 AM

Very beautiful and just what a young girl would love to have, delicate grace on a firearm with a sting. When she turns 18, she may wear those grips/Colt to her prom!

Thanks for the welcome comments regarding my new grips, coming from you they have real meaning. Each time I complete something, I realize how fortunate I am to know some like you who is willing to share technique as well as methodologies with a newby.

I've included an image of the hole cutters used to cut the shell. Expensive, but having cut shell with hacksaws, files and so forth, this is the way to be productive. They work just as well on Abalone and so forth. I'm lucky to have my own supply of whole shells. I think mussel would be nice to work with.

Woodnut · 10-24-2010, 09:22 AM

Thanks for the info on the circle cutters. I have something very similar, just had not thought to take the center pilot out. Again, Very Nice Work.

Here is a recent set of grips that I made out of LIGNUM-VITAE. This is some wood that a customer had left over out of a Banjo neck that he had someone make for him. He sent me enough of it to make him a set of grips and a set for myself. It is a lot harder than expected and has a really high gloss when polished. I subduded the shine in this photo so you could see the grain of the wood. He said he tuned the Banjo and left it in the corner for over a week and it was still in tune, so I know from that it will not wrap or twist in any way.
Give me some thoughts on this type wood. It is very new to me.

hotsights · 10-28-2010, 01:49 PM

Hi Carl,

I like the grips and the wood has a lot of personality. I can see some greenish vertical grain lines and bet it will polish like glass. I think it would be very good to work with using some form of inlay or carving, not that it needs it. I just like the vertical grain and think it would give a nice frame effect to an inlay.

I have heard of Lignum Vitae, saw it as I recall at the top of the jantz hardwood scale and is referred to as IronWood, yet we commonly think of Ironwood as being from Arizona, I think. Did some research and found this info:

One of the hardest and heaviest woods (three times as hard as oak), lignum vitae is most commonly used for mallet heads, bearings and rollers. Because of its durability and natural lubricants, it is the preferred wood for propeller bushings and other underwater applications. The lignum vitae tree generally grows to a diameter of about 12", although historically, trees in the 18" - 30" range have been known.

Lignum vitae is reddish brown when freshly cut, with pale yellow sapwood. As it oxidizes, the color turns to a deep green, often with black details. The grain is highly interlocked, making it difficult to work with edge tools, but it machines well and takes a high polish. It is a remarkably good wood for turning.

A similar species, known as "Maracaibo lignum vitae (Bulnesia arboria)," which grows in Venezuela and northern South America, is similar in properties and appearance and is sometimes substituted for genuine lignum vitae.

08-02-2010, 11:06 PM	#254
Zane71464 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ohio NRA Member Contributor Posts: 5,415	Re: How to customize your 1911 grips Totally awesome/beautiful craftsmanship you guys have going on there! Hard to say, I like this one or that one the best, but they all are GREAT! Woodnut, I really like those made of the elk antler, they look really nice! __________________ Two Words; "Simple Man", song by Charlie Daniels sums up my thoughts on a "few things"!

08-03-2010, 12:03 PM	#255
Woodnut Forum Sponsor Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Diamondhead, MS Contributor Posts: 2,182	Re: How to customize your 1911 grips I get so busy I forget to photograph all the grips I build. I will try and think to take the pictures and post them, since I think all of you enjoy looking at the different things I do with the grips. This is a set of laminated wine wood. But it is one that I had the USCG insignia Laser Cut into the grip then filled it with gold. Something like this is just to small and has to much detail to do by hand. The next set is one that I just shipped to a customer with an inlaid USMC CID Badge. As always I enjoy the comments. ENJOY! Attached Images __________________ Carl Never doubt the beauty of wood. Carl’s Album www.cwgrips.com Web site Updated 01/01/2013 NRA Life Member

08-03-2010, 07:27 PM	#256
Zane71464 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ohio NRA Member Contributor Posts: 5,415	Re: How to customize your 1911 grips NICE Woodnut! Good to see the works/effects of the Laser Cutter! __________________ Two Words; "Simple Man", song by Charlie Daniels sums up my thoughts on a "few things"!

08-17-2010, 06:34 PM	#257
Woodnut Forum Sponsor Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Diamondhead, MS Contributor Posts: 2,182	Re: How to customize your 1911 grips Here is some more of the laser work, one is on Afzelia, the other is on American Oak Laminate. The pictures are not that good but you can see the detail in the globe and anchor. Stuff like this is just to small and detailed for me to do by hand. You can even read the Semper Fidelis on the flag in the Eagle's mouth. Enjoy! Attached Images __________________ Carl Never doubt the beauty of wood. Carl’s Album www.cwgrips.com Web site Updated 01/01/2013 NRA Life Member

08-18-2010, 01:27 AM	#258
Zane71464 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ohio NRA Member Contributor Posts: 5,415	Re: How to customize your 1911 grips I really like those American Oak Laminate grips! And the detail is something else! Awesome work Woodnut! __________________ Two Words; "Simple Man", song by Charlie Daniels sums up my thoughts on a "few things"!

08-19-2010, 12:06 AM	#259
hotsights V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 55	Re: How to customize your 1911 grips There’s craftsmanship and then there is the Art of craftsmanship. Woodnut, you seem to take us to new levels and with you and the laser-man, there seems to be no limits to what can be achieved. I love all this work and I’m sill very impressed with the grips you made where the right panel was thicker than the left, that was such a cool idea. I’ve been working on getting my ecrater site opened, but always come back here for motivation and I get, tons of it. Thank You

08-26-2010, 10:21 AM	#260
Woodnut Forum Sponsor Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Diamondhead, MS Contributor Posts: 2,182	Re: How to customize your 1911 grips Here is a shot of my latest inlay work. The customer wanted a particular font, so we finally found the one he wanted. Then we decided on mother of pearl for the inlay. I ordered the MOP and starting cutting out the letters with a jewelers saw and the MOP was too brittle for the tiny cuts that had to be made. So I had to scrap that idea. ( I really think it was inferior MOP ). Anyway we decided on a poured inlay with pure Ivory dust in the epoxy. Didn't work, I tried it on a sample of the same wood and when dried and polished it turned gray. Soooooo, then I came up with using the Snow white Holly, boy am I glad I did, because once finished you cannot tell it from real Ivory. If there is interest in how this inlay was done, just ask here in this thread and I will answer in the sticky at the top of the page. Thanks for looking. Carl PS Hotsights, keep up the good work and thanks for the kind words, always appreciated. Talk to you later. Attached Images __________________ Carl Never doubt the beauty of wood. Carl’s Album www.cwgrips.com Web site Updated 01/01/2013 NRA Life Member Last edited by Woodnut; 08-26-2010 at 10:23 AM..

08-26-2010, 11:46 PM	#261
OcelotZ3 Former Guest Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 73	Re: How to customize your 1911 grips Did I miss the thread where the modification to the step drill bit was detailed? I searched for a description of the modification but didn't find it... Thanks, Scott

08-28-2010, 11:24 PM	#263
hotsights V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 55	Re: How to customize your 1911 grips The lettering/Inlay is beautiful, so crisp yet, graceful. I've had some inlay problems from the cutting side and its all because I try to go too fast, this is slow art, you can't rush it unless the fire place is short of wood. Carl, I have about 20 little plastic bags of wood-dust from all the woods I've sanded. What I often find is that when the dust is mixed with epoxy, the wood-dust mix becomes much darker than I had expected, To lighten it up as a re-do, I use white maple to get the tone to match the grip. Guess without mistakes, there is no way to really, learn something on your own, I think I'm aproaching the Wizard level, ha, ha. I'm doing a pair of grips from Bubinga and inlaying a RazorBack Hog in them, have one done, still short a hog to get the other done. As you said Carl, slow & clean cuts are a major key to clean inlay. Your lessons keep coming back to me as I learn more and try more. Thanks

08-29-2010, 01:55 AM	#264
Xaiver56 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Grand Prairie, TX Posts: 526	Re: How to customize your 1911 grips Woodnut your work is always amazing. __________________ NRA Member GOA Member "Government's view on the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it" --Ronald Reagan “The United States leads the world in too many areas for us to start imitating those who are trailing behind.” --Thomas Sowell

09-12-2010, 02:31 PM	#265
Woodnut Forum Sponsor Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Diamondhead, MS Contributor Posts: 2,182	Re: How to customize your 1911 grips As usual, I make grips and deliver and do not make pictures. This set is unique in a different way than usual. I would like to post a quote here that the customer conveyed to me, then I will continue. I am an infantry sniper in the army, a S with an arrow through it is the symbol for the primary position of a sniper, but when our section was formed and we tried to find a design to post on our office surprisingly we couldn't find anything we tried the Google image thing, looked up tattoos etc. and we couldn't find anything. (Snipers through out history have been the most hated and feared combatant on the battlefield, so traditionally snipers don't display the fact that they are snipers. If tabs are made like that of a ranger tab they are concealed on the uniform. Friendly forces back in the day hated snipers almost as much as the enemy.) So was our trouble in finding a design but we have a guy whose fairly artistic who drew us up something and thats where the snake in the design of an S and a arrow came from. Feel free to use it as you like, I appreciate your work. -mike This customer sent me a drawing of this design, I then re-drew it on the computer in order to have a clear line drawing of what was expected of me for the inlay work. I then sent it back to him and he approved it. The customer furnished the grips which are made of black polymer, I really did not want to work in the polymer but as a favor to him I chose to do it. They actually turned out rather nice. Since he gave permission to use the design again, I may change the drawing of the head and use it for other things. As usual all comments are welcome. Let me know what you think of the white on black thing. The second picture is not very good. He sent it to me after he mounted the grips on his gun. He is going to send me some better pictures and I will post them later. Thanks for looking. Carl Attached Images __________________ Carl Never doubt the beauty of wood. Carl’s Album www.cwgrips.com Web site Updated 01/01/2013 NRA Life Member

09-12-2010, 02:39 PM	#266
johnlives4christ Former Guest Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Kentucky Posts: 3,828	Re: How to customize your 1911 grips nice. cool too

09-12-2010, 03:48 PM	#267
Goneracin V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 151	Re: How to customize your 1911 grips damn woodnut, some of those USMC grips look amazing. is it possible to buy some from you? I would love to have a pair. __________________ Long time Marine, Novice pistol shooter, First time 1911 owner and proud of it. Looking for advice and tips on it all. Going to war without the French is like going hunting without an accordian, you leave a lot of useless noisey bagage behind - Donald Rumsfeld

09-13-2010, 06:31 PM	#269
hotsights V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 55	Re: How to customize your 1911 grips Jeee Pers, what beautiful artistry. No doubt that Sniper group is very proud of their design and the manner in which you gave it the power of life. That looks almost a fine as some of the laser work you have shown/shared with us. Is wood Ebony? BTW: Is the design inlay done with some of that White Holly?

09-14-2010, 12:14 AM	#270
Zane71464 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ohio NRA Member Contributor Posts: 5,415	Re: How to customize your 1911 grips Those are totally amazing! VERY nice, and love the white on black! __________________ Two Words; "Simple Man", song by Charlie Daniels sums up my thoughts on a "few things"!

10-02-2010, 08:28 PM	#271
hotsights V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 55	Re: How to customize your 1911 grips Carl, I've been experimenting again. The focus is inlaying Dymondwood into Dymondwood with a few other additions. Its been a lesson for me to try and incorporate techniques you have taught me and bringing them together with different materials at the same time. Of course, I'm not good at it, but I'm getting better. If, you don't have fun then its more work than the result will be worth. I'm having some fun. Thanks Carl, I keep learning your lessons over and over. Attached Images

10-15-2010, 04:36 PM	#272
Woodnut Forum Sponsor Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Diamondhead, MS Contributor Posts: 2,182	Re: How to customize your 1911 grips Well Hotsights, you don't need me any more, those are beautiful. I love the idea you came up with for the target. I would like to ask how you cut the circle out of the clam shell. The inlay work is magnificent. You have come a long way my friend. I am going to show these Ivory grips for the Colt Jr. that I finished about a month ago and just have not posted them yet. This is the set for the young lady that will get the gun in 18 years, she was just born this past summer, the art work is scrimshaw, not inlay, and I was honored with building these grips for her when she grows up. Hope you like them. As you can tell the customer is from Texas. Enjoy! Attached Images __________________ Carl Never doubt the beauty of wood. Carl’s Album www.cwgrips.com Web site Updated 01/01/2013 NRA Life Member

10-21-2010, 11:43 AM	#273
hotsights V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 55	Re: How to customize your 1911 grips Very beautiful and just what a young girl would love to have, delicate grace on a firearm with a sting. When she turns 18, she may wear those grips/Colt to her prom! Thanks for the welcome comments regarding my new grips, coming from you they have real meaning. Each time I complete something, I realize how fortunate I am to know some like you who is willing to share technique as well as methodologies with a newby. I've included an image of the hole cutters used to cut the shell. Expensive, but having cut shell with hacksaws, files and so forth, this is the way to be productive. They work just as well on Abalone and so forth. I'm lucky to have my own supply of whole shells. I think mussel would be nice to work with. Attached Images

10-24-2010, 09:22 AM	#274
Woodnut Forum Sponsor Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Diamondhead, MS Contributor Posts: 2,182	Re: How to customize your 1911 grips Thanks for the info on the circle cutters. I have something very similar, just had not thought to take the center pilot out. Again, Very Nice Work. Here is a recent set of grips that I made out of LIGNUM-VITAE. This is some wood that a customer had left over out of a Banjo neck that he had someone make for him. He sent me enough of it to make him a set of grips and a set for myself. It is a lot harder than expected and has a really high gloss when polished. I subduded the shine in this photo so you could see the grain of the wood. He said he tuned the Banjo and left it in the corner for over a week and it was still in tune, so I know from that it will not wrap or twist in any way. Give me some thoughts on this type wood. It is very new to me. Attached Images __________________ Carl Never doubt the beauty of wood. Carl’s Album www.cwgrips.com Web site Updated 01/01/2013 NRA Life Member

10-28-2010, 01:49 PM	#275
hotsights V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 55	Re: How to customize your 1911 grips Hi Carl, I like the grips and the wood has a lot of personality. I can see some greenish vertical grain lines and bet it will polish like glass. I think it would be very good to work with using some form of inlay or carving, not that it needs it. I just like the vertical grain and think it would give a nice frame effect to an inlay. I have heard of Lignum Vitae, saw it as I recall at the top of the jantz hardwood scale and is referred to as IronWood, yet we commonly think of Ironwood as being from Arizona, I think. Did some research and found this info: One of the hardest and heaviest woods (three times as hard as oak), lignum vitae is most commonly used for mallet heads, bearings and rollers. Because of its durability and natural lubricants, it is the preferred wood for propeller bushings and other underwater applications. The lignum vitae tree generally grows to a diameter of about 12", although historically, trees in the 18" - 30" range have been known. Lignum vitae is reddish brown when freshly cut, with pale yellow sapwood. As it oxidizes, the color turns to a deep green, often with black details. The grain is highly interlocked, making it difficult to work with edge tools, but it machines well and takes a high polish. It is a remarkably good wood for turning. A similar species, known as "Maracaibo lignum vitae (Bulnesia arboria)," which grows in Venezuela and northern South America, is similar in properties and appearance and is sometimes substituted for genuine lignum vitae.