Making Pistol Grips

[FishDFly]

I have in the past made pistol grips for Ingrham Underhammer pistols by modifying them.

Modifying them entailed taking them apart, routing the insides, adding weight to them at the bottom (fishing weights) and gluing them together.

After that I would use Bondo (remember that from the 1960's for car body repairs?) to build up the grips to fit my hand like a glove. After that they would get a coat of crinkle paint and a clear coat of MinWax gloss.

Question is, I have some new pistols I want to make grips for, but it is a waste to buy a quart of Bondo to make grips for 1 or 2 pistols. Anyone have a smaller/cheaper thing to use versus a quart of Bondo that will do the same thing?

It needs to be putty like, so you can wiggle your hand out of when it starts to set up and it and slightly carve it.

I see some uses to make grips for revolvers here also.

 

[Artificer]

I have in the past made pistol grips for Ingrham Underhammer pistols by modifying them.

Modifying them entailed taking them apart, routing the insides, adding weight to them at the bottom (fishing weights) and gluing them together.

After that I would use Bondo (remember that from the 1960's for car body repairs?) to build up the grips to fit my hand like a glove. After that they would get a coat of crinkle paint and a clear coat of MinWax gloss.

Question is, I have some new pistols I want to make grips for, but it is a waste to buy a quart of Bondo to make grips for 1 or 2 pistols. Anyone have a smaller/cheaper thing to use versus a quart of Bondo that will do the same thing?

It needs to be putty like, so you can wiggle your hand out of when it starts to set up and it and slightly carve it.

I see some uses to make grips for revolvers here also.

At the price of epoxy putties that may not work and cost as much or more, if you like Bondo, I'd stick with it.

Gus

 

[FishDFly]

At the price of epoxy putties that may not work and cost as much or more, if you like Bondo, I'd stick with it.

Gus

Thanks will do. I was hoping there was something new on the market that I did not know about. Off to the store.

 

[Eutycus]

I made a pair of grips out of the old cracked wooden ones. A little sanding ,then coated them with J B Weld.A little more sanding then I painted them white with appliance enamal and now I got "Ivory" grips. I'd send a picture but they are on one of my unmemtionable revolvers.

 

[Eutycus]

Oh, that was the original J.B.Weld not the new stuff that dries in a few minutes. I think its available in pint size containers.

 

[Eutycus]

Reckon Zonie will let this slide by?

 

[Phil Coffins]

I’ll stick with making them of wood.
IMG_0400 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

 

[Phil Coffins]

Another that needed better wood and the holster my buddy made for it.
IMG_1277 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

A couple of grips I made for my Rem 1858. Got the wood from Loews wood sample bins

 

[ZUG]

I purchased some semi-finished wood from some place that I forgot of and just needed to have final sanding and finish applied.