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Post by RDW on Jun 26, 2019 18:50:38 GMT -5
 Another veiw of OM alum, Been a whittleing on this one but just wanted to show how close i can get on a base panel. |
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Post by RDW on Jun 26, 2019 18:58:28 GMT -5
Hang in there gentlemen. I will have this put together very soon.
I was just informed by my lovely bride of thirty years this month, That im cookin tonight! Haha.
So headed to the favorite mexican food joint!
Good evening to all and will be back at it tomorrow!
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Post by singleaction on Jun 26, 2019 20:38:57 GMT -5
I’ve died and gone to heaven!😀
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Joe S.
.401 Bobcat
Posts: 2,517
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Post by Joe S. on Jun 27, 2019 7:06:48 GMT -5
I’m getting pumped! Hope i can afford this!!
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Ramar
.30 Stingray
Posts: 442
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Post by Ramar on Jun 27, 2019 8:42:44 GMT -5
Thanks for all your effort posting details with pictures, Ronnie!
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Post by potatojudge on Jun 27, 2019 9:17:40 GMT -5
These grip frames don't need to be decked for the best and easiest fit of grips. Bowen charges $150 for decking.
Anybody who has made grips for their Ruger SAs knows how difficult it is to get a great fit on the flat side. For home grip makers, this will simplify the process whether using Ronnie's blanks or your own.
A round butt conversion from Clements is $100. Ronnie's grip frames can be bought already round butted.
He's been modifying his grip frames to give additional knuckle clearance behind the trigger guard and lengthened the bottom of the grip like JRH does. JRH charges $350 and that includes grips, but does not include decking the grip frame to my knowledge.
Swapping a grip frame isn't generally a cheap proposition given the cost to fit to the gun, grips, decking, modification of the profile like Linebaugh or Huntington does, and refinishing. Looking at the overall cost of these grip frames when having a custom built, I think the cost to use one of Ronnie's frames vs Ruger cast often won't be much different (depending on your gun) and depending on what work is being done overall could be a money saver in some instances.
I say all this because I've been looking back at this thread and thinking about what we estimated the frames should cost and what the actual cost is to get a new grip frame from the box onto a gun and with what options. I passed on a Fishpaw stocked grip frame not long ago because I added up the cost of buying it and having it installed/gun refinished and decided it was cheaper to have Rowen or Dustin just make new stocks for a gun (not the same, I know, but as close as you're gonna get).
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Post by bushog on Jul 12, 2019 8:49:00 GMT -5
This one sure went dead...?
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Post by magnumwheelman on Jul 12, 2019 10:47:00 GMT -5
As far as I know, we're still waiting on RDW to get everything set up "business wise" to be able to sell them... but I've not heard anything from him for several weeks
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Post by potatojudge on Jul 12, 2019 12:01:25 GMT -5
We’ve been talking pretty regularly, most recently Wednesday.
I don’t know when he’s planning to go live, but he’ll have his ducks in a row for sure and the offerings will be broad. He’s doing all he can to make this a proposition for guys at home with minimal tools and skill so the total cost of grip frame and swap is affordable.
There’s a couple of things I’m especially excited for.
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Post by wiresguy on Jul 12, 2019 21:40:58 GMT -5
These grip frames don't need to be decked for the best and easiest fit of grips. Bowen charges $150 for decking. potatojudge: I'm new on this forum but not new to Ruger single actions. I am not familiar with the term "decked". If you would explain that process, I'd sure appreciate it. Always looking to learn something new. Thank you. Wiresguy |
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Post by potatojudge on Jul 12, 2019 21:51:05 GMT -5
These grip frames don't need to be decked for the best and easiest fit of grips. Bowen charges $150 for decking. potatojudge: I'm new on this forum but not new to Ruger single actions. I am not familiar with the term "decked". If you would explain that process, I'd sure appreciate it. Always looking to learn something new. Thank you. Wires guy Ruger casts their grip frames. They come out rough and are part machine finished and part hand finished to the gun. The sides of the grip frame where the grip panels mate is given little if any attention, so the two sides of the grip frame there are neither perfectly flat nor perfectly parallel. Decking is just machining or surface grinding those two areas to be perfectly flat and parallel so grip panels can be made perfectly flat, which makes a seamless fit much easier (some say possible, but the masters get a really good fit even if not decked). It's a service usually reserved for finer customs and guns destined for high end grips. If you're dropping $1k on ivory grips, the extra $150 to make them perfect makes sense. If you're fitting walnut Hogues at home, not so much. Talking to Ronnie, the sides of his grip frames are flat and parallel to some ridiculously close tolerance. The same goes for his grip panels, which is why if you look at the pictures he's posted there really isn't much "fitting" to be done, just (maybe) contouring and finishing. |
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Post by wiresguy on Jul 12, 2019 21:53:27 GMT -5
Thank you, I appreciate the explanation!
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Post by win1894s on Jul 12, 2019 22:34:01 GMT -5
I would like a number 5 in brass
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stick
.240 Incinerator
Posts: 8
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Post by stick on Jul 14, 2019 17:37:03 GMT -5
Aw, shoot...OK. I'll do it. Leggo my arm.
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Post by potatojudge on Jul 15, 2019 13:59:36 GMT -5
I talked to Ronnie for a while yesterday.
He's hard at work cutting out grip panels and contouring them so guys only have to do final, minimal finish work on the grips. He wanted his customers to be able to get into this without it costing an arm and a leg, and while grip frames cost what they will based on CNC time and materials, he wanted to have low cost, high quality grip panels ready to go. This also cuts down on wait time having grip makers, already backlogged, with orders for novel grip frames they won't have templates for yet. He figures not everyone has the time, inclination, or tools to make grips from scratch, so this will help. In part he's waiting on Brownells, since it's a large order of stainless and brass fittings.
We talked about adding a section on his website for recommended tools and methods for grip frame fitting as well as a little youtube tutorial with tips to supplement the Power's No 5 fitting video.
He's set himself up with everything needed to stabilize grip blanks. I've milled some nice walnut I'll be sending him to stabilize and mill for my frames, and the plan is for customers to be able to send in their own blanks so he can make the grip frame and grips all together. His tolerances are tight enough that you will be able to order replacement grips at any time and can expect them to fit as tight as your first set. He's got micarta of multiple colors as well as wood laminates all in 4x8 foot sheets. I don't know the exact status of his fine lumber supply (he has some), but eBay is a great place to find the specific blanks you want and he'll take it from there. Search terms: french walnut, english walnut, bastogne walnut, crotch walnut, claro walnut, burl walnut, curly maple, birds eye maple, tiger maple, burl maple, rosewood, padouk, zebra wood, bubinga, ebony, holly, etc.
Hopefully he'll have a chance to chime in here in the next few days with pics of his progress.
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