[SOLOLUCKY]

I see a lotta grips out on ebay for 1911's and other 'slab-siders'.
obvously all 'homemade" out of resins and such.
what material are they using for these?
i got a general idea of how the molds can be made.
materials from Hobby Lobby or the like can get the clay or liquid rubber for the molds (clay i think would be stiffer as long as it doesn't shrink when ya bake it) .
but how about the resins/plastics that actually makes up the grips?

any info would be helpful.

kinda following what we all have in common...a flair for the self-sufficient.
what my ol' daddy used to tell me "if ya can't make it yerself maybe ya don't need it" and i try to follow that..sometimes to almost a degree of trouble that it woulda just been easier to have bought it! but what can i do...training.

 

[clipse]

I made mine out of wood. I shaped them with a upright belt sander and scroll saw. The most difficult part is the screw holes. There is a step in the holes on both sides. Here are my grips.

 

[SOLOLUCKY]

cLIPSE, THOSE LOOK NICE!
I too made some out of wood for my micro. used red-oak. pretty clean grain. nothing that jumpd out like yer grain. what kinda wood is that? i like that grain pattern.
i have friends on the hunt for some corian countertop material scraps for me and another friend gave me some hickory i'm intemding to use. hickory has a real wild, multi-colored grain.
i just want to make more for myself. i like a selection of grips depending on my mood i guess.
just is fun to experiment.

is that mahogany?

 

[clipse]

Its some walnut that my wifes grandfather had. Just so happened to be the perfect thickness. After I got them all done the grain looked much better than when it started. I love these grips.

clipse

 

[P95Carry]

Hardly 1911 stuff but did make grips for myself way back - in fact these in the pic are all well used but no longer on guns, because guns gone or not in use right now.

The left pair I made for my original Redhawk - then the center ones IIRC I made for M27 and right hand set were for a Colt Trooper MkIII. Well think that's right, I forget!!

Grips for revo are tricky, in order to machine out right for frame - plus getting a good match between halves. Yet to try any for slabsides. These were all mahogany - my usual choice.

 

[SOLOLUCKY]

IMPRESSIVE! not sure i have the confidence to make'em for a full handled gun. well,guess i do but i wouldn't be surprised when i screwed'em up...a few times. LOL

i've seen some real neat looking ones for 1911's on ebay. inlayed medallions and ornaments. really cool stuff.
figger if i could get the "recipe" i could make my own.
maybe a trip to Hobby Lobby is in order to investigate there supplies.
i'm sure by the time i make'em i coulda just bought'em for 30 bucks but what fun is that?!?

the next wood ones i make will hopefully be out of burly maple or some 'burly' (swirly) wood.

 

[SOLOLUCKY]

well i went to Hobby Lobby last night to look for casting materials for making my own grips. boy am i ignorant...of the terms used in the art world! like Gesso..what the heck is that!
I was looking for latex to make the mold, liquid/gel resin or acrylic to make the grips and a release agent to let the new grip pop out. sounded simple. i did not see one common term (understandable to me anyway).:aargh4:
i guess more research is necessary or asking someone knowledgable on the subject.
boy DO I HAVE A LOT TO LEARN ON THIS SUBJECT.
i'm not real artsy...more creative if that makes sense.

 

[QKShooter]

Casting your own grips

Check out POLYTEK
Here Is The Link Click Here

They also have a tips & hints section ~ Check that out.

Gesso has nothing at all to do with casting.

Do not buy latex for a mold making material. It's a pain in the ass with all of those many coats required & it deforms & shrinks. :nono:

Check out PolyTek. Good company...should answer many of your questions. You can buy the Trial Pak sizes to make a mold to cast something as small as 1911 grips.

 

[SOLOLUCKY]

EXCELLENT QK!!:danceban:
thanks a lot.
that is the type of site i was looking for.
a store. an advice/how to section, wonderful.
you da man!
i see an order in my future:hand10:

thats why i visit this forum soooo frequently.
great people:congrats:

 

[QKShooter]

I've ordered from them before.
Very good company. Very helpful.
I did all of my home ornamental plaster restoration from molds that I made w/ their compounds. They work very well.

 

[Bruces45]

QK, wasn't that you that posted a home made jig for making 1911 grips? It was a while ago, and I could be think about something else, but I remember seeing the jig.

 

[maclean3]

FWIW, Gesso is a canvas primer used in oil painting. It's sort of like using a sealant coat on your house walls before you paint with the latex/oil coat. It's used to prevent the corrosives in the oil based paints and mineral spirits/ solvents from degrading the canvas material - mostly important if you want your paintings to last long term (like 50 or 100 years).

See Ma? College wasn't a total waste! :lolp:
Jack

 

[QKShooter]

maclean knows

He knows what Gesso is! :biggrin2:
Yes, Gesso is basically a canvas or board primer used as a base coat for both acrylic painting & painting in oil.
The old style Gesso was White Lead in oil...kinda dangerous.
All Gesso these days is almost identical to white acrylic latex primer...though a bit purer & pH neutral.

Yes, I did show photos of a jig used to lathe turn 1911 grips.