I just posted the first part of the WIP, and unsurprisingly left out what I think is an essential step. I always lock down anything I drill on the press with a clamp.
While the stock slab is clamped for the 3/4" forstner bit and after the stock circle is marked drill a hole with a 1/8" drill bit through the slab. This hole will be essential to finding the center of the stock circle for medallions.
After that remove and shape the stock circle and shoulders.
Now here is how I make the pattern for the grip frame. Remove the 1/8" roll pin (tension pin) from the bottom of the frame. Then take the stock slab and place the circle and shoulders into the frame and trace the frame outline using a fine magic marker.
This picture was taken for this WIP. The roll pin should be removed.
At this juncture I shaped the profile of the grip panels. Be careful not to remove any wood inside of the magic marker because the frame should not be visible when the stocks are finished.
Now while the slabs are flat, it's back to the drill press to drill some more holes. The first hole is where the 1/8" role pin fits into the bottom of the stock. I find someway to clamp the stock slab to the bottom of the frame making sure the frame hole/stock hole shoulder fit is as tight as possible. Where this hole is drilled really must be precise. I use the hole in the fame as the guide for the drill bit. What is interesting is that the frame's hole is slightly smaller than 1/8", to keep the tension pin slightly compressed, I guess. I use a number 35 wire gauge bit. A 34 may fit, but after buying three wrong sizes I settled on the 35. The key is you want as little play as possible because if the holes are even a little off it will show where the panel circle abuts the frame circle.
If, after you have replaced the 1/8" roll pin in the frame, you are satisfied that everything fits correctly when both panel slabs are squeezed onto the frame (a 35 bit is a bit slightly less than an 1/8"). Before any shaping occurs and while the slabs are flat it's back to the drill press for the escutcheon holes.
These stocks are more finished than where we are in the WIP, but they show the holes which are drilled in two steps. But first decide where you want them. I put them in the center of the grip. They won't interfere with the spring. My grip screws have 1/4" escutcheons. I put both slabs on the frame then clamped the assembly to the drill press and drilled a 1/8 hole through it all. Without unclamping I used a 1/4" forstner bit and drilled deep enough to set the escutcheon. How deep just make sure you leave enough slab to hold the escutcheon. Then turn the assembly over. Use the 1/8" drill bit, move it up and down into the predrilled 1/8" hole, to place the slab directly below where the 1/4 forstner bit will make the seating hole. In other words
you want to do what you were did on the opposite side, but then you had the benefit of the clamping.
So now we're at the point shaping can begin. I like to scribe a line at the depth where the panel sits in the frame. I think that is 1/8". I use a height gauge to cut a line but I'm certain there are other ways. I do this because I don't want to remove any material below this line, especially at the stock circle ever, and at this point for the rest of the panel.
I round shape the panels curvature, for want of a better description, until I reach the scribed line, as shown in the bottom picture. The reason that I do this for the entire stock is that at the top where the stock meets the frame, the frame shape is not vertical. It is canted inward about 10-15 degrees. This is easier to see than describe, so if anyone is confused by my effort please let me know.
The traced line for the stock is where the stock slab sets on the frame, which is the largest dimension of the stock, it becomes narrower toward the top at about 10-15 degrees. So for the seam between the frame and the stock to flow smoothly you have to remove material at an angle. Final fitting is easier it there is less panel to remove to get the correct flow from frame to stock.
The shaping and flow of the stocks curvature is personal to your taste and feel. I use files and sand paper and sandpaper and more sandpaper. The most important goal in my opinion is to remove all flat surfaces and strive for symmetry. Apply masking tape over the potentially exposed revolver surfaces, backstrap, etc. Then put the stocks on and file and sandpaper to your desired shape. Avoid power tools in my opinion. They tend to take off too much material too quickly. At the end of each session, and it will take several, treat your self with a little fine sanding and a wipe on of BLO, just to see how gorgeous the stock will be when done.
One of the reasons I wanted to make these stocks was that several years ago I saved a few S&W headstamped .38 Special shell casings. I always thought is would be sort of cool (disclosing my age here) to use the shells for medallions. So here's how I did that.
First I used two forstner bits, a 3/8" bit for the width of the cartridge casing and a 7/16" bit for the cartridge rim.
Recall I mentioned drilling a 1/8" hole through the stocks when scribing the frame hole curve with the forstner bit. At some time before final final shaping, use the hole and a 1/8" drill bit to mount the drill bit quill precisely over the center of the stock circle, where a medallion would go. Clamp the stock. Drill the 7/16" bit down to where you want the cartridge to sit. Maybe wherever 1/16" soul be below the finished stock. Follow that up with the 3/8" forstner bit. Drilling all the way through.
You should have a hole like this. Press the cartridge through and it would look like this.
Cut and saw, grind and sand off the back and that's the cartridge medallion!
But, a word of caution. The cartridges I used had been reloads and I think somewhat swollen. In other words a very tight fit. Two of the four cracked the stocks while inserting them, hairline and I trust not significant. Maybe new unused casings fit more easily. But, S&W doesn't make them anymore.
That's all for now. I anyone has any questions I'd be glad to try to answer
