Homemade Grips

[cmanhome]

Just trying out making a set of grips for a Accu-Tec 380. I am using Cocobolo wood as it has rich color and designs in it. These were bought to turn bowls in my wood lathe, which I never got around to doing. Anyone else ever tried this that can offer some advice, I am all ears. I have the basic shape already cut out and fixing to start the hard part of giving it some shape. If it turns out to be a flop then I can go back to the original grips (plastic)
Let me hear from you members.
Cmanhome
NRA member
Consealed weapons permit class taken & waiting for license to come back.
Belong to several Gun Forums
Retired Computer Tech Specialist ( UNIVAC )
Corvette enthusiast and driver (95 Coupe, black on black )
Survivor of 38 years marriage to my wife Virginia (who shoots with me at times)
l8r

 

[jr_roosa]

I am in the process of making some walnut grips for a Daisy 747 (the plastic grips were driving me nuts). It's been both harder and easier than I imagined. It was harder because I did some things backwards (shaped the grips before getting them mounted on the pistol...they were gigantic and I had to do a lot more shaping), but easier because I'm surprised how professional they are starting to look.

I found that the sooner you can get them roughed out and able to mount on the pistol, the better. Get all the surfaces and holes that are in contact with the frame done first. Once you can mount the grips on the gun, you can hold it and immediately tell where there needs to be more material removed to fit your hands just right. Take a little off, put them back on the pistol, take a little more off, etc.

I roughed them out with power tools (drum sander, dremel, saw) and left them plenty big. The fine work was all done with hand files and sandpaper, working slowly to get the fit and shape just right for my hands.

I overdrilled the stock screw holes and had to fill them with epoxy to re-drill. It sounds like you have a drill press, I was trying to make do with a hand drill.

I'm planning on finishing with a boiled linseed oil finish (Tried and True Danish Oil) that I've been wanting to try for a while. We'll see how it looks.

Also, if it doesn't work quite right the first time, get another chunk of cocobolo and try again applying the lessons you learned. I feel like my second pair of grips will be 10 times better than the ones I made this time.

Post some pictures when you're done!

Good luck.

-J.

 

[Zundfolge]

I made a set of Cocobolo grips for a RAP 401 (later gifted them to my brother for his RAP 440).

I found several interesting things. First off, I've read that some people have problems with the oils in fruitwoods, so you should probably wear a mask while working the wood. (some people get a bad rash when the oils get on their skin. If you do, then imagine what happens if you inhale some of the sawdust!).

Cocobolo can crack easily if worked too hard, so take your time especially when drilling for the screw holes. Make sure you have a quality, SHARP, countersinking bit ... ESPECIALLY if you're using a Forstner bit (one that drills a flat bottomed countersink) if you have access to a drill press, here's where you'll really want one.

What I found worked real well was to drill my holes, counter sink them and then screw the entire cut but unshaped grip down to a hunk of wood and then start on it with a palm sander.

Once I got it all shaped with the palm sander and have worked my way down to the real fine grit sand paper, I put the felt buffing wheel bit on the Dremel and went to town ... got it to a glass like finish, then just rubbed them down with Tung Oil.


Here's how mine turned out.

 

[cmanhome]

Cocobolo grips

Your grips really look good, hope mine turn out that well. Your grips are basically the same shape as on my Accu-Tec 380 and I am going to use Tung oil to
finish off mine also. The cocobole does in fact break very easily, as I found out.
I appreciate all the advice and help with new ideas.
cmanhome

 

[jr_roosa]

Follow-up...

I just put on the first coat of Tried and True Danish Oil on my walnut grips. It's basically just polymerized linseed oil without any metal hardeners or solvents. It looks really good. Might be worth a try if you can find it near you. I'll post a picture after a few coats are on.

I'm trying it because I like that it's old school and I wanted to pick up a can anyway for cutting boards and my kitchen knife handles. Apparently you can eat the stuff (if you're into that sort of thing) since there's nothing in it but linseed oil. I also thought it would be useful for some of my other guns that have oil finished stocks...I get worried about using anything that might leave a shiny coat on those.

Here's their website if you're interested:

http://www.triedandtruewoodfinish.com/

-J.