Show us your grips!

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Dang, Olympus how do you do it? They're all amazing. I might have to buy a real 1911 just to get a set.
 
Dang, Olympus how do you do it? They're all amazing. I might have to buy a real 1911 just to get a set.
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It's mainly just the wood. I simply expose the grain and shine it up. But thanks for the compliment!
 
My first humble attempt on a Ballester-Molina.45 (because it's what I have.;))

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I'm still trying to work out the countersink. Is there a special bit (drill, dremel, router, or other) that works? Ideally I'd like something that does both at one pass. It gets tricky to recenter.
 
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I'm still trying to work out the countersink. Is there a special bit (drill, dremel, router, or other) that works? Ideally I'd like something that does both at one pass. It gets tricky to recenter.
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If you go to a dedicated 1911 forum, there are usually stickies that give information on exact drill bits. I can never remember what the two different bits are. I keep my right beside my press, so I never pay attention to what size they are anymore. You'll want to invest in a high quality brad-point bit though. It will make getting the hole spacing a lot easier. Then you'll want to get yourself of set of transfer punches. Use the bigger of the two bits first and drill to a depth of about 1mm on the front. Then use the transfer punch that is the exact size of your second bit, and mark your center point. Then drill all the way through the grip. That's the gist of it.

Basically, there is no "right" or "wrong" way to make a grip. Everyone uses different approaches and in my opinion, it doesn't matter what road you take as long as you arrive at the finish line.
 
Thanks Olympus! I have that post saved to a document. Now I guess I'll have to buy some more tools. I hate that almost as much as having to buy more guns or cameras. I was doing it in reverse order with a poor man's drill press.

The wife's gonna have me sleeping on the screen porch yet.....
 
Springfield 1911A1 with solid silver grips from Castelan Designs. They need a good buffing but they feel and look great! The flash really makes the tiny scratches noticeable, but they aren't that noticeable.

Spring45.jpg
 
I was doing it in reverse order with a poor man's drill press.
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You don't have to have top of the line equipment. I use a fairly inexpensive tabletop drill press myself. With a drill press, what you want to look for is play in the spindle and chuck area. Most presses will be tight when in the raised position. But turn the handle and lower the spindle and check for play. If there is some play and you don't hit your mark dead center, or if there is any horizontal pressure to the bit, you're going to be slightly off on your holes.

Check your press for this. Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it won't work. For grip making, you're using very small pieces of wood and you're not drilling into anything too deep. I have a press that is dedicated to just grip making. A company can cut costs by using a smaller motor, offer less drive speeds, etc. But as long as it will drill true holes, any press will be fine for grip making.
 
CZ-75 Grip

Not as fancy as some of the others, but it looks ok and I like the feel of wood instead of the stock plastic grips.
 

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