The Undecided Project

[Sharps40]

Grip panels whiskered with 220g tonight and resting in a second coat of urethane, rubbed in hot and hard till almost dry. Next sanding will be to bring the top of the grip panels down to about level with the top of the grip frame and rear of the action. Left grip panel fits the grip and frame very nicely and skinned in very thinly. Right grip panel had just a tad of a gap at the rear of the frame but it skinned in with the bedding and there is no movement. Both panels snap into place over the pin and into the frame recess so I'm pleased. Final result should look great and be very functional.

After the final sanding it'll be 5 or so coats of urethane, a few drops per panel each coat. Rubbed in hard. Knocked back with 0000 steel wool between coats and then a final rub out with fff compound and a bit of Johnsons paste wax for the final finish. Satiny and will let the reds and yellows show nicely.

I'll do natural light pics when the gun is all done. The interior light shows a bit of brown in the panels that's just not there.

Bloodwood is nice to work with. You can polish it with sandpaper. It seems it would almost be something ya could buff bright on a cotton wheel. I really like this wood. Has a very nice smell when you sand it....a bit irritating to the eyes when you make a lot of dust. I spose a dust catcher on my equipment would help that though.

 

[41mag]

I'm guessing that since the barrel is cut a little now ya can't call it the pimp gun anymore....haha.
How about the "Bloodwood Bandit" ? (For the grips and the band sight)

 

[Sharps40]

I been thinkin over the proper name for this here once long barreled Pimp of a Cannon. Seems it was carried a lot in a holster. Good golly, musta been a giant to carry this one so much with that too long barrel.

Seems it was worked hard too. Came outta the mid west and though oiled inside (I squeezed oil outta the goop in the action!) it was crudded full like I ain't never seen any gun. Given I carry the Lightning almost daily now in an open top crossdraw, I can see how it got crudded up! They gets real durty and it falls right into the action around the hammer and strut.

But be alla that as it may, this here Pimp of a Cannon has been a Mans partner and Workhorse for many years. It ain't gonna wind up bein no match gun but restored and maybe (if it turns out pretty) gussied up enough to be a fine looking and reliable Gentlemans Workhorse for many years to come.

So. This here project is finally got a name. Gentlemans Workhorse it is.

 

[7pt62THOR]

I been thinkin over the proper name for this here once long barreled Pimp of a Cannon. Seems it was carried a lot in a holster. Good golly, musta been a giant to carry this one so much with that too long barrel.

Seems it was worked hard too. Came outta the mid west and though oiled inside (I squeezed oil outta the goop in the action!) it was crudded full like I ain't never seen any gun. Given I carry the Lightning almost daily now in an open top crossdraw, I can see how it got crudded up! They gets real durty and it falls right into the action around the hammer and strut.

But be alla that as it may, this here Pimp of a Cannon has been a Mans partner and Workhorse for many years. It ain't gonna wind up bein no match gun but restored and maybe (if it turns out pretty) gussied up enough to be a fine looking and reliable Gentlemans Workhorse for many years to come.

So. This here project is finally got a name. Gentlemans Workhorse it is.[/QUOTE]

.....and a fine one it will be. We have no doubt!

 

[Sharps40]

No spectacular work to report tonight. Just mundane and detail oriented stuff. Sanded the tops of the grip panels down to just a hair taller than the frame. Pulled both panels and reskined the contact edges with more Midway Pro Bed 200. Just a wiff of a coat to fill in voids from the first bedding and then I'll sand it all one last time tomorrow evening before proceeding with the final finish.

The stainless steel takes a nice satiny glow with 220 grit paper. Might make that the final finish for the grip frame.

In any event, the Pro Bed 2000 is okay stuff but stringy and very thick/resistant to flowing into the right spots when applied. Acraglas Gel is several orders of magnitude better. It sticks better, flows better, sets up harder, can be colored about any color and is much less brittle when hardened. But, like I said, the Pro Bed is on hand and good enough for non critical tasks.

On the good side, I got new hinges installed on the O Fish Al Blue Beer and Fish cooler just in time for starting a busy hunting season in the Low Country. It was a prize given to me at the April Trout Trip and its even the right color, Blue like John Lee!

Folks asked about workin up Bullseye loads with those 255g LWC muzzleloading bullets. Lets say I compared data from a variety of sources for 45 Colt bullets (WC, SWC, LRN, Jacketed) from 237g to 260g. Started with the lowest 260g jacketed load and worked my way up. The current load matches the max Bullseye load for a 237g WC from a 1950s edition of Lyman/Ideal (Don't toss out old data books!!) and seems about max. I will test another round of this load and may back down one or two tenths of a grain. (But I might get a wild hair and load 40g Goex fff compressed and try slayin a deer old school style with it too, now that I can wash half the gun in the dishwasher!) It seems, based on old data for that early WC bullet, my 255g LWC muzzleloading bullets are probably in the 900 to 1000 fps zone. Plenty for deer, accurate so far and mild to shoot with no alarming signs of pressure like blown primers, stuck cases, etc. But, got a new and tighter cylinder to break in and so the new loads are sized .452 instead of .454 and we'll see how they do after getting a front sight in place. (Nope, I won't list the current load, except to say that the deep seated 255g LWCs were mild and also very accurate loaded with 6.3 or less grains of bullseye.)

 

[Retread]

Too tied up on the pics to actually read anything.
Do you use a sander/belt grinder, or take down the grips by hand with a strip?
What grit do you start with, and how do you keep the meat on the frame without skinning it up?

 

[Sharps40]

All.

Sander belt to flatten the back and taper the front.

Belt/drums/files/random orbit/hand sanding to meet the shape of the tangs and bring in the curve.

Random orbit and hand sanding to finalize shape and fit.

Hand sanding to remove whiskers.

Steel wool to level each coat of finish when dry.

Cotton cloth and fff to buff out last coat of finish.

With this good hard wood I start with 80 to 120 and finish with 220.

I skin the hell outta the frame for two reasons. They's usually rusty and will get reblued. Its the best way to get the wood either durn close to the metal or dead level with it depending on how ya want the fit to look,,,,factory (wood bigger than metal), custom (wood same as metal)

 

[Retread]

Have I ever said, "I hate you"? Just kidding. Wish I had the skills.

But I do have the wood, and access to more.
I've been saving a chunk of gaboon ebony for when I get the technique down.

 

[Sharps40]

Next project is inbound. A NM 357. Havn't decided yet whether to go Ruger Birdshead or Colt 1860 Army or the 1860 Army (or chopped factory alloy trigger guard) and an original 100+ year old Colt Lightning Backstrap. Also not sure if it'll stay 357.

 

[41mag]

Gentlemen's Workhorse sounds like a fine name sir. I would shorten it to Workhorse , but that's just me. I'm really gonna miss the Pimp Cannon name though! It just rolls off the tongue easily. Ha!
Carry on!