Michael Tinker Pearce
Member
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2016
- Messages
- 1,578
Time to take the wraps off a new project. My day-job can be pretty physically brutal and I'm not getting any younger; the day will come when my ability to do my work will be limited. I've been casting about for something to do that will be less hard on my much-abused body to supplement our income that will take less of a toll, and a few months ago I identified a possibility.
Many of you know I've been making pistol grips for a few years now, and getting better at it as I go along. I haven't sold them because they needed to be better and more consistent. But more importantly I could not sell them for a reasonable price; the labor cost of the inletting them drove them above market price. This spring it occurred to me that I might be able to use technology to mitigate that expense. I bought a small CNC router and commenced to give myself a crash course in CAD/CAM. There was a lot of trial and error; it was a trial and mostly in error. But yesterday I ran my first part. Not perfect; I didn't choose the correct starting point and the grip ran off the top of the stock, but it's an easy fix.
This is the right-side grip for a S&W square-butt K-frame. Today I'll optimize the program, run another (that fits on the stock this time,) clean it up as use it as a master. I'll mirror the 3D model to produce the right-side grip and Bob's Your Uncle. I'll also be doing masters for an N-frame square-butt and a K-frame round butt. I'll likely branch out to single-actions as well; just have to see how it goes. The idea is to use exceptional wood with a very high finish and offer them for sale as one-offs; I may develop specific models at some point. Have to see how it goes.
Not going to get rich at this, but I don't have to; I'm just looking for a way to supplement my income as I get older. Will anyone buy them? Who knows? I'll give it a shot and see what happens.
Many of you know I've been making pistol grips for a few years now, and getting better at it as I go along. I haven't sold them because they needed to be better and more consistent. But more importantly I could not sell them for a reasonable price; the labor cost of the inletting them drove them above market price. This spring it occurred to me that I might be able to use technology to mitigate that expense. I bought a small CNC router and commenced to give myself a crash course in CAD/CAM. There was a lot of trial and error; it was a trial and mostly in error. But yesterday I ran my first part. Not perfect; I didn't choose the correct starting point and the grip ran off the top of the stock, but it's an easy fix.
This is the right-side grip for a S&W square-butt K-frame. Today I'll optimize the program, run another (that fits on the stock this time,) clean it up as use it as a master. I'll mirror the 3D model to produce the right-side grip and Bob's Your Uncle. I'll also be doing masters for an N-frame square-butt and a K-frame round butt. I'll likely branch out to single-actions as well; just have to see how it goes. The idea is to use exceptional wood with a very high finish and offer them for sale as one-offs; I may develop specific models at some point. Have to see how it goes.
Not going to get rich at this, but I don't have to; I'm just looking for a way to supplement my income as I get older. Will anyone buy them? Who knows? I'll give it a shot and see what happens.
