# First try at denim micarta 1911 grips



## deputyatnight (Feb 17, 2011)

I decided to try my hand at making some denim micarta grips.  I think they turned out pretty good.  I may try again, using different shades of blue denim, rather than using all material from the same fabric.  I thought it was a good use for my son's old Levis.  I used the denim, marine epoxy, and my 12 ton shop press.


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## Razor Blade (Feb 17, 2011)

I see nothing wrong with that, nice job. After you finish sanding them , you may want to buff them slick , so that they don't pick up any " dirt " from you hands .  Scott


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## deputyatnight (Feb 17, 2011)

Razor Blade said:


> I see nothing wrong with that, nice job. After you finish sanding them , you may want to buff them slick , so that they don't pick up any " dirt " from you hands .  Scott



I've sanded them down with several grits of paper, finishing with a 600 grit wet sanding.  I didn't want them to feel slippery, so I didn't go further down in grit size, but I may go with a polished finish.  I'm noticing they get a bit darker when I handle the gun, then lighten up again when I put it down.  They don't seem to absorb water, and when i get them wet, they lighten up in a few seconds.  I was going to apply turtle wax and buff them, but i was also thinking of using a clear coat spray.
Here's a picture of the grips on my Springfield Loaded:


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## sharpeblades (Feb 17, 2011)

Nice job


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## bristol_bound (Feb 17, 2011)

Looks mighty good to me!


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## DROP POINT (Feb 17, 2011)

Don,those turned out great.Nice job.Now we need to put some you made on a knife.

Davin


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## deputyatnight (Feb 17, 2011)

DROP POINT said:


> Don,those turned out great.Nice job.Now we need to put some you made on a knife.
> 
> Davin


I was thinking the same thing.  When cash is flowing a little better I may give you a call!

I'm going to try to buff the grips tomorrow, but I
m still wondering what type of compound to use that won't discolor the grips.  I was thinking turtle wax paste may work.  I also considered buying some liquid carnauba  car wax.  Any suggestions from anybody who's familiar with working with this type material?


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## wvdawg (Feb 17, 2011)

I'm sure the knife pros will answer your questions - that looks awesome to me!  Great job!


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## Razor Blade (Feb 17, 2011)

That looks great .If i buffed with anything at all , it would be the white , it should not change the color to much. The spray sounds good , if you do that try a piece of scrap first, to see if it changes . If it ain't broke , don't fix it . Looks great just as is . Scott


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## OconeeDan (Feb 18, 2011)

Very nice!  You may want to try rubbing on some boiled linseed oil.  It will darken it up like it's wet, but should still be "grippy".  Dan


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## deputyatnight (Feb 18, 2011)

OconeeDan said:


> Very nice!  You may want to try rubbing on some boiled linseed oil.  It will darken it up like it's wet, but should still be "grippy".  Dan



I have some boiled linseed downstairs.  I'll try sanding a piece of the scrap and testing it on the scrap.  Thanks for the suggestion.  I just didn't have much of an idea of what to apply before buffing it.  I have a muslin wheel I can use, but I was also wondering if it may burn the surface.  I'll do some playing with the scrap.
Thanks for all the comments.


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