 |
Dave Corbin
|
FAQ
I will always do my best to answer every question I receive, however I am a one man band and I currently answer 20 to 30 questions DAILY. Many of the questions could have been answered by reading the whole listing, but others are unique. I created this space to try to resolve the unique questions.
PLEASE NOTE: All my grips are made of a tough polyurethane plastic resin. The descriptions include a color, such as ivory or aged ivory, black, pearl, abalone, red, purple, etc. None of these colors means that the grips are made of a material named red, black, ivory, pearl, etc. The price should be a clue!
All my grips are made for the person who wants (A) to save some money by getting semi-finished grips and finishing them and (B) to make a better fit for his particular gun than is likely to happen with any grips made to a model gun somewhere else.
You should buy only if you expect to do 20-30 minutes of simple work sanding to fit, polishing a bit, getting the rough edges smoothed off, perhaps drilling a pin locating hole in some grips or using a moto tool to remove some material from the back to clear a safety operator or grip release that passes under the grip. Also, the grips are poured oversize slightly, so you can sand them to fit perfectly. They are thicker than final dimension in most cases, and you will want to sand the backs flat (a good start is made here, but you need to finish it to get the size perfect for your gun).
One grip may be a little thicker than the other. Final thickness is created during flattening of the back by sanding, as described below and on the www.TombstoneGrips.com website (which has downloadable PDF files you can print, including specifics on the 1911, general 2 piece and 3 piece kits).
These are not flaws. They are the reason the grips are sold as semi-finished, and not for two to five times the price. This model of doing business makes it possible to offer grips that sell in small quantities, for unusual guns...hard to find grips, in other words, that no one could afford to make in finished form and stock because there wouldn't be enough sales.
But I make the grips after you buy, so I don't usually have inventory sitting around getting dusty. You get new grips, made to old patterns. Some of the patterns came from original 100 year old grips, so they show a little of the same character. And I can make them in any color. Some colors cost a little more. Aged ivory and ivory are generally the lowest cost. Pearl and abalone are the highest cost. Black and solid colors are in the middle. The reason is the chemistry involved, cost of materials, and amount of work it takes. Color isn't just grabbing another crayon...it is a complex mix of chemistry and artistry, where the final result isn't seen until the material cures.
Any grip can be made in ivory or aged ivory at the listed price. Unless a listing is specifically for a certain color grip, the price of colors is separate and can be found on the Tombstone Gun Grips store. Order a grip, then order the color, and I'll combine invoices and send you one. Don't pay for each one separately, and try not to order colors by themselves or a long time from when you order the grip! Makes it harder if I get an order, make it, ship it, and then a day later you order the color by itself... all listings have a default color you get if you don't order something different or send a message (e-mail) to request another color.
When you order more than one item at a time, I'll combine the invoices and send you one to pay, with just one shipping charge no matter how many grips you order. But you have to wait for that invoice. If you pay each one separately, it makes adjustments a lot more complex.
Here are some answers to specific queries:
1) The coloration/tint of all my grips is completely through the grip. It is added to the epoxy before it is poured into the mold. when I see someone has ordered two or more of the same grip, I mix the tint in quart batches so the color is consistant in all of their order.
2) The STAG EFFECT in all my grips is painted into the Stag cuts before the resin is poured. I use Flat Brown and Flat Black tints to achieve the effect. The grip is poured and the excess is sanded off. No two grips will ever look the same.
3) I do my best to describe what weapon the grip was designed to fit. There are hundreds of guns and models. I am not a gun expert by any stretch. I don't know if a grip will fit your 1834 Wizzer. The listings often give dimensions, which you can compare to your grips. Also, you can look up your model and see if it is the same as another model with different sights or caliber or just a renaming like S&W often did to the same basic gun over time. Finally, you can send me a tracing of your existing grips, and when I have time I will try to match them to mine and see if I can find a close enough fit. Sometimes I can clone a grip by making a mold using your grip, but it is a time consuming process, so I don't offer this as a bid item.
4) I pour all my grips by hand and ship in groups. I will always do my best to keep within my advertised shipping at 20 BUSINESS days after receipt of payment. The reason it may take that long is that I am a one-person operation making everything by hand, and there are simply a LOT of jobs to do.
5) Please feel free to ask if I have a grip available that is not currently listed. I have many grips waiting to be cloned and that grip might be among them.
6) I can pour any grip in any color of the rainbow and Black. At the end of each listing, you are offered your choice of color. (That paragraph was authorized and written by eBay and is approved by them). If you do not email me with a color choice, you will receive the default color shown in that particular listing. See details above for pricing on different colors.
7) If you are making multiple purchases, please do so, but DO NOT PAY UNTIL I SEND YOU A COMBINED INVOICE. This keeps the paperwork and errors down and alows me to accurately charge the shipping fees.
8) I do not drill grip allignment holes, cut the mounting screw to length or put a final polish on any of my grips. These are simple setps you can do yourself and save a lot of money. I have outlined these procedures in my fitting instructions. I usually DO drill the mounting holes and install mounting screws in most grips which use a single, through-the-grip screw. I do NOT provide mounting screws for most other grips. You need to use your existing screws where the "nut" is not embedded in the grip. If it is, then I normally provide both the installed nut and the screw.
Assembly Suggestions for Two Piece Gun Grips
This document is an offering of suggestions for fitting our two-piece gun grip set. It is not intended as a step by step guide. Some assumptions are made about your skills in the use of hand tools. I could write a novel about this work, but I will just try to guide you thru the process. I am not an expert; I just have ruined my fair share of grips by being in a hurry or trying to do something out of logical sequence. Please read through the entire document before starting to fit the grips.
You will notice some things with my grips are different than you find on a set made by Ajax, Eagle, etc, other than the price. Please remember, my grips are hand poured, one at a time, not injection molded by the thousands or cut on a CNC milling machine by the hundreds.
Our grip set is intentionally oversize. You will need to carefully sand each piece to fit your particular weapon. I have not put a polished finish on these grips because with the amount of sanding, and handling you will be doing, any finish I put would be long gone by the time you complete fitting the grips. You perhaps will find some areas on the front of the moothgrips that seem to be shinier than others. This is the mold release residue. Gentle sanding with 320 grit sandpaper will remove it before you begin the polishing process.
I strongly recommend the first thing you do after you remove your old grips is to check to be sure the new ones are in fact large enough to fit the frame. You will have to remove any alignment pins in the frame to accomplish this step. They should push out, or gently tap them out with a drift punch and a small hammer. If the grips are not flat on the frame, that is OK, you will correct this in the next two steps. If they seem to be larger than the frame, that will also be corrected by sanding the back flat and marking the excess with a Sharpie. Then simply sand off the excess. In most cases it will be a very small amount. BE CAREFUL and don over do it.
Now completely clean the gun and check all screws and springs. Then file off all the casting burrs and assorted lumps on the frame and hammer area. This is the only way you will achieve a tight fit of your new grips. Colt clone back frames are usually investment castings. The assembly plant hardly ever removes any of the burrs, and uneven areas of the frame. The wood grips will simply conform to the irregularities, Poly WILL NOT, it will crack. Reassemble the frame without the grips and set it aside for now.
Look at the bottom of the grip panels. You will possibly see some of the excess I have left by over-pouring the mold. Over pouring means I have filled the mold with epoxy such that it runs over the edge. This creates a grip about 1/32thicker and slightly wider than the original grip used to make the master mold. I intentionally over pour the mold to insure you have plenty enough material in the grip panel to compensate for variations in frame dimensions. If you see areas near the edge of the grip that are shiny, the grips are not perfectly flat. Take some 120 grit sandpaper and attach it to a flat surface. You can use tacks, glue, whatever you prefer, but be sure it is flat and not going to move. Set the panel on your sandpaper and start sanding GENTLY with a back and forth motion. Insure your hands are keeping the grip flat all the way around. Change to a circular motion once in a while. You are simply trying to get the bottom of the panels flat. Do not rush or over do this sanding. You are only removing about 1/32or less of material. TIP: Take a large magic marker and "paint" the entire bottom of the grip before starting to sand. (If you slop marker on the front edge of the grip, clean it off quickly with rubbing alcohol before it dries). When all the black is gone, the panel is flat, assuming your hands grip on the panel kept it flat on the sandpaper.
Lets discuss the escutcheon screw, ferule and nut. The ferule and nut are brass so they won corrode. The screw is 18-8 Stainless 5-40 x 1 3/8long. I do not cut the screw shorter. I have no tandardfor all weapons that would give me the exact length of the screw, so it is best I leave the final trimming up to you. Assemble the grip, measure how much to cut off, then take the screw out and cut it off with a bolt cutter, a bonded fiber abrasive wheel in a Moto-tool (be careful and wear eye protection!), or just a tough pair of wire cutters. Round over the edges of the threads where you cut them and you have finished.
I can not drill the alignment pin hole in the grip panels with any accuracy. As I am sure you are aware, the accuracy of the hole is critical for proper alignment of the grip panels. You have to remove this pin to fit the grip anyhow. While it is out, carefully fit the grip to the frame, be sure it is in perfect alignment and clamp it in place. Using your choice of marking device, scribe through the hole(s) and repeat for the other panel. Drill the marked area with a drill bit that is slightly larger than the diameter of the pin.
This Poly takes a very good polish. Sand gently with 320, wet. Then switch to 400, wet then 600, wet and final polish with 1500, wet. You can buy this paper at most major home centers or hardware stores. You could also use a bench grinder with muslin wheel and white jewelers polish. The application of some quality car wax will seal the pores of the Poly very nicely on the smooth and textured grips.
The Poly will clean up well after a day's shooting with warm soapy water and a soft cloth. PLEASE take the grips off when you clean the weapon. I soaked a sample of the Poly in Acetone for two days with very little effect, but you worked hard to make the grips look good, don't jeopardize the finish on them by soaking them in cleaning fluid laced with powder residue.
Thank you for your purchase and always practice proper gun safety.
I would like to make a special request, please take time to teach a child respect for a firearm. You just might save their life.
Assembly suggestions for 3-piece (kit) grips:
This sheet is intended as an offering of suggestions for assembling our three-piece gun grip set. IT ASSUMES YOU HAVE BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF HAND TOOLS AND HAVE THE MATERIALS NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THIS TASK. It also assumes you haven attempted this type of work before. I could write a novel about this work, but I will just try to guide you thru the process. I am not an expert; I just have ruined my fair share of grips by being in a hurry or trying to do something out of logical sequence. Please read thru the entire instructions before starting to fit the grips.
Our set is intentionally oversize. You will need to carefully sand and shape each piece to fit your particular weapon. I have not put a finish on these grips because with the amount of sanding, handling and cutting you will be doing, any finish I put would be long gone by the time you complete fitting the grips. You perhaps will find some areas on the front of the grip that seem to be shinier than others. This is the mold release residue. Gentle sanding with 320 grit sandpaper will remove it before you begin the polishing process.
-
MATERIALS that would be handy to have:
-
Two sheets of 80 grit wet or dry sandpaper
-
One sheet of 180 grit wet or dry sandpaper
-
One sheet of 320 grit wet or dry sandpaper
-
One sheet of 400 grit wet or dry sandpaper
-
One sheet of 600 grit wet or dry sandpaper
-
One sheet 1500 grit wet or dry sandpaper OR a bench grinder with a muslin polishing wheel and white jewelers polish
-
Emory boards
-
Coping saw with fine tooth blade
-
Flat mill bastard files
-
Dremel tool with assorted burrs or sanding drum
-
Fine point Sharpie marking pen
-
Your favorite contact cement or Gorilla glue
-
Vaseline
-
Q Tips
-
Paper towels
I strongly recommend the first thing you do, after you remove your old grips is to check to be sure the new ones are in fact large enough to fit the frame. Now be sure the frame is completely clean and check all screws and springs. Then file off all the casting burrs and assorted lumps on the frame and hammer area. This is the only way you will achieve a tight fit of your new grips. Colt clone back frames are usually investment castings. The assembly plant hardly ever removes any of the burrs, and uneven areas of the frame. The wood grips will simply conform to the irregularities, PLASTIC WILL NOT. Reassemble the frame without the grips and set it aside for now.
Look at the bottom of the grip panels. You will possibly see some of the excess I have left by over-pouring the mold. It will appear as a shiny line near the edge of the grip. Take the 80-grit paper and attach it to a flat surface. You can use tacks, glue, whatever you prefer, but be sure it is flat and not going to move. Set the panel on your sandpaper and start sanding with a back and forth motion, changing to a circular motion once in a while. You are simply trying to get the bottom of the panels flat. Do not rush. Excessive pressure will not be necessary, you are removing slightly over 1/32of material. A trick here, take a large magic marker and aintthe entire bottom of the grip before starting to sand. When all the black is gone, the panel is flat, assuming your hands grip on the panel kept it flat on the sandpaper. A Tip here, save as much of the plastic dust as you can. You can mix it with epoxy to repair mistakes in shaping the spacer block.
Set one of the grip panels on the frame and check to see that the excess on the new grip is reasonably centered. If needed, remove some material from the top or front of the grip at the hammer area. This area forms the starting point for all the rest of the work you do. It MUST be square on the top and front surfaces, don worry about it being too high at this point. You can sand and shape it later, just get it as square as you can.
Take the Sharpie fine point marker and outline your frame on the grip. TAKE YOUR TIME. Cut the outline with the coping saw. Depending on your skill, you could use a Dremel tool with a sanding drum or shaping burr. Don try to rush. Slow and easy will result in a lot less mistakes. Repeat the process on the other panel. It is a good idea to continuously check the panels for fit on the back frame.
When you are satisfied you have the fit the way you want it, clean the grip panels in warm soapy water to remove your greasy fingerprints and set them aside to dry.
Let attack the grip spacer. Do NOT sand the edges where it will contact the grip panels at this time. Shape the spacer to fit between the hammer spring and the back strap. It must be as close to a snug fit as you can make it. Any slop here will show up as loose grips. Take your time; I have left enough material on the spacer to fit properly. Drop the spacer in place and double check the excess material sticking out of the right and left side of the back strap. Now sand ONE SIDE of the spacer flat. I use this method because it is far easier to cement two surfaces together correctly and be able to see what you are doing than try to cement the three pieces at one time. Use the same method as you did on the grip panel, and paint it with the magic marker and sand it until all the black is gone. Clean it with warm soapy water and dry it completely. Apply a THIN coat of Vaseline to the inside edge of the back frame and the hammer spring. Believe me, cement will stick quite well to these areas if you allow it to.
There are lots of glues and epoxy on the market. Il tell you about a test I did before I started marketing grips. I took some grips and spacers that I rejected for one reason or another and sanded them so the glue would stick well. I used uper glue thick formula(not the grocery store type, this is the stuff I used to build my scale R/C racing aircraft), two part epoxy (five-minute type), Gorilla glue, and contact cement. I joined the panels to the spacers and let the various glues set up overnight. The next morning I took all the assemblies out in my back yard. I threw each one of them at my wooden fence as hard as I possibly could. The uper gluefailed with the first shot. The five-minute epoxy failed after two shots, the gorilla glue never failed, the contact cement never failed, both after a significant number of attempts.
A Tip here, drill several random holes in the spacer about 3/32deep or more, on both sides and the grip panels, where the spacer will sit. When you glue your assembly, be sure to fill these holes with glue. A toothpick is handy for this job. This forms ivetsand helps increase the structural strength of the assembly. That big old hog leg does produce a recoil doesn it?
Apply a thin coat of your favorite glue to the spacer and grip panel. I like to clamp the grip to the back frame with rubber coated clamps then carefully set the spacer in place, clamping it also. BE SURE THE ASSEMBLY IS PERFECTLY ALLIGNED WITH THE BACK FRAME. Set the assembly aside to dry overnight. Follow the manufacturers instructions as far as allowing the glue to completely dry.
As far as I am concerned, the next step is the hardest to accomplish. The spacer will be sticking up higher than the spring and frame. You have to carefully sand away just enough of the spacer to be flush with the frame. I use a fine tooth tool I used to form Bondo with many years ago. It is similar to a wood rasp. Il leave the method up to you. Just don rush it. When you are satisfied with the fit, put a little Vaseline on the spring and frame and apply the glue to the panel and spacer. Check the fit and clamp. Allow the glue to completely dry. Remove the frame from the weapon and if you didn glue the spring to the grip it should slip apart.
You can now marvel at how clever you are and shape the rest of the grip assembly.
This Polly takes a very good polish. Sand gently with the 320, wet. Then switch to the 400, wet, 600 wet and final polish with 1500, wet or a muslin wheel with white jewelers polish. The poly will clean up well after a day shooting with warm soapy water and a soft cloth. PLEASE take the grips off when you clean the weapon. I soaked a sample of the Poly in Acetone for two days with very little effect, but you worked hard to make the grips look good, don jeopardize the finish on them by soaking them in cleaning fluid.
Thank you for your purchase and always practice proper gun safety.
I would like to make a special request, please take time to teach a child respect for a firearm. You just might save their life.
|
We offer tough semi-finished made-to-order polyurethane gun grips in "Ivory" and "Aged Ivory", Faux "Pearl" and all colors including black, as well as Revolver Grips, Pistol Grips, Gun Grip Blanks, Custom Gun Grips with Medallion or Inlay, Grip Caps and Buttplates for rifles and shotguns, with over 100 models for modern and out-of-production guns. 
My Polyurethane has a Tensile strength of 3000 PSI and a Shore Hardness of 70D. It is far stronger than most of the early grip materials which it replaces, but it can be made in many colors and shades. All the grips are polyurethane; the color descriptions refer to the appearance, not the material itself. 
