Making fake stag grips (EDITTED)

[Black River Smith]

Since no one has responded to real, I will pose this to anyone that made or makes fake grips.

I have a question for those that have seen alot of real or fake or makes them grips.

Have you made any one-piece real stag grips made for SAA?

I am making fake stag from an urethane block for SAA clone.  I cannot decide on one piece or two-piece grips.  I guess from photos of originals that two piece are the most commonly done, buuuutttt.  One piece will be easier and cheaper because of drilling the guide pin in the brass trigger guard; making the pin; drilling the panels for a screw and buying the screw / escheon for a two piece set.  Both can be done without too much trouble.

Any comments or suggestions?  I know it boils down to just "what I want to do" but I would like comments from people with more exposure to originals or real or what has been made, than just my limited looking on the gun selling sites.

Thanks

[santee]

I have stag grips with the estrucheon screw hidden on the strong side. This gives the appearance of a one piece. Over time the screw pushed through the hidden side and I had to have the original maker fix it. Basically he made them a two piece. Never minded because the beauty isn't where the stew hole is!

[Coffinmaker]

I personally haven't made Stag or even fake Stag grips.  I have however, made quite a few custom one piece grips for my personal guns.
they are actually three pieces.  There are the grip panels and the internal fillet or spacer.  Stick em together with Epoxy.  One real very
important caveat though.  RELEASING AGENT.  One absolutely MUST coat the Gripframe with a releasing agent.  I use Vaseline.
Failure to use a good releasing agent will result in .......... Permanence.

Coffinmaker

[Black River Smith]

Thanks for the comments.

These grips were for a Uberti Millenium Matte that I wanted to try making stag grips for (Movie Western look).  Well I did make the two piece grips with a screw but used pins and spacers rather than drilling the trigger guard for a pin.  It all worked out nice.  But, once these flat ivory looking panels were on I took a liking to them and did not grind in ridges and ruts for a stag look.

Now that I have done these grips with the screw attachment look, I am still thinking about really wanting to still do a stag look on a different SAA.

Coffinmaker,
I believe I did see your suggestion about vaseline somewhere in here before I started these and I did use that material.  At one point I thought I missed a spot but it finally came loose with no issues.

[hp246]

I had sets of Elk grips made for my two Uberti 73 pistols.  They are the one piece design.  A hardwood block was used as a spacer.  FYI The guy I was working with learned the hard way that the brass and steel grip frames are different dimensions.  I have one of each.  The  brass grip frame is just a tad bit wider that the steel grip frame.  The elk looks really nice.  I also have sets made up for my Rugers.

[Black River Smith]

hp246,

I am certain those elk antler grip look really nice and set off the pistols.

I have done a 'three piece - one piece' grip on an 1851 Navy using Corion but this was the first time I really want to try a two piece.  I just was uncertain about what was the most commonly seen form of grip.

I would really like to put my hand on some real antler large enough for grips but I do not hunt; could not afford a game hunt for elk; nor could I afford what they are worth just to buy some, so I use what I can get.

One time I made knife slabs from a cow bone I got from the meat market.  I dremelled ridges in it and stained it to look like stag.  It was large enough for that but not a grip panel.

[hp246]

You might want to go as far as your nearest pet store.  They sell pieces of antler in a variety of sizes for pet chews.  I know they have to be "stabilized."  I'm not exactly sure how that is done, but I bet it's available somewhere online.  It probably isn't elk, but the sizes are fairly large and would certainly be enough for a grip slab.

[Black River Smith]

Thanks, for the guidance and info.  You are right I did see some antler piece one time at an outlet mail location.  But I thought they were too small at the time.  I will check again.

Stabilizing bone is just letting it dry out.  I did that to the cow bone before using for the knife slabs.  It just makes certain that the bone doesn't dry and shrink once finished.  Clean off all meat (I like to scrape and water simmer) first, chemical dry then let sit, warm air circulation.  Then place in toaster oven at a low temp for awhile then let sit, longer.  Do not like chemical hardeners.

[wildman1]

I used Tru Oil filler and then Tru Oil to finish the elk grips on my 45's. wM1