Grip Stippling

[tex45acp]

Good Afternoon,
Some time ago I became very interested in grip stippling as an option to checkering or nothing at all. I have seen several guns done this way especially a methid called texturing on a Browning High Power reworked by Mr. Yost. It is without a shadow of a doubt the best I have ever seen.
I decided to do a little experimentation on one of my other guns, before tackling the BHP. I had an old metal scribe, used when I was doing my layout, in a machine shop. You know, the ones with the carbide tip. Well I sharpened the tip and took it and a small ball peen hammer to the back of my stainless CZ75B, since it too has slick front and rear grip straps. 3 hours and about 50,000 whacks later, here is what I have to show for my efforts. It feels great in my hand and with a little cleaning up will be about as perfect as I need. Next... the front grip strap. It is about twice as wide and will take about twice as long.....I think I am going to look for some of the stippling punches, with the multi point faces. One strike will yeild 6-8 stipples instead of only one.

tex

[Bill DeShivs]

If your gun has a plated finish, you are going to have serious rust problems. If it's stainless you should be OK.
I prefer an electric engraving pencil. With some practice you can do very effective and attractive stippling.

[Harry Bonar]

Sir:
That's a good job of stipling but I can save you time and effort and do an very even and pretty job.
I use a large (12") wood file and strike the front of the frame with it at a fixed angle (tape the end of file - not the tang!) You want your strikes fairly strong and continue half-way out on your trigger guard and then radius at the end.
For the slide use the same type file but as fine as you can fine, Go carefully down each side and then "fill-in". Now, mount the slide in your mill and use a 1/16 thisk cutter and at the junction of the matting cut a .010 deep border! You're done.
Harry B. Does a beautiful job!

[Harry Bonar]

Sir:
That's a good job of stipling but I can save you time and effort and do an very even and pretty job.
I use a large (12") wood file and strike the front of the frame with it at a fixed angle (tape the end of file - not the tang!) You want your strikes fairly strong and continue half-way out on your trigger guard and then radius at the end.
For the slide use the same type file but as fine as you can find, Go carefully down each side and then "fill-in". Now, mount the slide in your mill and use a 1/16 thick cutter and at the junction of the matting cut a .010 deep border! You're done.
Harry B. Does a beautiful job!

[tex45acp]

Bill,
The gun is a stainless CZ75B. There should be no problems. Thanks for the information. I tried an electric engraving pencil and it was a nogo on the stainless. It must have a much harder Rockwell reading that standard carbon gun frames.


Harry,
Where were you some 50,000 strikes ago. That is a great idea. I never thought of using a file. I will definately give it a try.

tex

[Bill DeShivs]

Tex
Apparently, you weren't using it correctly. Electric engravers have a carbide tip that is harder than any stainless. Using the electric engraver (110 volt, vibrating type) does take some practice to get the finish you want. I use one often for stippling.

[Neophyte1]

tex45acp: Sir; good job Now that you're done with that I need some help building a barn Your stroke should be down perfect.LOL
good job

[tex45acp]

Well I finished the front grip strap and decided to also stipple the lower part of the trigger guard. I took the advice of another poster who uses a file to make the stippling. I have a 12" round bastard and half round bastard. Every time I strike the surface with them they cover about a 1/8" square patch with stipples. Instead of 3 hours and 50,000 hammer strikes, this took about an hour with about 5,000 strikes....and this surface is wider and I also did the lower part of the trigger guard. I even went back to the rear grip strap and went over it a couple of hundred times to get it to match the front. It really turned out great. Feels like skateboard tape, without the problems of the tape wearing or coming off.

[BigJon]

Very nice. That's about as close as I've seen to this . . .



. . . which is what I'm trying to figure out how to do. I have only been able to find out that it's done with either a mill b or a round file and a hammer, and despite having experimented with scrap metal, I haven't been able to figure out how to duplicate the pattern yet. Still trying.

Best,
Jon

[MyXD40]

Wow that looks really good!
great job! I like it!

[Bill DeShivs]

Big Jon
I believe that was done with an electric engraving pencil.

[BigJon]

Ahhhhh . . . lights are begining to dawn. Hmmmm. . . . oooookay. THANKS BILL! SUPERB!

Best,
Jon

[Harry Bonar]

Sirs:
Great job on both of them - I use a coarse half round on the frame and a fine one on the slide top and then mill a border at the juncture - they both look great!
Harry B.

[BigJon]

Bill - If I may pick your brain a bit further, what make and model of engraver do you use?

Best,
Jon

[tex45acp]

Well I finally got around to stippling/texturing my BHP. For me to take a file and whack the frame of a blued gun was very difficult, but I finally did, and it turned out very well.

tex45acp

[Bill DeShivs]

The "file whacking" looks pretty nice!
I use both Wen and Dremel vibratory engravers. They have an "intensity" setting. If you let the tool "bounce", while controlling this bounce-you can get a very even pattern. I generally turn the engraver up high and hold it lightly. The firmer you hold it, the less bounce you get, but the deeper it cuts. Going over the same area several times can get you very coarse stippling.