Making a set of grips for my 1860 Army

amin ledbetter · October 30, 2009, 07:46:35 PM

Well I was going to make a set of grips for my 1860 Army FLL Pietta, from a nice piece walnut I had left over from another project. When I went to my uncles to cut it out on his band saw, he suggested I use some of the flamed Koa wood he just picked up. Man this wood is beautiful! I cut and fitted both sides of the grips and cut a center piece to tie them together from a piece of oak he had that we planed down to the correct width. I brought the pieces home, fitted everything together and glued and clamped the pieces together in the frame of the gun. The next day I started grinding and filing the grips to shape. I got them pretty close. Need a little more finish work before I dye the grips a dark mahogany and then oil finish them. Here's some pics

Curley Cole · October 30, 2009, 07:52:38 PM

DAMN fine fitting there pard. I am impressed.....Don't let Old Top see them, he just fitted 1860 tg/bs and grips to his Great Westerns...

good job.
curlrey

amin ledbetter · October 30, 2009, 08:30:17 PM

Thanks CC. I love doin stuff like this. I usually sit down in the livin room ( after puttin down a drop cloth to keep the little woman from gettin steamed ) and work on stuff like this while watchin a western.

Lotsa fun that way! Still got some sandin to do on these before finishin.

Does OT have his Westerns done? I'd like to see how they look with 60 grips and grip frames on em. Do the 60 TG/BS bolt up the GW's frame? Or do they need modified?

Forty Rod · October 31, 2009, 12:30:49 AM

Okay, you convinced me.

I have a koa plank about 1" x 10" x 30" that I've been meaning to make grips out of for 25 years or more. Seeing yours, I'm finally shamed into getting off my butt and giving it a try.

Thanks...and you've done a beautiful job.

Johnny McCrae · October 31, 2009, 08:57:57 AM

Howdy amin,

Beautiful job on your Grips! Very professional! Thanks for sharing this with us.

Paladin UK · November 01, 2009, 01:47:53 PM

Fer amin ledbetter............

JEST ..... IMOHO..........

Pard those are Booootiful as they are!! There is NO WAY I would slap dark mahogany die on them!! Oil `em up fer sure but NO DIE!!

But there your grips `n` you must know what you want!!

Paladin (What will mind his own business now) UK

Forty Rod · November 01, 2009, 02:17:58 PM

Quote from: Paladin UK on November 01, 2009, 01:47:53 PM
Fer amin ledbetter............

JEST ..... IMOHO..........

Pard those are Booootiful as they are!! There is NO WAY I would slap dark mahogany die on them!! Oil `em up fer sure but NO DIE!!

But there your grips `n` you must know what you want!!

Paladin (What will mind his own business now) UK

I have to agree with Paladin on this. They are gorgeous the way they are, and koa takes on a depth and dimension when oiled or clear-coated that is beyond belief.

Deadeye Dick · November 02, 2009, 10:30:25 AM

They are beautiful the way they are, but they will even be more beautiful with some dark dye on them. Go for it!

Curley Cole · November 02, 2009, 02:44:28 PM

AL
Here is one of Tops guns with the '60 grips..They required a set of 1860 screws to mate. (the Great Western screws wouldn't fit. Now Top is tryin to talk Alcamista outta a set of wide triggers to go with it.)

And he carries them in his custom "man with no name" rig made for him by Paul of RedDog Leather. Also has a Will Ghormley belt buckle on it.

Looks pretty good don't it

curley

amin ledbetter · November 02, 2009, 05:07:51 PM

That is awesome looking CC. The grips look great on there. I have to try that on one of mine. The 1860 grips are, in my opinion, the best feeling of all the early Colts. The rig is awesome. Will Ghormley buckle? The buckle is beautiful. Does Will have a website? I'll google it!

I have done a test piece of the Koa wood with the Dark Mahogany dye on it. It also has an oil finish over it. I will take some pics and post them here soon.

amin ledbetter · November 02, 2009, 07:49:06 PM

Here is a pic of my test piece. This is dyed with the Dark Mahogany dye reduced with 4 parts water. I applied it in two stages to get the right depth. Then I sanded the raised grain down with ultra fine steel wool before applying the oil finish. This pic was taken inside my house tonight. I will get some more pics of it tomorrow in sun light if possible.

Curley Cole · November 03, 2009, 01:22:02 AM

amin
Test piece looks good.
Yup the buckle ya see in the pix is from Will Ghormley (willghormley-maker.com) I also have that buckle in sterling silver (see pix) and he does the "hand of god" crosses from 3:10 to Yuma. The leather from Tops rig is by Paul Combest of RedDog Leather i n Kentuckey. great work.

good shootin
curley

amin ledbetter · November 03, 2009, 08:43:48 AM

Thanks CC! I bookmarked his page, and I'm sending him my order for a couple Hand of God Crucifixes. Been looking for those. He makes some amazing stuff! I bookmarked his page. Thanks again CC!