Back home from KY and in the shop. Finally found some v belts to get the drill press up and running again and with the extra Blood Wood in the shop from the last set of grips, started in on roughin out a pair of grip panels for the Pimp Cannon.
A bit different this time. Rather than taper from the inside, I tapered the outside. Lets me look at the wood under the surface and no suprizes like cracks or knots or flaws that get uncovered after the fit up to the frame is completed. If there was a flaw, I could cut another blank from the remaining board. Looks like there is enough Blood Wood left to do one more set of grips for a Colt or Blackhawk or if resawn, two sets for a 1911.
Rough positioned. Oversize and I have yet to fully fit the RP Grip frame to the Blackhawk. So, it'll move around later an I should be able to mate the wood to the frame gap free.
I worked the inside and outside surfaces of each grip panel on the belts until they are dead flat in every direction using a straight edge to check. Thickness are very close to the same with a touch extra wood on the palm side for fitting later. I'll most likely make these panels dead flat on the bottom rather than beveled up. The bottom thickness is just at or a bit under 1/2" and will likely finish up between 3/8 and 1/2 thickness at the bottom. But, wood to grip frame fit is about perfect for this stage of the project. No gaps and this dense hard wood shouldn't warp as it ages.
Some of the light dark light dark striping that will come out better with polishing and final urethane finish.
Inside the frame is traced onto the panels, just a guideline for now. A bit extra so I can move it around a bit and come up against the Blackhawk frame later. Up top a pair of divots drilled in the wood. Seems the Ruger Trigger Spring pin is a bit longer than the RP backstrap is wide. Rather than grind off the pin, miss and booger the backstrap, a divot does the job and a bit oversize to allow me to move the wood panels just a hair forward later to touch the frame.
I guess I oughta be lookin around for a stainless steel screw for this set of panels but then, maybe a blued/blackened set of hardware would look nice too. No brass I think. Too many colors.