This is showing how I make a set of Ram’s Horn grips. The first picture shows a set of blanks. The first step is to get the backs of the grips perfectly flat.

Next pic shows one of my drill jigs. It’s actually a two sided jig. I just turn it over for the other grip. The two holes you see are hardened steel drill bushings. These blind holes (not all the way through) are the tooling holes I use throughout the process. One of the holes is actually the grip locator pin hole. The white nylon spacer you see on the drill bit stops it at the correct depth for the hole.

Then next three pics show how I drill these holes in the back of the grips



The next two pics show a quarter inch Lexan template. This template is also reversable. This template is laid on the back of the grip panel with two tooling pins holding it in place. Then the outline of the grip is drawn on the grip panel.



The next two pics show the blanks after rough sawing out on my small band saw.

The next step is to fit the top of the grips so they fit nicely at the top with the panels on the grip pin. You can see that this has been done in the next picture. Once the panel fits on the grip frame, I erase the previously drawn sawing lines then with the panels on the grip frame draw the lines again.

Then next pic shows the thickness of the grips before shaping is started.

The next pic shows how I shape the grips on my oscillating spindle sander. Of course I use two hands when I’m not taking pictures.

After a little shaping.

After a little more shaping.

Starting to look like grips now.



Next pic shows one of my sanding jigs. The pin holes are for various types of grips

Next is using this jig on the sander to get the bottoms fit to the frame.


Next shows rough drawing in the bottom contour

Next shows sanding down to the line

Next pic shows carefully sanding down the excess material close to the grip frame. It’s a good thing the customer is not there to see this part. He might get a little nervous. But, I have never scratched a grip frame yet.

The grips a little further along.

Next is the jig I use to get the chamfers at the top of the grips.



This is a half inch sanding sleeve on my oscillating sander. This is done to chamfer the little radiused part at the top of the Bisley grips

Next two pics are the buffing process. This is the process that I love where they actually start looking really pretty. Of course there is a lot of hand sanding and fitting before the polishing. I added a picture of the simple hand sanding tools I use. A small sanding block and an extra one inch rubber spindle from my oscillating spindle sander. I cut all my sand paper to the small sizes you see there. I'v been using these simple hand sanding tools for ten years.



Next you see another drill jig with pins in it that correspond to the two tooling holes I drilled first. This jig has hardened steel drill bushings in it for drilling the grip screw holes and the medallion holes if the customer wants medallions. This jig is also double sided. The locator pins go through to the other side for drilling the opposite grip



Next you see a quarter inch counterbore in my drill press for drilling out the quarter inch ferrule holes.

I use the stop on my drill press to drill to the correct depth, .190". Then the hole is sanded smooth around the edges and the grip is polished again.

Well, that's it, pretty simple huh?

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