Making one piece grips for Single Action Army

[Love Life]

I used a clear grain filler, and it worked pretty well. I think next time I’ll use the oil and slurry from sanding to fill the pores. Thank you for all the compliments. I’ve worked at this for a bit and am always trying to get better. I’ve got some really nice walnut and maple in the stash that I’ll be working with next. Stay tuned!!

[Love Life]

Cutting blanks for the next set, lol.

[Pressman]

Cutting with a hand saw? Is there a story here?

[Love Life]

No bandsaw, lol.

[StrawHat]

Yep, not everyone has access to power tools. Besides, even with access, I prefer my old hand tools. I have fashioned one piece stocks with hand saws, hand planes, rasps, and scrapers. You can also whittle them but you have to be much better with a Barlow than I am!

Kevin

[W.R.Buchanan]

Dick: Your grips look really nice ! great job.

How is your BPM Hand Press holding up? Let me know how it's working for you.

Randy

[woodbutcher]

Hi LoveLife.That`s some good looking"lumber"there.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[pietro]

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Now, you can try your hand at a real one-piece grip next...….

Since the Colt SAA (including it's clones & cap-n-ball grandfathers) have a two piece grip frame, I've made a grip via inletting e solid block of wood for both the frontstrap/mainspring & the rear strap/

It was challenging, but IMO the challenge makes the result very satisfying.

[Markopolo]

wow.. what a cool winter project!!!

[Love Life]

.

Now, you can try your hand at a real one-piece grip next...….

Since the Colt SAA (including it's clones & cap-n-ball grandfathers) have a two piece grip frame, I've made a grip via inletting e solid block of wood for both the frontstrap/mainspring & the rear strap/

It was challenging, but IMO the challenge make the result very satisfying.

I’ve considered it, but I can get a set of unfinished Uberti one piece grips for $35 lol.

What thickness was the blank you started with? What did you inlet them with?

[pietro]

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I started with a 3"x4" block of walnut remnant I bought @ a local hobby woodworker's shop for $10, then squared/trued the surfaces.

After inletting the straps first, I used a saw to cut the block down to a rough shape/size.

I used chisels & gouge-type inletting tools (I've long made rifle stocks from scratch) to inlet the straps.

The outside was shaped with rasps/files, then sanded/finished as normally done.

As I mentioned - a challenging, but satisfying, project.


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[Love Life]

I’d love to see what tools you used. I have chisels, but that’s about it for major wood removal. I have a nice block of marble cake English walnut. It’s 3 wide by 5 in tall by 2.5 in thick. I was going to slab it out to get a couple sets of grips, but a carved true one piece set would be cool.

Here is the block:

[pietro]

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The best tool is the one between your ears - I'm confident that you'll figure it out, and make do with whatever you have on hand.

The hardest part about using that block would IMO be figuring out which way to turn the block to expose the best figure ( a happy enough chore).

.

[NBraun]

They look good. This is something i'd love to try, just not sure i have the patience for it!

[StrawHat]

Is there any advantage to a one piece vs three piece grip.

Kevin

[pietro]

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Just the satisfaction of working with one's hands to be able to fashion the one-piece grip....

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[Love Life]

Is there any advantage to a one piece vs three piece grip.

Kevin

I guess you could say strength. True one piece grips will not have the halves separate, lol. Modern one piece grips are actually made of 3 pieces. 2 panels and a spacer. The spacer is glued in place, and may or may not have pins as well. These can come apart, but I’d say it’s pretty rare. Colts were originally supplied with one piece grips because colt had the machinery and know how to do it based off of their earlier revolvers having one piece grips. It’s really all about aesthetics now. I like the one piece grips that are multiple pieces glued together because you can book match the panels. I also like true one piece grips because they are pretty much going to last forever, lol.

2 piece grip panels have a screw and escutcheon to attach them to the grip frame as well as a pin in the frame.

[StrawHat]

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Just the satisfaction of working with one's hands to be able to fashion the one-piece grip....

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When I was much younger, that is the way I thought. I would whittle a stock out of a solid block. Barrel inletting was done with chisels (I guess it still is). I made much of the furniture for my rifles, locks from kits etc. Now, my time is at a premium. Others can build a lock better than I can

Three piece stocks are a bit easier for me to fashion.

Kevin

[StrawHat]

I guess you could say strength. True one piece grips will not have the halves separate, lol. Modern one piece grips are actually made of 3 pieces. 2 panels and a spacer. The spacer is glued in place, and may or may not have pins as well. These can come apart, but I’d say it’s pretty rare. Colts were originally supplied with one piece grips because colt had the machinery and know how to do it based off of their earlier revolvers having one piece grips. It’s really all about aesthetics now. I like the one piece grips that are multiple pieces glued together because you can book match the panels. I also like true one piece grips because they are pretty much going to last forever, lol.

Modern wood glues produce a joint stronger than the wood itself. Many of the older glues are equally strong. I have a couple of three piece stocks forty years old and at least one my Pop did years older.

2 piece grip panels have a screw and escutcheon to attach them to the grip frame as well as a pin in the frame.

Two piece stocks belong on S&W revolvers.

Kevin

[Love Life]

Modern wood glues produce a joint stronger than the wood itself. Many of the older glues are equally strong. I have a couple of three piece stocks forty years old and at least one my Pop did years older.




Two piece stocks belong on S&W revolvers.

Kevin

I’ve used gorilla original, gorilla white, gorilla wood glue, and hide glue on boards to test strength. With all of them, the wood failed, not the glue. So I agree that they are definitely strong and more than adequate to hold grips together, lol.