This is part 7 of the series, if you missed the others you can find them here:
parts one, two, three, four, five & six
Back to working the grip panels. Once fitted and shaped, I then moved to a 1/2 round file to begin contouring the wood
Getting close, the trick is to mimic the Ruger factory grips in shape and profile, but also making sure both sides are identical
It might be hard to tell, but progress is being made, once close I removed the tape, then I switched to sand paper and sanded the wood and metal as one
I had to decide what to do with the bottom of the grips. I could leave them flat or chamfer them like the factory ones
I decided to leave them flat, like the Colt's.
Here they are done, 600 grit finish, they are not perfect, but they feel amazing in the hand
1st coat of Minwax oil finish, rubbed in hard, let it set up for 10 min, then polish with lint free cotton (old t-shirt)
The gun will be completely dis-assembled and cleaned, the sanding dust got into every nook and cranny.
I then sanded and polished all the scratches out of the brass grip frame
final coat, a quick and gentle rub with 0000 steel wool gets them ready for duty.
And that brings a close to this project....time to get to work on the next one
Wow! I am a six gun fan and that is a beautiful gun.
ReplyDeleteClarification please.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of this project you speak of a 1851 brass frame, however by the middle of the project you describe the brass frame as being an 1860.
Is it an 1851? 1860? Both?
Great job!
I originally thought it to be an 1860 grip frame (and that is how it was advertised on ebay), but as it turned out it is the smaller 1851 Navy grip frame.
ReplyDeleteYou know what's truly annoying? I remember seeing that blackhawk for sale and going "should I buy it? Do I have the skills to put it back togeth- oh, it's now sold."
ReplyDelete