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How to customize your 1911 grips

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192K views 706 replies 105 participants last post by  BlackEagle 
#1 ·
In this thread I will try to tell you how I do my work. I will be the teacher so to speak. I am sure there are a lot of you out there that know more than I do, but I will share my ways, as well as ask questions on your ways. I can always learn, you never stop learning. I have been customizing for many years and now am ready to give some of my tips to others. Below is a picture of a set of Cherrywood that is just plain beautiful. I stippled a design on them and finished with Tru-Oil. I will post new pictures for your enjoyment in the future. ENJOY THE BEAUTY.
 
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#327 ·
Yea they are nice, and I just happen to own an EMP....
 
#328 ·
Sorry DD but they're headed to Arkansas....BUT Woodnut's supplier had some similar blanks you might want to dress up your EMP with. That is some pretty wood and Carl sure brings out it's beauty.
 
#329 ·
This is a set of Desert Ironwood Burl with some of the nicest grain I have seen. I built these for a forum member and he is going to post pictures of them on the gun. I told him this morning on the phone that it was a good thing I didn't own a EMP or I would refund his money and keep the grips for myself. Of coarse I fall in love with all the grips I make because of the grain patterns. For those that are wondering who they are for, I will let him tell you. I will ship the grips tomorrow morning. He should have them by Wensday or Thursday.
Still having trouble with reflections, but these pictures came out fairly well seeing that these grips are like glass.
Enjoy!
If you get a reflector for your flash or use a light box (Web search for DIY light box), you will eliminate your hot spots. Also, you generally need about 3 times as much light as you would think in order to get good photos. You can also search for tutorials on product photography to get more ideas. My 2 cents worth.TD
 
#331 ·
Bonded Ivory is a material that I have never worked before. It is a composite, not Poly. It works great, I wish I could find some to work with. If anyone knows a supplier, please let me know, it is as near bone or Ivory as I have ever seen.
The customer sent me these grips and the genuine silver crosses to inlay. He is a Lt. and a Champlain, but I don't know the branch. He is working the AZ border.
Anyway, I wanted to show these grips since they turned out quite nice.
Enjoy!
 

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#332 ·
In case anyone is interested, I am now a dealer for the Boned Ivory grips. I can't find the material to build them out of, but did find a supplier of the grips. They are really nice and look just like the real thing. As you have seen in my last post, they really work nice for inlay and I am sure they would look good scrimed. I have 3 sets in stock now with more on the way.
Thanks for looking.
 
#333 ·
This is a set of grips that a customer sent me to have the crosses inlaid. It's a little hard to inlay after the checkering is complete. The points of the diamonds will break off if not careful, and will leave an unsightly gap. These turned out just OK, would have liked to had a smooth grip for the inlay. The other grip is off of a Ruger. The customer found this Eagle at a yard sale and bought it. It was Sterling Silver and very 3D. Being 3D, it had to be inlaid with a little of the Eagle protruding beyond the surface of the grip. But that was the way he wanted it. Looks good. I love the Eagle, it looks a lot like the Ruger Logo.
 

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#334 ·
This is something I have been working on most of the Day, I enjoy it but boy is it slow. One mistake and, FIREWOOD. If there is anyone out ther that needs pointers on what tools to use or any questions on checkering, you know all you have to do is ask. I am not the best at it, but I can do until he comes along. :D The picture of the black grips are what the customer wants me to try and achieve. He wants me to make them weathered looking. Don't know yet how this is going to turn out, but I will post pictures of the finished product. I'm really not sure what the wood is, he bought them somewhere, and thinks they are birch, but I'm not sure.
 

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#336 ·
This is the Birch grips the customer bought, or at least was told they were birch. They were a little narrow but was real thick and had enough wood to make them standard in every way except the width. I have already cut out the notch in the top of the grip he sent me in this picture.
I meant to post these in the other thread, and forgot about it. So here are the pictures again. First the one I did today, next the Birch, and next is what he wants them to look like.
 

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#337 ·
Well, I finished the grips late last night and made a few pictures on them. I did weather them a lot. Maybe too much. I have sent him pictures to see what he thinks and have not heard back from him yet. This is a first for me. I have never been ask to make something, then turn around and make it look old. The one picture shows the grip bolted on my stainless Springer, I really think it will blend in and look a lot better on the blued gun. Maybe he will send us some pictures of the grips on the blued gun, for a look see.
 

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#340 ·
Just getting ready to ship these to a customer in, can you guess, (Texas).
These are Bonded Ivory, not Poly, they work really well and do not have that plastic feel. They are truly more of the Ivory feel. I had these Laser cut, then I inked them to make the logo, initials and year stand out and have a lot of contrast.
Enjoy!
 

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#342 ·
Very nice work indeed, as always Carl.

Hey Carl. IF, and I do mean IF, my Cowboys get their crap together this season and at least make it to the playoffs, Ill get you to make me a set of bonded ivory with the Dallas Cowboy star. If not, and they bomb like they did season past, im gonna fire Jerry Jones the GM and kick Jerry Jones the Owners ass, and get you to make me a set of throwbacks with the old circa 1970s Dallas Texans logo..;)
 
#343 ·
Very nice work indeed, as always Carl.

Hey Carl. IF, and I do mean IF, my Cowboys get their crap together this season and at least make it to the playoffs, Ill get you to make me a set of bonded ivory with the Dallas Cowboy star. If not, and they bomb like they did season past, im gonna fire Jerry Jones the GM and kick Jerry Jones the Owners ass, and get you to make me a set of throwbacks with the old circa 1970s Dallas Texans logo..;)
:lmao2::lmao2::lmao2: literally. I love your way of putting things.

Of course I will be glad to help you in any way you want. Just let me know.
 
#344 ·
Funny as it is I am serious.. Jerry Jones the GMs gotta go, Head coach cant do his job if Jerry is there to override every call he makes. Plus if they bomb out Ill take those Texans grips and bombard Jones' email daily with pictures of them on my 1911. :D
 
#345 ·
Awesome where do you have the laser work done? I cant find anyone willing to work on a gun part the kid at the local shop i talked to last acted like my 1911 slide would jump over there and somehow kill him by itself he said they dont "do stuff on GUNS!!"
 
#346 ·
H-D
The guy that has the laser machine just does it as a hobby and is an older gentleman. His machine will not do metal or anything like that, mainly wood, ceramic, leather, plastic, etc. I would like to own one, but his machine cost about $12,000, and I can't see ever paying for it doing the small amount of work that I do. But he is really putting the screws to me, since he is leaving for China on Aug 30 and has a year visa, he is not sure when he will return. Dating a Chinese Woman, so he may stay. He really don't know what is going to become of his trip. I tried to rent his machine while he is gone, but he would have no part of that.
 
#347 ·
I ordered an Olive Wood turning block from a web site, it was 2x2x16 inches, had enough of it to cut several sets of grip blanks. The wood to me, as usual is awesome. Here is the first set to come out of it. They are for the Officers Model, since I do not keep many of them in stock, I thought it would be nice to have a few pair to choose from.
Let me know what you think of this Olive Wood.
 

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#348 ·
Very nice work indeed, as always Carl.

Hey Carl. IF, and I do mean IF, my Cowboys get their crap together this season and at least make it to the playoffs, Ill get you to make me a set of bonded ivory with the Dallas Cowboy star. If not, and they bomb like they did season past, im gonna fire Jerry Jones the GM and kick Jerry Jones the Owners ass, and get you to make me a set of throwbacks with the old circa 1970s Dallas Texans logo..;)
Sc**w that, Brother Josh........
Don't waste your [and Carl's] time on JJones a**
and have Carl make you a REAL set of 'Cowboys'
grips with a Tom Landry sumpin'-or-other theme........:cool::cool::cool::cool:
----just sayin'----
 
#349 ·
I agree with that Ozo. They dedicated the new overpass on I30 just north of the new stadium to Tom. They have a nice chiseled stone mural of him on the north east wall.

Unfortunately though I was but a pup during Landrys reign, and dont remember his greatness personally. Best Coach I remember was Jimmy Johnson. And they aint had one like him since..

Jason Garret has potential to lead them to greatness but I dont think itll happen with Jones runnin the show as Owner and GM.

But despite my disdain for Jones and his antics, ill remain a die hard Cowboys fan. One day my patience and loyalty will pay off. Heck just look at all those die hard mavs fans, they got theirs this year.. So my hopes are high.
 
#350 ·
I ordered an Olive Wood turning block from a web site, it was 2x2x16 inches, had enough of it to cut several sets of grip blanks. The wood to me, as usual is awesome. Here is the first set to come out of it. They are for the Officers Model, since I do not keep many of them in stock, I thought it would be nice to have a few pair to choose from.
Let me know what you think of this Olive Wood.
Hey carl, is that the Israeli Olive Myles was tellin me about??

That stuff is awesome. I like the dark grain with the blonde. Makes excellent contrast. And I am a fan of contrast.
 
#351 ·
When Mr. Landry was fired by jerry-ass jones,
a bunch of Dallas fans wanted to name a street after him.......:cool:
but the city council, some of jerry-ass' money buddies said "you have to
be dead at least two years before you can even be nominated". BS !!
The first week after Tex sold the franchise to jerry-ass, he was[jerry-ass]
on the local TV stations doing Coca-Cola commercials......what a
low-rent bum !
Hint to jerry-ass jones.........stay off the field.....stay in your box !! :mad::mad:
 
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