What's new at Sarge's Grips

1911man,
Worse things could happen.........:hand5: I hope you enjoy them, they are beautiful! Thank you.


Today's pics is Amboyna Burl with a rim of sapwood around the outside. Heartwood is the darker "inside" wood of the tree, while sapwood is wood that's right below the bark and is usually a lighter color. In Amboyna burl the sapwood often has all the characteristics of the heartwood as far as the burl figure and pattern, so pieces like this are just great to find!
Enjoy!
Sarge
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...ics/007-30.jpg
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...ics/008-30.jpg

Thanks for the quick ship Sarge. The Cocobolo grips I bought from you will have to wait for my Ed Brown to come in. These buckeyes will look sweet on the bobtail.

Just wanted to share. Pics of Sarge's Cocobolo on my bob.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...Picture298.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...Picture301.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...Picture296.jpg

I will post pics when I get them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sarge43

I'm sure you could make whole grips in mammoth tooth, but after working with it up close, I'm convinced that they would have to be for "dress" only.

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What about mastodon would that work?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LongRider

What about mastodon would that work?

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Most of the fossilized stuff I've seen would be too fragile to use in full size grip panels that see use without being on a solid substrate. The exceptions to this that I've found so far would be the fossilized coral that I've recently come across. The only problem in using it is finding it in big enough pieces. I haven't seen any yet of a size that would allow full size grips. I do have some fossilized dinosaur bone coming next week, so I'll know a little more about that particular media then.

Today's pic is of some really cool Spalted Maple. I sent this stuff off to be professionally stabilized as in it's original state it was WAY to soft and "punky" to be used in just about any application. The stabilization really solidified it and made it great for use in grip panels. Beautiful stuff in the end. This set is with a satin finish.
Enjoy!
Sarge
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...ics/004-31.jpg
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...ics/003-30.jpg

Here's the latest set of mammoth tooth grips. They aren't even on the stite yet - a gunsmith friend may want to borrow them for a photoshoot with his stuff. If so, they'll hit when I get them back. These are just UBER cool. The tooth slabs have a bluish green metallic color to them that is all natural. I put them on Beeswing Narra because I thought the color combo would be nice. Wow! Talk about beautiful! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the pics!
Sarge
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...ics/016-19.jpg
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...ics/015-21.jpg

Nice, crisp inlay work!

How is the mammoth to work with? Does it machine and finish similar to wood or are there significant differences? I've wanted to try to incorporate some into something, but it scares the hell out of me.......

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Originally Posted by David in FL

Nice, crisp inlay work!

How is the mammoth to work with? Does it machine and finish similar to wood or are there significant differences? I've wanted to try to incorporate some into something, but it scares the hell out of me.......

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It's best worked with diamond tooling as it's now stone. It has soft spots and hard spots and it can be sanded with carbide belts but you have to watch the temperature - if it gets too hot is starts spalling out and chipping. It's pretty fractious too, which is why I always mount it solidly to wood. I don't think it would fare well in pistol grips without bonding it to another material. This way, I have no problems with it, but as a stand alone, I won't do it.
My day job is in the stone industry, so this stuff is easier for me as I've been around granites, marbles and the hard stuff for 16 years running now.
Good luck and if I can help in some way, let me know.
Sarge

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 1911 Man

Thanks for the quick ship Sarge. The Cocobolo grips I bought from you will have to wait for my Ed Brown to come in. These buckeyes will look sweet on the bobtail.

Just wanted to share. Pics of Sarge's Cocobolo on my bob.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...Picture298.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...Picture301.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...Picture296.jpg

I will post pics when I get them.

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Still my favorite!!! Grips and gun!!

Glad you like 'em Rocky. That was a unique piece of wood.



Todays pic isn't of wood at all, but of Linen Micarta. I bought some of each kind - paper, linen and canvas - to see how it worked and looked, and I think the linen is the one I like best. I decided to go ahead and put a "tactical" stipple pattern on these and also preoiled them to help with the issues that people seem to have with them getting dirty looking so easily. The oil helped darken them in nicely. Anyway, that's today's pic.
Enjoy!
Sarge
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...ics/007-32.jpg
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...ics/006-33.jpg

Remember me next time you see something like those. They look a mile deep!!! Awesome work as always.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pure Kustom

Still my favorite!!! Grips and gun!!

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Mine, too. The wood is so bright it looks like molten lava....

Glad you like 'em guys! It was a special piece, that's for sure.

Todays pic is Ambrosia Maple. Named after the Ambrosia beetle whose methods of chewing through the wood are responsible for the patterns and coloring of the wood, it is beatiful stuff!
Enjoy,
Sarge
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...ics/001-34.jpg
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...ics/002-34.jpg

They're pretty but now I've got this image of a bug chewing tobacco and spitting in a can: - pa-tooey ... DING! :haha:

Reminds me of spalted maple though, maybe the sugars in the sap that react that way to damage?
Jack

As I understand it, it's the secretions of the beetle itself as it chews through it that determine the color and the pattern. I've seen fairly vibrant red, blue, and brown, but the most prevelant colors seem to be the greyish blue and tan browns. I got lucky and found a block that has great "saturation" of patterns. Much of it may only contain a single streak of color through it. Just at the right place at the right time. :smile: