ltwguns.com

I guess everyone knows by now that I have a thing for nice wood - I started making my own grips years ago, and am still fascinated by the differences, similarties, and the overall beauty of a really nice set of wood grips. I select my own wood, and cut slabs from the blanks. It's challenging to try and pick the cut and orientation that will give the best balance of strength, resistance to warpage, and beauty possible - quarter sawn, slab sawn, they all have an effect on the appearance of the blanks. One goal I have is to try and closely match the blanks one to the other. It's a process called "bookmarking". The more a grain pattern swirls through a blank, the more difficult this task becomes. Sometimes in a really heavily figured or marbled block, you just have to pick your line and cut, hoping for the best. Sometimes you get a surprise you had no idea was there....and it makes you think

A pretty nice pair of slabs, nice marbling on the outside. Good and hard, with no cracks.



The flipside, still showing good figure, good hardness, and a lot of "color"


Then I bookmarked the slabs, and said "Hello to my little friend". I think someone's trying to tell me something.

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480-804-1911

Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.

TR

That is so cool..........

That's wild!

I saw it immediately, just too bad your "friend" isn't smiling.

Ted- what's your best guess as to what he might be telling you?

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Dave
Member NRA

very nice; I love a good set of wood slabs. I have several lifetimes of Ironwood slabs sitting in my office as we speak.

Jeffvn

That is pretty neat.

I saw a little gremlin, my daughter saw a scrunched up face, with the body of the gremlin being the bridge of the nose, his legs the nostrils, and his head the wrinkle between his eyebrows. His arms are the eyes and a bit of a strange mouth at the bottom.

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I will never forget you Lou......February 21, 2009

John Ralston
5 SHOT LEATHER, LLC - Finely Crafted Custom Handgun Leather

http://www.5ShotLeather.com

IronMan with Hulk arms. That is very cool.

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Brett

Very interesting slab...I like it.

BTW, the process you're referring to is known as "book matching". You see this a lot with high-end electric guitar makers who feature highly figured maple tops.

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"All of us must become better informed. It is necessary for us to learn from other's mistakes. You will not live long enough to make them all yourself." - ADM H. G. Rickover

Looks more like one of those alien slugs from Bruce Willis' movie the "Fifth Element" striking a bodybuilder pose! Maybe that's why the docs keep shaking their heads when the department send me for a rorschach test?

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"There is a true glory and a true honor, the glory of duty done, the honor of integrity and principle."--Gen. Robert Edward Lee

the Roman, for interior decoration, would split slabs of figured marble, and mount the slabs next to each other, or on opposing walls. It is neat to walk into a room constructed 2,000 years ago, and match the slabs.

To match them that way on grips, way cool.

I see my mother-in-law.


-Matt

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"If it has breasts or a motor, you're gonna have trouble with it."

That's exactly what I was thinking.

thats too cool to make grips out of. i'd have to glue it together end to end like in the pic and set it on a shelf.

I see Ben Grimm:

Nature really is rather neat. Thanks for posting this up.

Theo: The serial number on the 1911 that will be adorned with those grip panels wouldn't happen to be 666 would it?

Best regards,

Jim

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"... behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him."

Yep, IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!

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Thunder Ranch THG & UR(x2), Gunsite 250C,
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Ted

Very beautiful job on book ending the grips! I wish more grip makers would take a bit more time
and do this ... very rarely do I see a 'matched set' of 1911 grips

Outstanding job Ted!

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The Spirit of God hath made me, the breath of the Almighty hath given me life