My first scan (pistol grip)

[sirsumm]

Well, I finally got my scanning probe. What a neat toy!!!! Anyway, hunting season is almost here in Montana. I scanned the grips to my "new army" black powder revolver. I have been playing with putting a texture on the surface of the grips. I think that the CW will most certainly make nicer checkering patterns than I have been able to by hand.

Jason

[leesheridan]

Nice job. That was my reason for getting the prob, my guns. We had a gun show here two weeks ago and I tried to get the screws and nuts but no one had any so Brownells it is. I even tried the Cabel's store in Idaho. I have been looking at some of the exotic woods to recarve my grips in also. I gave my son the gun just like the one you scaned so I'll use it for him.
Thanks

[sirsumm]

Mike,
let me know how they carve. I was thinking that the holes for the hardware may turn out funny. They looked tapered to me in designer. From what I can tell the probe can't scan drilled holes. I tried to scan my reloading block, and it came out really strange. Looked like a series of cones.

Jason

[BobHill]

Jason,

Now you need to scan the backsides and center both sides to correspond for carving and making a tight fit for the grips. Make a mark at where the bolt hole will go, then make the real hole (Drill with vector) in Designer). Give that a try.

Bob

[sirsumm]

Bob,
How would you hold the grips to scan the back side? All I did to hold them on the front side was tape them to my sled. I am thinking that it will be difficult to flip the grips over and hold them in the same location as the front side.

Jason

[BobHill]

Jason,

Try making an outline silhouette so you can turn the one side over and fit it exactly onto where you had the other side on your sled. Same with the other side of the grip. See if that doesn't work.

Bob

[leesheridan]

Jason, I was just going to make the grips and then put them up to the gun and mark from the bottom where they go and drill a small pilot hole and then turn it around and do the finish drilling from the front. I won't even think of drilling until I have the nuts for the holes do to the fact that they are nurled and rely on a thight fit. With that cal of gun or any gun for that matter I want the grips to withstand the force of the shot. Then also I always trial fit anything I put onto a gun and if it works fine I break it back down and use locktight. I think the best source for the right nuts and screws would be Brownell's but you may have another source. Also I'm going to be modifing the grips for my guns so that they fit my hands which means going thicker and as such the screw lenght will change. I'll be looking for longer screws and just cut them to the right size. The screws and nuts say for the Colts are not blued but rather a brass look so changing the lenght won't be a problem there. Let me know how your first cut comes out.

[sirsumm]

Well, I tried to cut a set of grips tonight....I have mixed results. Funny how That happens when you get in a hurry. I had a 12" wide board in designer, but in reality I only had an 11.5" board near my machine. So it scaled down a little. The carving came out nicely once it finished, small as it was. I didn't take any pictures yet, they look funny still. (I carved on the back side of another carving, and some of the edges are rough due to the breakthrough) Anyway I am impressed with the results thus far. I will try on a clean board tomorrow evening. If I am happy with that, I will try on some hardwood.

For the screws to attach, I hadn't thought about it much yet. I may take them from the original set of grips. Or I might just make them at work...I'm fortunate enough to work in a machine shop.

Jason