How Thin are Thin Grips?

[OldLincoln]

My son was cleaning his garage again and came across a sheet of Walnut that measures 1/8" thick X 3" Wide X 24" Long. Is that thick enough for a set of thin grips?

[Bawanna]

With slim line bushings it should just barely make a grip. I was just looking at a left over piece of that stabilized box elder burl and thought I'd try it. If it works I have enough to do 2 1911's instead of one. They would certainly be thin though.

[tractiongrips]

I made some grips with 1/8" thick micarta material, and used thin grip bushings. I ended up having to chuck the grip screws in my lathe and machine the rounded head off a bit because I didn't like them sticking out out of the grip, even thoguh it was very little. They ended up shaped different than the rest of the grips, because I had to cut them below the plunger tube, so they were cut straight across the top on the left side. With the thicker grips, they go over it and look more natural to me.

[Bawanna]

I got intimate with some Box Elder Burl starting late yesterday and this morning to see if I could make 1/8" work. Heres the results. On the left side I started with my usual 1/4" so I could step up and cover the plunger tube.
These are as thin as I'd go. Virtually no structural strength on their own but attached I think they will hold up fine. Do have to have them dead flat to sit on the frame properly. I'm test driving these on my Cbob for awhile to see how they feel and work.

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n538/hopke5/DSCN1511.jpg

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n538/hopke5/DSCN1505.jpg

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n538/hopke5/DSCN1506.jpg

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n538/hopke5/DSCN1509.jpg

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n538/hopke5/DSCN1510.jpg

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n538/hopke5/DSCN1507.jpg

They are nearly half as thick as the last set I made myself. Those were just under a 1/4".

[melissa5]

That's some wild looking wood! Can you tell a big difference with the thin grips?

[jocko]

kills me to say it but u really do nice work "amigo" I have recommendedyou to all y biker trash freinds ou ti washihgton, so be on the lookout. I also told um you have about 400 guns in ur home and that really raised alot of eye brows. the bar cleared in about 5 minutes to.

Just trying to be a friendly poster child. They are gonna "really " like u "aigo" when I told themn u do pink really well, that again raised some eye brows, from a few of the fellas that I am not sure if they were really fellas, or fellowers.

[OldLincoln]

Wow, thanks Bawanna. Those are really thin and look good to boot. I think I'll make a pair although may not work out for my mag release thing. More like an experiment as I seriously like the ones you made for me - and they work well also.

[Bawanna]

That's some wild looking wood! Can you tell a big difference with the thin grips?

Amazing difference. Almost like gripping your gun with no handles on it. Made me kind of think of packaging some prefit duct tape. Just stick em on and you got ultra thin grips. Might even provide a variety of colors some day especially Pink once my contract with Jocko expires and I can make them for anyone.

I think I might send these to you Melissa to test drive before we whittle your inbound wood. That way we'd know for sure what we need to do to make em work for you.

[Bawanna]

Wow, thanks Bawanna. Those are really thin and look good to boot. I think I'll make a pair although may not work out for my mag release thing. More like an experiment as I seriously like the ones you made for me - and they work well also.

Your actually the one responsible for this whole super thin thing. I didn't think it was possible and didn't even take the sample you sent me seriously.
You could take a little hunk of that walnut and glue up a double layer in that mag release area and the plunger tube area too. Then you could accomplish the same thing.
Is that walnut you found pretty?

[melissa5]

Amazing difference. Almost like gripping your gun with no handles on it. Made me kind of think of packaging some prefit duct tape. Just stick em on and you got ultra thin grips. Might even provide a variety of colors some day especially Pink once my contract with Jocko expires and I can make them for anyone.

I think I might send these to you Melissa to test drive before we whittle your inbound wood. That way we'd know for sure what we need to do to make em work for you.

Sounds like a plan, Bawanna man! :p

[Bawanna]

kills me to say it but u really do nice work "amigo" I have recommendedyou to all y biker trash freinds ou ti washihgton, so be on the lookout. I also told um you have about 400 guns in ur home and that really raised alot of eye brows. the bar cleared in about 5 minutes to.

Just trying to be a friendly poster child. They are gonna "really " like u "aigo" when I told themn u do pink really well, that again raised some eye brows, from a few of the fellas that I am not sure if they were really fellas, or fellowers.

I sure hope all the agencies with initials ain't monitoring this site. I can handle a passel of biker trash especially the cross dresser type. Might even trap a few to give to Dietrich as a gift, but the feds are really really big.

I think that 400 figure is a little inflated too, I don't think theres a single one over 325 but I'd have to count and that gives me a headache.

[TucsonMTB]

I got intimate with some Box Elder Burl starting late yesterday and this morning to see if I could make 1/8" work. Heres the results.

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n538/hopke5/DSCN1506.jpg

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n538/hopke5/DSCN1509.jpg

They are nearly half as thick as the last set I made myself.
Diayam, Bawaana! I thought I would just put up with the trashy "slim" grips I bought from Esmeralda, but now I see that I need to start saving up all my spare change for a set from the real master of 1911 grips. That would be you. :D

[jocko]

Bawanna is emeralda!!!

[Bawanna]

I've never seen anything trashy from Esmerelda. I've not seen any in person to hold in my hand, never could afford them but they look first class in pictures.

[TucsonMTB]

That was just a joke, sir! :D

Oh, and every now and then, you will find a bargain on her web site. Not sure why. Maybe just so us poor folks can own a set or two. :D

Edited to add: But, your most recent innovation with the properly supported tube, smooth edges, and wonderful slimness, is a cut above her more mainstream offerings. You should be proud. :)

[jocko]

i've never seen anything trashy from esmerelda. I've not seen any in person to hold in my hand, never could afford them but they look first class in pictures.

otta know esma!!:7:

[Bawanna]

That was just a joke, sir! :D

Oh, and every now and then, you will find a bargain on her web site. Not sure why. Maybe just so us poor folks can own a set or two. :D

Edited to add: But, your most recent innovation with the properly supported tube, smooth edges, and wonderful slimness, is a cut above her more mainstream offerings. You should be proud. :)

Yup, I knew it was a joke, I didn't just fall off a turnip truck. Jocko often says I'm a joke.
I'm gonna have a special so you can own a set of Bawannaesmaralda properly supported tube grips.

I think I'm gonna go out and play with some brown micarata that MW Surveyor sent me. Kind of a damp unfavorable afternoon. Off to the man cave we go.

[TucsonMTB]

My very own set of Bawanna Super Thins! Very cool! And, on special so I don't have to save up too long. You rock! :D

[Bawanna]

Didn't get too far on the MW Surveyor project. Made about an inch cut on the bandsaw and the blade broke. Guess maybe a trip to town might be in order.

[TucsonMTB]

Bummer about the saw blade! Based on what I've heard about your climate, rusted through, huh?! :behindsofa:

[Bawanna]

Bummer about the saw blade! Based on what I've heard about your climate, rusted through, huh?! :behindsofa:

Could surely happen. I think this was just a bad weld. Micarta is hard stuff too. Never played with it before but I won't be able say that again soon.

[orangeandbrown]

Bawanna, you do a very nice job checkering. Do you use the electric rotary tool or just hand tools?

In a previous life I built rifle stocks and of course had to checker them. It used to take over 100 hours per stock. I roughed up alot of broom handles learning the craft.

[Bawanna]

Bawanna, you do a very nice job checkering. Do you use the electric rotary tool or just hand tools?

In a previous life I built rifle stocks and of course had to checker them. It used to take over 100 hours per stock. I roughed up alot of broom handles learning the craft.

I use only hand tools. I've only built two rifle stocks from scratch, done lots of refinishes, checkered and recut that sort of thing. One stock took me 2 years, I swore I'd never do another one. My hats off to stock makers. I started with stocks, wish I'd started with grips. A lot less worry when you can toss em and start over versus working on great grandpa's pride and joy and your sweating bullets hoping you don't screw up.
Nice to hear from another checkering person, you know what it takes. I laugh so hard at the grip adds in magazines, checkering add 5 dollars. Might pull it off with the power checkering tools where one pass gets it done. I probably average 5 or 6 hours checkering a set of grips. That's not even minimum wage, but that's almost a dollar an hour! Not bad.

I've roughed up a pile of broom handles and alot of other wood stuff too.

[OldLincoln]

Does gluing two 1/4" pieces together then shaving that down like normal thin work? My stick of maple is long enough to do that also. I don't know anything about laminating other than pieces are glued and set into a press or vise, but is that a reasonable thing to try?

[Bawanna]

Does gluing two 1/4" pieces together then shaving that down like normal thin work? My stick of maple is long enough to do that also. I don't know anything about laminating other than pieces are glued and set into a press or vise, but is that a reasonable thing to try?

Sure, especially for stuff like your mag release guard and getting over the plunger tube. It's a little more effort and it might be easier to just get a thicker piece of wood but laminating would work. It's best to make sure you got two perfectly flat surfaces to mate, I'd probably glue em up and put em on a flat surface and stack your encyclopedia collection on top or a piece of wood and then cement blocks or something. Need a full press so to speak so they are squeezed together all over.

Try to make it so the glued level is below the finished surface so all you have is the edge of the seam which if all goes well should be nearly invisible.

[MW surveyor]

Just got to this thread!

Sorry that my micarta broke your band saw blade. But.....I told you that it was some hard stuff! Those thin grips look real good.

[Bawanna]

Just got to this thread!

Sorry that my micarta broke your band saw blade. But.....I told you that it was some hard stuff! Those thin grips look real good.

I don't think it was the micarta that caused the break. I tend to use things up till theres nothing left and that blade should probably have been replaced months ago. When the smoke alarm goes off when you make cuts you know it's time for a new blade. Call me frugal I guess.

On the bright side I found a place on line that builds blades and I got 6 in the mail this week so the smoke alarm should get a much needed rest. An another attack on the micarta is forth coming.

It is hard stuff and as you said the dust is super fine. Hoping to try some of that barbwire stuff in the future too.

[MW surveyor]

Sounds like I used to be with saw blades and chain saw chains. Just one more....ok just one more cut and I'll replace the blade....I think I can get another cut out of this blade.....smoke and near fire resulting. LOL

Let me know if you want me to pick up some of the barbwire micarta. I need to do a google search to see about other suppliers as I've been seen a lot of different designs/patterns in 1911 grips made out of micarta.

[Bawanna]

Sounds like I used to be with saw blades and chain saw chains. Just one more....ok just one more cut and I'll replace the blade....I think I can get another cut out of this blade.....smoke and near fire resulting. LOL

Let me know if you want me to pick up some of the barbwire micarta. I need to do a google search to see about other suppliers as I've been seen a lot of different designs/patterns in 1911 grips made out of micarta.

I never had issues with my chainsaw. I sharpened it myself and the second it quit throwing large chips I'd stop and touch it up. If you don't let it get dull it's easy to keep sharp. I'd cut circles around all the other guys who ran em till they done.

I was gonna wait till I spend some more time with your micarta and then tackle some of that barbwire stuff.

[DKD]

Dang BAWANNA that thar pitola you got is sure perdy with them thar fancy thin grippers. Very nice work to be sure.
Micarta is hard for sure...you should try African or dessert Iron Wood. I have a few kniveshandles made from them. The wood is so hard when your done sanding them all you do to finish the stock is wax them. The wood almost has no grain & feels grease its so slick and smooth.
I'll be leaving work in a few minute and headed for home and my man cave....gotta see my Tampa Bay Lightning whoop up on them damn yankee Boston Bruins tonight. On to the Stanley Cup....GO BOLTS!!!!!

[OldLincoln]

Sounds like I used to be with saw blades and chain saw chains. Just one more....ok just one more cut and I'll replace the blade....I think I can get another cut out of this blade.....smoke and near fire resulting.

Or me with THE ladder! Dull stuff that's supposed to be sharp can hurt you.

[Bawanna]

Dang BAWANNA that thar pitola you got is sure perdy with them thar fancy thin grippers. Very nice work to be sure.
Micarta is hard for sure...you should try African or dessert Iron Wood. I have a few kniveshandles made from them. The wood is so hard when your done sanding them all you do to finish the stock is wax them. The wood almost has no grain & feels grease its so slick and smooth.
I'll be leaving work in a few minute and headed for home and my man cave....gotta see my Tampa Bay Lightning whoop up on them damn yankee Boston Bruins tonight. On to the Stanley Cup....GO BOLTS!!!!!

I actually started off at the very first with Iron Wood, also called Epay. It's tough stuff and toxic as all get out. If I got a sliver in my hand it was instant agonizing pain. Something in the oil in the wood. I messed with it alot. This stabilized stuff is much the same, it has no grain pattern really and it smells like your sanding on your fiberglas boat working on it. The sawdust is even white powder. It's nice to checker as it will cut any direction, some woods will only cut nice one direction and chatter and play hard to get in the other.
Ebony is really nice to work with too. Finding more and more options just in the last couple months thanks to several pals right here on kahrtalk.