Madhats grips

[mrmadhat]

ok folks here is my first attempt at homemade grips, i made these out of a chunk of burl I found while in california on vacation... tools used,.. handsaw.. to initialy cut the raw wood, ..bandsaw.. to evenly cut the wood into workable waffers around 1/2" thick, ..drillpress.. as a substitute for a mill and to machine out the step on the back side of the grips, .. back to the bandsaw.. to cut out the rough shape of the birdshead, .. dremel.. to round out and shape the grips,.. drillpress.. to put the set screw holes in, I did 2 sizes of holes 1 for the screw shank to fith through and a larger hole to recess some metal studs... the studs where home made from a long nut, I turned them using the drillpress and a file to get them round,then cut them off at about 1/8" long using both the drill press and a dremel with a cutoff wheel, I then scarred some grooves in them so they whould grip the wood when pressed in(using the drillpress sort of like an arbour press.. I drilled the threads out of one side of the studs so a screw could turn freely through it. i pressed the studs in (with the drill press)and clear coated using polycoat(not the best stuff in the world but its what I had on hand)... let me know what you think

   

   

   

[mrmadhat]

   

[chopprs]

VERY NICE!!!

    The right side looks like Birdseye Maple....

   Do you have an instruction sheet that you could send to........"someone else" LOL!

[mrmadhat]

I'm sure you of all people should be able to figure it out lol and I know for a fact you have better tools for it, you just might need to get some sawdust on them pretty metal working tools you have lol... the wood is probably not eh best choice as far as density though is is redwood burl and I was a little amazed at how different the grain turned out since they are split from the same 2"x2"x1" chunk... I like them though and they only took me a couple of hours to make

[chopprs]

HAhahah..to be honest with ya, I can drive anything, Bike, boat, plane, bus, tractor-trailer.....

   I can design and make anything out of metal....

   

   but when it comes to wood I am smart enough to know I should pay someone else. Some kind of mental block or something. Not too many wood parts on a bike though so I am safe!

[zippovarga]

Beautiful Jason!!!!!!!!!!

[mrmadhat]

lol, i like to think i can make anything if i have the tools.. guess its a gift, drives some of my family and friends insane when i can just pick something up and do it the first try and they have to fight with it... im usually my own worst critic... still think i do my best work with a pencil

[chopprs]

........I do good work with a pencil too. I keep one right on the counter.....

   

   ..........so I can stab stupid customers in the eyeball!!!

   

   (my doctors say I am doing well with my anger management!)

   

   Those grips really are kewl. How long do ya think it would take to make a set now that you have had practice???

[mrmadhat]

probably a couple of hours just like befor lol...I felt i was pretty efficient first time through lol.. no boo boos, like a pro lol

[westerly1965]

Yea just gotta pipe in here and say nice grips!!  Very cool looking and I like the different tones in the different sides....just my 2 cents.

[ephraim]

Mrmadhat,

   

   Excellent work, and the wood grain is beautiful!

   

   E!

[coopercdrkey]

I like them!

   

   It's been so long since I have done any fine woodworking that you have really inspired me to go to the drying stack and see what I can find.

   

   I know there's some native black cherry as well as some really fine red oak.  There may even be some persimmon left.

   

   Fine, fine work!

[coopercdrkey]

Ooh!  I forgot about the pecan heartwood that we were saving for my buddy's kitchen cabinet face frames!

   

   It comes off the planer looking like you've dripped honey on it.  Could make some fine looking grips!

[mrmadhat]

[chas1]

mrmadhat, really nice grips, it's quite obvious that your a master-craftsman at more than just holsters. I wish you great sucess with the grips and continued sucess with the holsters.

[mrmadhat]

lol, I dont know if the grips are going to be a standard offering or not.. guess it depends lol these ones were made for me lol

[chopprs]

You do beautiful work Jason, you could work for me and I am not being a wise arse either. I am one of the pickiest priks that ever was and I don't say that to too many peeps!

   

   

   

   ......oh, you do work for me, well anyway there is the compliment!

[cedarview kid]

You do leather AND wood? Dude! ;)

[heyjoe]

Darvell post your grips you made out of a 2x4. Let Madhat have a look at the work of a master craftman.

[mrmadhat]

I do ink (tattoo and pen) pencil, paint (even did a motor cycle tank) airbrush, wood, stone carving and leather

   

   I'll be on the next flight to NY to try my hand at bikes and metal if I ever want to run away from home lol I'm a fast learner and i am maticulus at most anything I try to do.. (thats my version of a resume )

[grayelky]

Mrmadhat-

   Why not do a simple 2 thousand word resume: Show a pic of your grips and a pic of a holster.  

[kingrichard]

You're a true craftsman Mrmadhat. The difference between these grips and those made by Japedo is striking. Not to say some of Japedo's design elements weren't appealing. The protrusion toward the inside at the bottom of some of his grips looks good and might be very functional as well. But the care and skill in the making of the grips you've made make his look like rough work indeed.

[teacher]

I have a 10 foot long piece of purple heart 4 by 4 used to have 2 pieces but used one as a sampson post on my boat. Wood very hard but with amazing grain.

   

   Query if I sent you some  would you work with it/

[mrmadhat]

Japedo has some very good potential, I see it, he just needs some refinement. he will get some really good pieces out soon I am sure of that..  

   

   I may sell a few pairs of grips,we'll have to see depending on my availability of time and my eagerness to part with the wood I have stashed for personal projects lol.... most of the burl I found I have planned on using for things.. poor mans souvenirs lol, I make allot of them out of things the family and i find on our adventures. I will try and find some pics of some of my odds and ends "gifts" and treasures lol its sad when you can walk into a gift shop look at something say its cool and you want it, decide it cost to much and you can make it your self, then spend time in the area you visited finding the materials to make them... my souvenirs are the materials and then i turn them into something either my family or I would like....

[mrmadhat]

Teacher,

   we may be able to figure something out, send me an email and we can discuss it further

[tocsn40]

those are truely nice the grips go very well with the cylinder on that gun.

[cedarview kid]

LOL, Joe. That's funny. Ok, first of all, I was in high school 25 years ago when I made my revolver grips from a pine two-by-four. I made a knife handle, too--as well as the blade. And all with an electrical wheel sander.

   

   I guess I should post pics of them again so you can see the results of a master at work. ROFL.

[Uncle_Lee]

OK, I also think you do grips just as beautiful as the holsters.

   Will you be doing boot grips?

   I will be needing two sets near the same for the new breaktops.

[mrmadhat]

probably wont touch the boot grips unless I buy some better tools for doing it, but I may look into it if I feel the payoff is worth it

[cedarview kid]

Well, I'm gonna need matching wood and leather for my two break-tops. Haven't decided yet what I want for them. I'm leaning toward boot grips right now, or something similar, and maybe a double holster.

[mrmadhat]

ok folks here is another set I made this weekend, these are made from deer antler.. they fit a LR frame and they ARE for sale... in the pics they look pure white but in reality they are off white..

   

   

   

[heyjoe]

those are really nice grips. good work!

   

   have you considered doing some mammoth ivory grips? i dont know how hard it is to get a piece of mammoth ivory but it seems to be popular and you would be trusted to deliver the real thing.

[mrmadhat]

at the moment I am just making grips with what I have on hand, I just used the last of the antler on this last set, I do have some more burl and there will be 2 sets for LR frames soon(time permitting) for sure, other grips will be made available in the near future. I dont want to pull too much time away from my holsters as I want to stay on my estimated schedules

[grayelky]

Two questions:

   1) How much are the antler grips?

   2) If I sent you the material, what would you charge to make a set of grips? Four sets? (This could be done at your own pace, when time permitted.)

   My email is lecroyl AT bellsouth DOT net

[mrmadhat]

Grayelky,

   Email sent